I have been struggling with the third first draft of my novel. The first two didn’t work, and I toss them in the trash. I have been struggling, when I sit to write the novel I get absorbed and stop focusing on the rest of my life, and when I know I only have a little bit of time, I simply don’t want to write it. But this only happened to me when it is fiction that I am writing, I had noticed that when I am writing non-fiction, like this post, I can do the time need it, or less, come back, or anything, doesn’t matter. Curiously, the same thing happen when I am reading, for that reason I read more non-fiction books than fiction ones, because if the fiction book is good, I have a really hard time disconnecting from the book.
I had been journaling about this, even before discovering the connection between my reading and my writing, I had just never associate both until recently.
I remember when I read “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruis Zafon, a great fiction book, and a recommendation to any one that loves books, I begin reading and could not stop until it was done, actually I am lying, I stop, because I could not continue reading at four am, but a soon as I open my eyes the next morning, I went directly for coffee and more reading. A special thanks to my wife, are in order, that instead of kill me that morning, took care of our baby with a smile.
In contrast, on a non-fiction, I can read half a page, continue later for two and later for another half to be able to read for an hour at night. No strings attached. The same thing happen when if I am writing, I get into the fiction world I am writing, and get mad if I get interrupted, that make it extra difficult for me to write fiction.
Based on that, looks like I prefer to read and write non-fiction, when in reality is exactly the opposite, but I had not learn yet, to read and write fiction in dashes, I only know to do it until the body drops. That in theory is ok, except I have a family, a day job, and other projects that don’t allow me to just get into a room and write.
I will love for some coaching on how to improve this, I will love to read more fiction, but honestly I am afraid, because I am aware that if it’s good fiction, I will read until I drop. Sadly the same applies to my fiction writing, and for that reason tend to happen only on fridays and saturdays and I get to have a miserable weekend, because of exhaustion.
Do you have the same issue, or have you even noticed?
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