No, I'm not talking about that book you may have read. You know, the one written by Chinua Achebe. I think I had to read it in middle school. I didn't, though. Anyway, today we're talking about me.
I had a meltdown this weekend. Like one of those I'm crying in the corner in the fetal position kind of meltdowns.
See, on Saturday I started writing the climax of my current WIP, THE STAR RUBY, and everything was going great. I broke for lunch, tried to get back to writing and stopped dead. I realized the ending I thought I was going to was complete crap, and so I had no idea where I was going. Between a rock and a hard place didn't even begin to cover the hole I'd dug for myself.
I called my critique partner. We talked on the phone for quite a while. I tried to explain what my problem was, but she hadn't read it and so couldn't give fully-formed advice. I was on my own. Then, I got some very good advice from her and this crazy fish. They convinced me to take the night off. I wasn't getting anything done on my manuscript and I was only succeeding in making my mental state worse. I had myself so freaked out I was nearly hyperventilating.
So here it goes: Things fall apart. They do. It's okay. It's not the end of the world. My ending is going to be so much better, more dramatic and more satisfying thanks to everything falling apart. It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath and walk away. I went and enjoyed some time with friends and worked on a drawing. You should get away too.
Things fall apart for a reason: They weren't working. It's a good thing. I know it's not going to feel like it. It will feel like the end of the world. At least it did for me. That's when you know you're better off walking away and getting something else done.
I'm happy to report things are now back on track for my WIP. I may actually finish by my completely arbitrary Wednesday deadline. Or I might not. *shrug*
So tell me, have things ever fallen apart on you so bad you think it's the end of the world? If so, how did you cope?
I had a meltdown this weekend. Like one of those I'm crying in the corner in the fetal position kind of meltdowns.
See, on Saturday I started writing the climax of my current WIP, THE STAR RUBY, and everything was going great. I broke for lunch, tried to get back to writing and stopped dead. I realized the ending I thought I was going to was complete crap, and so I had no idea where I was going. Between a rock and a hard place didn't even begin to cover the hole I'd dug for myself.
I called my critique partner. We talked on the phone for quite a while. I tried to explain what my problem was, but she hadn't read it and so couldn't give fully-formed advice. I was on my own. Then, I got some very good advice from her and this crazy fish. They convinced me to take the night off. I wasn't getting anything done on my manuscript and I was only succeeding in making my mental state worse. I had myself so freaked out I was nearly hyperventilating.
So here it goes: Things fall apart. They do. It's okay. It's not the end of the world. My ending is going to be so much better, more dramatic and more satisfying thanks to everything falling apart. It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath and walk away. I went and enjoyed some time with friends and worked on a drawing. You should get away too.
Things fall apart for a reason: They weren't working. It's a good thing. I know it's not going to feel like it. It will feel like the end of the world. At least it did for me. That's when you know you're better off walking away and getting something else done.
I'm happy to report things are now back on track for my WIP. I may actually finish by my completely arbitrary Wednesday deadline. Or I might not. *shrug*
So tell me, have things ever fallen apart on you so bad you think it's the end of the world? If so, how did you cope?
Comments
Post a Comment