On writing(riding)

Hello there, everyone.

Recently, in case you haven't heard, I've published my very first story on Amazon.com (check it out http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q3LV0W) At the end of that story, I announced that it will continue in Episode 2, which will come out on May 1st. I also said that anyone interested in more information about me or my work can head to this website. Some time in the past week, however, I realized that I hadn't been updating my blog with any great frequency. I rationalized this by saying, "Oh, I just can't seem to find the time. I'm either at work or writing." The thing is, I work part time, and I haven't been writing that much since I published Episode 1. Partially that's due to my having gotten some new video games around my birthday (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is really fun), but there's also some writer's block going on there too.

In any case, I decided that this blog shall be updated at least once a week (on Tuesdays) if not more so. Which brings us to now.

Since my publication, I've sold 36 copies of my story, which has netted me a grand total of $12.25, about enough money to get me a large cheese pizza from Pizza Hut (which isn't too shabby. Pizza Hut is my favorite pizza place). The reason I've made so little is because I'm selling my story for $.99, and Amazon's royalty program is set up in such a way that you can only get 75% royalties on a story more than $2.99. If it's under that, you get 35%, but really, I'm fine with that. This story isn't about the money (although I'm more than willing to take it if people are willing to give it to me). This story is about building myself an audience.

I plan on releasing eleven more episodes after this first one (give or take a few. However many it takes to tell the whole story arc). I've already written the first several, which gives me a sort of buffer zone in case something in my life goes terribly wrong (like I'm mobbed by legions of fans to such a degree that their overwhelming adoration for my work crushes my lungs, or whatever).

I'm having trouble with Episode 4, though. I'm not sure why, what it is that's preventing me from putting pen to paper (although in my case it's fingers to keyboard). This seems to happen to me every once in a while. My writing friends will tell you that when I'm "on," when I have a goal and a deadline, I can turn out Stephen King amounts of fiction. I wouldn't say they're of King-quality, but quantity I can replicate. Two thousand words a day is no problem. If I'm feeling really inspired, that can turn into individual days of five to eight thousand words. My best is ten k, but I'd had a lot of caffeine that day.

The problem is that when I'm not "on," I'll barely write a page in a week, and it's depressing. I'll sit down at the computer with every intention to write, but the internet or video games always end up distracting me. It's like the mighty river of my creative energy gets dammed up by sticks and stones and mud of procrastination, and then only a little dribble of flow makes its way through the cracks.

The way I see it, writing is kinda like riding a bicycle without gears up a street with a lot of hills. When you haven't written for a while, you're at the bottom of that hill, and getting yourself up there takes a lot of work. It's hard, it takes all this energy, and it'd be so easy to stop, to just get off the bike and go home, but if you want to call yourself a writer, you have to keep pedaling. If you do, if you keep putting in the work, then things start to get a little easier further along in your writing session. You'll eventually crest the peak, and then, then my favorite time in the world happens. The story starts carrying you along with it. All that work you put into it, the momentum, it starts propelling you, rather than the other way around, and then you soar. It's like you can barely keep up with the inspiration streaming into your consciousness, your fingers fly across the keyboard. Eventually,that momentum will run out, and you'll start to plateau, but here's the key part:

Write again the next day.

That next writing session is another hill, but unlike in cycling, you control how steep it is. If you write every day, even a little bit, the hill will be easy to get up, but still fun to ride down. That momentum will carry over and help you up the steep part. If you don't, though, then that hill will grow. It will become steeper and steeper until it's practically hanging over you, looming, blocking out the sun, and then you'll be afraid to tackle it.

Don't let that happen. Ride (or write) every day.