Weeks 15 & 16 - The Morning After...

To say that Christmas only last two days, it certainly went on a long time. Not that I’m complaining - it was great to take a rest from the daily slog.

I enjoyed the holidays; but was left with that oh so familiar feeling when the first week of January arrives: the back to work syndrome.

On my final blog of 2007, I compared writing a novel to climbing a mountain and said that I had just reached base camp. I thought it was a good analogy - and was quite proud of my achievement. Then I went back to work.

It’s amazing how steep that mountain is when you look up at it after a 10 day break.

What surprised me was when I finally opened up my computer and loaded Scrivener, I actually enjoyed writing again.

I had needed a break - and I'm sure it did me good - but I was confusing starting writing again with other tasks that January likes to drop on us - such as paying the avalanche of credit card bills that are the inevitable result of all that Christmas shopping. What on Earth convinces us that Uncle Ted would want a motorised tie rack or that Aunt Jane could not possibly survive another year without a battery operated tin opener?

The truth is that sometimes when you are caught up in deadlines (self imposed or not) we can forget why we are doing what we are do.

We love to write.

No one makes us do it - and let’s face it, we could probably earn more money and have a more secure future if we took that job in the local council’s housing department. But we don’t. Or at least, if we happen to do that job, we write so we won’t always have to do it.

Writing is hard. Writing can be frustrating. But can you think of a better way to spend a career?

Of course not. That’s why we do what we do.

Happy New Writing Year.

I can’t wait.