The Ebb and Flow of Writing- I'm So In the Story! Or Not

If you caught my last blog you know that I've recently been in a sweet spot with my wip. For the last two or so weeks I have been IN THE STORY. For the first time in a long time I wrote like I meant it. I said I would write like it was my job and I did gal-darn-it. I wrote for hours in a stretch. Hours! Three, five, seven, not at all concerned about the pain in my butt or the throbbing of my arms because I was IN THE STORY. I'd go to bed at night thinking about what I wrote that day and what I needed to write next. I woke up the next morning thinking about what I wrote the day before and what I wanted to write next. And then I'd write it. I was IN THE STORY when I showered, did the dishes, drove my daughter around.

I have to say it was gloriously fabulous.

And then I finished it. Did a round of revisions and sent it off to betas.

I couldn't sleep that night.

Now what would I do. It took me two days to kind of sort of disengage my mind from THE STORY.  Ugh, real life can no longer be put on hold. Now that I'm out of THE STORY, I feel a little deflated.

This is how it is with the writing life. There's a natural rhythm. You can't be in the zone all the time. Sometimes you need to give your mind a break and focus on the mundaine like house and office needs.

Sometimes the writing isn't gloriously fabulous and it's a major feat to knock off one decent sentence.  Learning to ride the wave, whether it's high and exciting or being sucked back into the ocean is what it's all about.

So I'm celebrating my recent high, taking a few days to manage my home, get back into my exercise routine (which I complete blew off last week) and read a few books.

Then I'll take a look at what I'm going to work on next. Hopefully it'll be a wonderful slide, but maybe it will just be old fashion discipline. Either way, I'm a writer and I will write.


How about you? Are you riding the wave?