So I got a promotion at work. It means more money, which means the house will get paid off in roughly five years (if I can stick to the plan); but it also means more work. Lately, it also means going without my lunchbreak (which is usually my official hour of writing time) and getting home so flamin’ tired that I can’t concentrate on my dinner, let alone my WIP. That, of course, has had a derogatory effect on my writing.
Oh, I’m still writing. Sometimes I even write a whole paragraph. (Yeah, impressive, right?) But the sense of accomplishment and movement that comes from writing roughly a page a day, and the in-depth knowledge of the WIP that comes from writing it and living it every day, is no longer there. Lately, I feel stale and old and slightly disconnected. Discontented with the way my WIP is progressing and not as enthusiastic about it as I usually am.
This morning, however, I’m feeling re-energised. Wanna know why? Of course you do. Over the weekend I read a wonderful book entitled ‘Brood of Bones’ by AE Marling. Not only is it an amazing read in and of itself (fantastic plot, wonderful characters, and evocative prose) but it also has the distinction of being one of the few successfully written books having a female protagonist that is in fact written by a male. Moreover, it gave me insights into how I want to write a certain book that is further down the chain in a sequence I’m currently working on.
There is nothing that energises me more than reading a well-written book with characters I love. It’s always been my maxim (yes, I have a maxim. Actually, I have two; the other being that there is a song for everything), that if you can’t write, read. Over the weekend, I couldn’t write. So I read. And now I can write again.
I feel refreshed. I feel energised. I have my cuppa. Have at thee, book!
