The Wild Word

The writer’s words are like a feral beast.

Words peer out of the tall grasses of your mind, unsure of your intent.

We feel them there, and try to coax them out.

Sometimes they respond, coming into your world, letting you nurture them. If they are comfortable, they might become intrusive, demanding creatures, wanting to be molded, sometimes in a rush of need. They can make you obsessive in your own need to tame them into something glorious.

But there are those words that are wilder than most, hovering just out of reach.

If you push yourself at them, they may bolt, creating a distance that might take some time to overcome.

They can be gentled and encouraged to come to us again, patience being the key. Sometimes the most difficult of beasts become the most brilliant, after they become willing partners.

But the beauty in words is that they always retain some of the wildness, leaving us to guess at their next actions.

 

Read more from Tamara Hartl!

 

Progress

Finally!

Today I sent the last of the manuscript for book three in the Knights of Kismera series to my editor.

I can breathe a sigh of relief now. I had begun to wonder if I was ever going to finish The Dragon’s Tear.

I was about halfway through when the dreaded writer’s block happened—two months of nothing. Usually, I couldn’t write more than a line or two. Then the next day I would read over it and reject it.

I couldn’t even come up with blog posts or my newsletter. It was torture. UGH!!!!!

Then, one day it was as if the fog just blew away. The characters had things to say, and when I had time to write I couldn’t get it down fast enough. I still didn’t get the other writing responsibilities done, but it was because I was putting all of my energy into the manuscript.

I was discussing the progress of my writing and how I hated writer’s block with my family one day. My daughter looked at me and very calmly said, “But Mom, you get it at some point with every book.”

I thought it over and she was right. I lock up with every project. No clue why, but it happens with each novel.

Now I’m sitting here with mixed emotions. Is it just a normal part of my process? Do I have this issue to look forward to for any future work? Does that involuntary break make my writing better? Is being a frustrated writer “cool”?

The good news is that I have no shortage of ideas for future novels. I have at least four more in the file box in the back of my brain, as well as a few ideas that could become novellas.

So the plan of action is this: decide on the next project, sit down, start writing, and don’t sweat something that may or may not happen.

Read more from Tamara Hartl!