It happens to the best of us. In every creative art. Dry spells. Moments when the grind of real life takes over and creativity and desire to create art shrivels. For some people that lasts a few days, for some a few years or decades. I am in week three of such a spell. How? By sitting in the damn chair and putting words on the screen even when all I WANT to do is sit on the couch in my PJs and binge watch something on Netflix. That, my friends, is the hardest part of writing. Staying in the chair.
To be fair with myself, it’s not that I just stopped reaching my daily goals one day and just let the dust collect on my keyboard. I was legitimately out straight all through March, April, and half of May. Being a lead in a play does consume a bit of your time.
On top of that, I also had a book release in March…This one: The First 100 Kisses, and co-hosted Maine March Madness over at Between Two Couch Cushions with R.J. Keller. My kids were also involved as leads in their school production of Mary Poppins at this same time, so I became a taxi. Time to write was limited, and on the days that I could write…I was so mentally drained that there was nothing to draw from. I needed some serious vegging time. Lucifer to the rescue!
Now, the play is over (oh, sure, a new play responsibility is coming up this week, but I’m stage managing so I don’t need to learn lines so there is less of a creative brain cell suck…I hope) I can get back into the swing of things again. My set writing days can go back to being my writing days and words will flow…
In theory. I’m easing my creative toes back into the water by writing this blog post, and then I need to send off a newsletter as I have been lax on that too while my theatre side got to come out and play. After that, out comes the WIP…which is still in its awful, wonderful, plot-hole filled first draft phase.
So, what happens when I’m staring at another blank page and the muse has forgotten all about me?
I’ll sit in the chair. I’ll write crappy words. I’ll show up until the muse sees that I won’t abandon her for Netflix.
Danielle/Dani Bannister, Author 