The Snowflake Chronicles

Writing Feelings

Journal Entry Lesson #1: Writing Feeling
Written for Turning on the Light January 2010

Word count: 469

Sometimes I’m excited about writing and sometimes I just want to turn my back on writing. I know that I can’t give up and turn my back on it because it’s a part of my creativity. Writing short stories and poems fills something in my soul. When I write I’m both encouraged and frustrated.

I have a story in my port about dragons; it isn’t finished yet because I couldn’t go any farther. I will get back to the story before the end of January and complete it. I could very well get back to it next week because I’m planning to research dragons beginning on Sunday, January 16. I think the research will assist in finishing the story. When I stopped the story, I was frustrated because I couldn’t get any farther then a field of wild flowers.

The last two days I’ve been encouraged because I picked up a couple of blog ads. One paid $2.00 and the other $1.25, the minimum word count for both items was 200 words. There are more ads I can accept, but I have to make an entry that isn’t an ad before I accept another. I’ll think of something soon, maybe a poem or find an old photo to post with a family memory.

This is what I mean about my writing being both encouraging and frustrating. If I get frustrated writing a story in one genre then I can go to another genre for encouragement. I found out a long time ago it isn’t wise to continue writing when I’m frustrated. Writing, at least for me, doesn’t respond well to frustration.

The blogs ads don’t bring in much money, but it’s enough to buy a loaf of bread or put a little gas in the tank. If I let myself think about the money other bloggers are making doing the ads, I’d become irated and upset; therefore, I’ve learned to be grateful for the amount I do make. It works the same way with writing short stories or poems, avoid frustration by moving on to another genre or reviewing.

In January, I’m posting some chapters of Scavengers a novel I’m attempting to rewrite. I’m going to put a passkey on the chapters and invite people to review it I know give good in-depth, I’ve put off rewriting it too long, which is an indication that I’m frustrated and need review assistance before continuing the rewrite process.

The way I feel about my writing depends on whether I’m frustrated or not. I have to keep myself from becoming excessively frustrated or I would throw in the towel. I avoid frustration by switching from one type of writing to another or getting up from the computer and doing some housecleaning. That way I don’t beat my head against my computer monitor.