One of the most difficult things to sustain while in the middle of a major writing project is motivation. Regular sound kicks in the right direction are essential to the successful completion of a novel. Currently, up to my eyes in Kinnel’s Prison (working title), I have a dozen ideas, about twice as many questions and apprehensions, and many times the number of excuses not to write.
It’s funny that I never realized it before, but one thing that motivates me best is to go and hang around in bookshops! And I don’t mean Blossoms or Bookworm, who mainly deal with used books — I mean shops that sell new books. Being surrounded by new books, picking up the odd one and reading the back (or flap), being amazed at the number of great ideas around you… I find there’s nothing better than that to reconnect you with your writing self.
Having spend the morning in Landmark today (bought Malorie Blackman’s The Stuff of Nightmares), I found myself suddenly excited about what’s going to happen next in Kinnel’s Prison. Our friends are about to enter the mysterious, surreal world of Minar’s estate… [Insert creepy music here]
Of course, the thought that the sooner you finish your damned writing, the faster you could end up on the shelves yourself is a great kick up the backside. Alternatively, you could try keeping track of Niklas’s writing when he’s going through one of his prolific phases — it’s bound to completely inspire or totally demoralize!
Happy writing!
~PD
I have to remember what you said about Niklas so that I can quote it! It’s going to sound super cool as long as they don’t realize me’s talking about myself.
And *nodsnods*, it is lots of inspiring to see what others have accomplished. And even more inspiring when someone hasn’t accomplished but got published anyway.
So true. Even I feel like writing when I am roaming around bookshops, which has been very less over the past year or so, but it sort of puts me in a pensive mood, especially if I am alone.
Good to know that you are working on something new that might hit the bookstores soon. This reminds me, I have to ask you a stupid question. Is The Timeless Land out in the bookstores. I have not found it in the couple of bookstores I looked at, and online, I can (pre)order it on the zubaan website but I am not sure if it has hit the market yer, or not. So I decided not to exert myself overmuch and ask the authoress instead!
This is not really the place the socialize, but how have you been? I haven’t really had a chance to catch up, apart from your blog posts, which I regularly read even if I have been lay enough not to leave comments.
@Niklas: Very true what you say about being published even without being “accomplished”. Though that sort of thinking can make one feel a little foolish too.
@ Swetank: Good to hear from you. Not the right place to socialize, but when has that stopped people like us? 😉
The Timeless Land is not officially out, even though stocks are in. It’s likely to hit the stores in a week to 10 days. If you order from the publisher, you should get your copy though.