Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Oh, the Irony!

It's no secret that showing up for the page every day is hard work. Most writers talk about how their dry spells and how, on some days, standing under a jack hammer would be preferable to trying to yet again put two words together that made sense.

I'm no different but I am learning about new depths to my resolve. There are countless days when I think that I don't have the time, the space, or the mental stamina to open up my current project and re-read it or work on a new chapter. But the other option - not working on anything creative in my life, not having given this effort my best, having to tell people that I gave up - is a worse choice. I'd rather set the alarm early and end up with one word change in a 400 page file than finish the day feeling that I let myself down.

The truth is that grappling with perfecting a sentence gives me joy only second to rearing my child and being with my husband.

And the irony is that the days when I show up at my laptop keyboard, reluctant, weary and grasping for hope often produces my stronger work.

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