There is a list of CRAP keeping me from writing to day. And not a single reason, is a good one.
I had the whole day ahead of me. From the moment I dropped the kiddos off at the bus at 8:00 until they got off at 3:30. 7 and 1/2 hours with which I could write. It’s now 11:00 am and I’ve only managed to spit out a paragraph. Why? Is the laundry really more important? Did those legos all over the floor have to be picked up this second? Did I need to use Facebook all morning? No. Of course I didn’t. Even now I’m using this blog as a pretense of writing.
Again I ask why?
The answer is simple and complicated all at the same time.
What if this second book isn’t as good? (*cricket*)
What if my first novel was a fluke? What if that was the best I had in me? Part of my wonders why I’m writing a sequel at all. It was never supposed to be one. It was supposed to be a one shot, but my fans wanted more, so I had to provide them with that, right? But then, what if the second one doesn’t match the magic of the first one? Realistically, it shouldn’t, I suppose. The first of something is always the best. A sequel can only ever live up to be what it is; second fiddle. But even that is a hard goal to reach.
The fact that I’m not a well known writer only adds to the burden. The pressure is on to write more good work. But what if there isn’t any more? What if I’ve used up my one good idea?
What if I am (*gasp*) a one hit wonder?
Then again, maybe Devo is the one holding the answer.
“Crack that whip/Give your past a slap
Step on a crack/break your momma’s back
(Maybe not so much this lyric)
When a problem comes along/you must whip it
Before the cream sits out too long/you must whip it (irrelevant, but true)
When something’s going wrong/you must whip it.”
I get it now Devo. I need to go forward. Move ahead. It’s not to late. To whip it. Whip it good.
Danielle Bannister, Author 