Progress of a Novel

Words written so far this week: 500. Don’t laugh, or pity me for that matter. That’s fine. It’s something more than nothing and I’m counting it as a win!

My aspirations may be pathetic by your standards, but I’m in a stressful place at the moment and it’s hard to concentrate. I can make the space in my day, but my mind crowds with objections and distractions when I sit down to write ‘the novel’. This week so far, I’ve written a 3000 word application, filled in a lengthy registration form for my new GP, emailed friends, written a Substack article, a couple of poems, some marketing for my social media and a 1000 word non-fiction submission, so I’ve not exactly been slacking on the writing front.  Writing is writing, right?  Well, yes and no.  There’s definitely a writing muscle we all have, and like any muscle, the more we exercise it, the stronger it becomes.  Does writing an application, or shopping list, or a poem help me with writing my novel? Well, not directly, of course, but indirectly it does; it creates space for the creative bit of my brain to ruminate and prepare, so that when I do find the space and concentration to write ‘creatively’, my systems are firing immediately, without requiring a run-in;  my writing muscles are already warmed up and raring to go; I’ve created the space and energy to think and write creatively, by taking care of those other things that can be so distracting.  I find writing non-fiction always helps me settle into my fiction writing, rather than thinking of it of a separate, unrelated activity.

So, the novel ticks along, a few words at a time, perhaps, but progress is progress. I’ll have a bit of a writing ‘sit-in’ next week, when I’ll spend a half day working on the novel, shutting out everything else.  I’m preparing my brain, by giving it other tasks, convincing it that concentrating on creativity is no bad thing, it’s just writing; it can do it.

You maybe someone who stares hopelessly at the blank page, trickling words down here and there, or you may be someone who dashes out words at a rate of knots, head down, full steam ahead. We all approach our work in different ways. There is no right way to write, only what works for you.

Do share how you approach your writing and what works for you.