I’m curious as to whether or not prolific writers are as critical of themselves as other writers who take much longer to publish their works or finish them. Writers such as Louis L’Amour seemed to churn out stories like no other and would be on to the next one in no time (I imagine you have to be like that to punch out 89 novels) and Stephen King is known for the numerous stories and novels he’s written.
How is that these writers can not only keep their daily motivation to write or if they don’t and simply rely on discipline, how do they manage to turn off that internal editor and move on with their editing and publishing of their stories? I’ve completed a few stories but I’m not a good editor so I’ve been sitting on them ever since I finished them. I did minor edits after a read through or two but I don’t think they’re ready to be published. I have a ways to go before that day comes.
I need to work on my discipline, that’s for sure. Since the pandemic, when I should’ve used it as ample time to write, edit, and read, I’ve avoided writing as I had almost a mental block against it. Maybe it was the sense of being overwhelmed at how much was left to edit Sirens, whether or not it was even worth finishing, and whether or not anyone would even like it. I took a break from it and started writing another short story of a different genre which I have all but finished with only a few pages left to write for the same reasons. It’s not that I can’t do the work but that I’m afraid of putting in all that effort and putting myself out there through my writing only to create some poor work of shit, especially after supposedly having earned a degree in English.
I took a break after writing the first two paragraphs of this post to open up Sirens again and I edited three chapters. While I’m not officially over halfway done with my personal edits, I’m going to prepare it to be sent to a professional editor before I get it ready to publish. I have a ways to go with that but in due time. I can’t be a writer if I don’t write. I’m getting back to my routine and the discipline I once had with it. I want to have Sirens done by the end of the year. It may be a lofty goal but to not follow through with writing now would be an act of cowardice.
Drew Schroeder 