The Doldrums

Every writer knows that some days your brain refuses to help you string the words together, and as soon as you’ve beaten your gray matter in submission, you hate the result. These are the days when I realize what a mistake it was to sign up for all those lovely cable channels. Showtime and HBO always seem like good alternatives when I feel that nothing sounds right. This is when I ask myself, “Why keep doing this?”

Every writer I’ve known has asked herself these questions. You’re not likely to make a very good living writing (yes, I know there are BIG exceptions to this – like Stephen King – but let’s be real). If you write about friends and family, they’re likely to be unhappy with your observations. Writing may be difficult and draining as you rummage through your memory and subconscious for the raw material to glue stories together. So, then, why keep pounding away at the keyboard?

You have to write because you want to, not because you think you’ve got a best-seller in you or because you think it’s great to see your name in print (although those can be legitimate secondary goals). If you don’t enjoy putting the words down, you will never outlast the critics, the rejection, or the doldrums.