Things you have to do

Was thinking last night about our mindsets, and how our minds decide what we’re capable of. For example- when driving with my husband, I can do about 3 hours before I get tired and want to switch drivers. But I drove up to Balticon last weekend with no problems, and that’s a 5 hour drive. See, I didn’t have a choice. There was no one else there to take the wheel. I simply had to do it. So I did it.

I hear this with parents of multiple kids. I’m here, exhausted from taking care of my one six-year-old, and I ask my friend, the mother of twins, “how the hell do you do it?” She just looks at me blankly and says, “I just do.” Well of course she does. Because she doesn’t have a choice.

When it comes to writing, sure, you have a choice. You can NOT write that novel, or NOT hit the wordcount. I’m sure you’ve NOT done these things several days out of your life. But at some point you have to decide if the consequences of you not doing something are worth it. If not, then you have to do it. You have no choice. There’s no other driver waiting on you, no nanny’s going to come to your door. You have to do that project.

I recently accepted a freelance writing project that has a night-impossible wordcount for 5 days. And I’m going to do it.

Because I can’t not.

In fact, I need to get started.

Writing prompt for June 2: Your character has a “dead” anniversary; celebrating something that no longer exists (example- s/he’s divorced, fallen off the AA wagon, something). How does s/he deal with or commemorate such a day?

Writing advice for the day: Practice failing until you can fly, from The Creative Penn (sounds a little like “you’re allowed to suck,” doesn’t it?). Incidentally, @thecreativepenn is a Twitter handle every writer should follow.