So, remember that post I wrote about feeling stuck in my current story? Well, it worked—I’m getting unstuck, I think. With prayerfully interviewing my character, getting to know her better, and putting myself more in her shoes. Also letting things be a little harder on her, letting her struggle more. Amazing how that makes a character more real.
Oh, and getting myself sick.
Yep, I seem to get some of my best writing done when I’m laid up sick in bed. Does that happen to anyone else? When I’m feeling too crummy to be up doing the things that usually keep me from sitting down and writing, I seem to often be able to get in that “story zone” and just write. I think it might be also partly that my cold-clogged brain can only focus on a limited number of things at a time, so I get less distracted. For whatever reason, it’s a definite silver lining to a sore throat, headache, and cold.
So while I listened to my family and others in our theater company laugh, visit, splash in the spa, play charades, and sing worship songs around the fire in our backyard last night at our Memorial Day potluck (doesn’t that sound lovely? I’m glad I could hear it anyway), I fixed one chapter and wrote a whole new one.
I’m so thankful. And I hope I’m learning that regardless of sickness-enforced isolation and blog posts galore, I can only do it when He helps me. I need to learn to throw myself on Him. For apart from Him we can do nothing.
How about you? Any unstuck-ness happening?
A few weeks ago, I could NOT wrap my head around book 2. I prayed and pondered, listened and then it was as if God flicked a switch!!
I was great!
I’m sorry you got sick, but I’m glad you’re un-stuck.
I love it when God does that–He is so faithful. And helps remind us that this is really His work, His story, doesn’t it? So glad you’re un-stuck! I so look forward to reading your books someday, Jennifer. Thanks for sharing!
Hooray for getting un-stuck! I’m a little bit stuck-ish in my WIP right now, but I hope to carve out some serious digging out time this week to sort through it or write through it.
I love the tone of your blog here, Kiersti. Such beautiful truth offered in every post. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Amanda! I really appreciate it–and hope you get un-stuck soon!