In my previous post I mentioned that I’m immersed in research and world-building, but what’s really important about both of those processes is the fact that I’m engaged in a very important part of the creative process–that of incubation.

Creativity relies on the process of information and input. All of my research and world-building fuels ideas that may or may not be central to my books. This period is crucial and I’m realizing now how much one of my books has suffered because I didn’t spend enough time thinking about it before I plunked myself into a chair to write.

That said, everyone thinks and creates differently. I shamefully admit that much of my self works on impulse and impatience, something that doesn’t always bode well when it comes to creating product that is worthwhile. I’m even trained in thinking critically and yet I find that I sometimes bypass that thinking step that I’m increasingly realizing is crucial to my writing process.

Part of the reason that I haven’t spent time thinking about my books is that it feels wrong. Society teaches us that we need to be productive and as writers–prolific. Donna Tartt’s second book The Little Friend (which I still need to read) was released 10 years after her riveting first novel, The Secret History, made the bestseller lists. I remember that there was a lot of buzz about the book but primarily it was people wanting to know why it took her 10 years to come out with another. It was the number one question asked on her book tours and in interviews. Understandably, when you write such a great novel, people don’t want to wait a long time for the next one. Yet, it’s a prime example of what I’m talking about–the pressure that our modern society has on writers. We live in the world of the NOW. We want things NOW. We want everyone to cater to our wants and needs IMMEDIATELY, or almost immediately. When it comes to books, we want the sequel as quickly as possible and if the sequel isn’t possible, a movie in-between books would be quite acceptable. That’s a lot to live up to.

Consequently, I think there are a lot of crap books on the market. You know when the author begins to just churn them out–after awhile the quality suffers. I used to be a big Piers Anthony fan in my younger years, but after the gazillionth punny book, I just 1. couldn’t keep up with them all 2. lost interest.

I’m definitely not in the prolific category with my novels but I have been off and on with poetry and freelancing, which has usually put the novels on the back burner. Part of that relegation to the back burner has been because I haven’t felt ready to just plain sit down and write. Well, not exactly. I’ve felt READY to write something, but the fleshed-out something eluded me because I often felt that I had to sit down and start spitting out chapters, rather than sitting down and developing characters, outlines, or researching and reading. I feel guilty when I want to write but I sit down and write something other than the book I think I should be writing. Does that make sense?

I don’t even know what made me realize that wow–I have to start completely focusing on my writing in all ways, all the time. Not just when I wasn’t working or when I had time to sit down and write full chapters. I need to be living, breathing, thinking and incubating my books.

So I’m reading and researching and writing. I’m using my own creative
writing exercises (I’ll eventually give you a peek into those at some
point) to further plot. I’ve been delving into the creation of
languages courtesy of Holly Lisle’s “Create a Language Clinic.”
Wow, what fun it is to create a language! I never imagined that so many
nuances of plot could center on the way that language works. At night when I fall asleep I think about my books. I talk to myself in the car as I come up with new plot ideas (yes, I am that crazy woman you pass on Rte. 2). I am
writing a LOT, just in bits and pieces that will eventually come
together into books. I feel no doubt at all about the stories and where
they are going–just an incredible excitement over the journey ahead of
me.

I can’t even begin to tell you what a change it has made for me. I feel excited about my writing. I have incredible, amazing ideas for my stories. My characters are starting to develop their own lives and my worlds are unfolding before my very eyes. This process of thinking about my books has offered up new developments that I could never have begun to imagine. I’ve finally stopped worrying about whether or not I’m procrastinating. By giving in to the simple act of thinking and incubating, I’ve actually stopped procrastinating. What a strange turn of events!

Damn, I am prone to dramatics, huh? I guess that’s what happens when you feel really passionate. You start to gush and babble. I think that’s a good sign.