Sometimes I masquerade as a writer. The costume is cheap…jeans and a t-shirt. Rips optional.
Other times, I almost feel like a writer.
And then there are the times like today. I know I have written. But what does it all mean? If you write every day, are you a writer? And surely you’re an author if you have books published, no?
I’ve been reading over my words and wondering what it is I’m doing. I think it’s time to attempt an outline again. I feel like I have run out of things to write about. I struggled a bit at the Muskoka Novel Marathon a couple of weeks back. I went from speed writing early on to trying to dig up stuff to write about. I ended up writing AND THEN THIS HAPPENED AND THEN THIS HAPPENED AND THEN THIS HAPPENED. It no longer felt smooth. The flow got cut off somewhere during the weekend. I don’t like struggling with words and ideas. It’s not something I usually do. I am going to attempt to outline a novel. I have failed miserably at this in the past. I eventually said that it wasn’t for me…but now I’m pretty sure it just wasn’t for me then. Let the experiment begin!
In the meantime, I’m kind of feeling more like a grandfather than a writer. So…here’s a picture of my grandson, Edward. I took it while we were at the park yesterday.
KEVIN CRAIG 
it’s wonderful to live in the moment – and be a grandfather!
Just like any artist, writers ponder and then create. You can’t help it. It’s not an occupation; it’s more than that. A writer is more than what anyone can put down on paper and sell. A true writer is passionate about what they do. Congrats on being a grandfather! Isn’t it great? 😀
Thanks so much for stopping by, both of you. And, yes…being a grandfather sort of rocks my world. (-: Diane…so true. When we are not putting the words down, we are percolating them. (-: Thank you!
Kevin, I struggle with the exactly same thing. In fact your opening sentence describes me to a T… sometimes.
Now, I have nowhere near the writing pedigree that you have, but sometimes I find when the words feel clunky, or the ideas seem forced, they seem that way only to me. I think maybe it’s because we try too hard sometimes.
In sports (mostly baseball) they say that a player can push too hard when in a slump and it makes things worse. I think you’ve got the right idea. Try something different. In your case it is revisiting outlining.
Again with the sports; some writers are ‘streaky’ hitters. They go on long tears of writing but that is often followed up with long stretches of silence. I never said not writing, because like Diane said, ideas are percolating all the time.
A day in the park with your grandson, does it get any better?
Excellent advice, Dale! PS: I can’t wait to read you. (-: