Writing Flows and Ebbs

Back in July I wrote about discouragement and how to move past it. This week I want to talk about ebbing and the Creative Blahs.

90% Tedious?

I love the above quote from Elizabeth Gilbert. It was taken from an interview and a rendition of it is in her fabulous book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Why do I love it? Because it made me look at my creative experience differently, especially this: “…not rush through the experiences of life that have the most possibility of transforming you.”

First, the Flow

I was incredibly creative and productive in September and October. I was writing and revising my YA like crazy to get it to my group and it was fun and challenging. I also had two picture books that I was cruising away on, both of which felt submission-ready. One was, so after some tweaking, it went out on submission about a month ago. My agent just sent me notes on the other one.

During this incredible stretch, I consciously enjoyed the creative high and took advantage of it because I knew it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. And not because I’m a pessimist. Because that’s the way our brains and hearts work.

There are ups and there are downs.

There are sprints and marathons.

There is the Flow, which I was in for nearly two months before the inevitable—

Ebb

The ebb pulls back. The ebb feels like creative crashing after a flow high. And that’s where I was after I sent my YA to my critique group. I was ebbing. No creative juices flowing. No riding high in the zone.

I started one project, set it aside. Picked up another, work for awhile, set it aside. I felt…blah creatively.

But that point about “experiences of life”—that captured me. Because I think sometimes I can feel compelled to push through, to “just keep writing even if it’s crap.” And I do believe in doing that, especially when I’m working on something that I know, on some level—even if I don’t feel it in the moment—is a project that needs to be written.

But not always.

Sometimes I have to ebb, to move away, and just let things be. Let myself be.

Just live for awhile and see how that transforms me as a human and may transform my work.

So I ebbed. Until I received feedback on my YA from my group on November 16. Then it was flow by necessity! I’ve spent the last two weeks revising like a madwoman because I want to get it in shape for my agent by the first week fo December and I’m having a blast. It’s invigorating.

I wonder what will happen after I send the YA off—will I be flowing or ebbing?

We shall see.