B.I.C.

Yesterday, I wasn't in the mood to write, or do much of anything else. And I blogged about that.

Now today I have the same problems I had yesterday -- unpublished, tight finances, poor freelance prospects at the moment, weeds in the yard, nutty children, a dog that peed in the sunroom -- and the day before that and all of last week. I am listening to the same music (which I still love, by the way).

But I don't feel the same way today about life or about work. True, I felt a little down this morning but a drive on a sunny day to vacuum out the car and some strawberry ice cream at lunch cured that. This morning I spent time on a freelance project and this afternoon I called an editor with a couple of story ideas. I am also going to work on the marketing for the anthology and do some writing.

Yesterday I chalk up as a Personal Day.

Now it seems that Nathan Bransford, a literary agent whose blog I sometimes read, posted a blog entry yesterday on the work of writing. He called it Willpower and he mentioned B.I.C. -- Butt in Chair. I didn't see the posting until today after I saw my wonderful friend Megan Bostic post it on Facebook. It was the right topic for me on the right day.

Writing is hard, whether you enjoy it or now. And Nathan is right. If you only write when you feel inspired, it will take 100 years to write a novel.

Janet Evanovich, an author I enjoy and admire, says that writing is a job. And to get it done, you have to show up at work. That means you work when you feel inspired and you work when you don't.

Non writers do have this romantized view of the craft in which the writer is struck by a certain inspiration and goes off to the typewriter to bang out something brilliant. And regardless of the length they stay there writing until it's done. That, of course, isn't how things generally work. Writing is more perspiration than inspiration. As Nathan said, If writing is always fun you may be doing it wrong.

Now as for yesterday, let me put it into perspective.

Every 9-to-5 job I have ever had gave you days off. Holidays, sick days, personal days, vacation days. I work for myself and I have decided that yesterday was a personal day. And I am only allowing myself one. Today is a work day.

Thanks for reading. Now get off your butt and get back to work.