I'm currently finishing the first draft of my second novel, the sequel to Element Unknown, also known as Book II. I have the entire story written. I am rewriting certain sections due to changes made earlier in the book and timeline issues. I was making good progress, working little by little after the day's responsibilities were done. I was excited to write and see what happens next. I wanted to finish it, print it, and read it for myself from start to finish.
BOOM! Corona hit. I lost my day job at a place where I enjoyed the work, liked my teammates, and worked from home. It happened on a Thursday and so, I decided to take a tiny vacation to visit family and forget about my current troubles. However, that following Monday I hit the ground running so to speak: applying, researching, coding, and interviewing. My main concern was finding a new job. I had little motivation to write much, not even poems which are usually my go-to during turbulent times.
I did eventually find the inspiration to continue working on Book II. Can you guess when? When I accepted a new job and signed the paperwork, nearly three months later. I think I wrote about two chapters. Were they good chapters? Maybe. I definitely liked the rewrite I did for a pivotal point in the novel. Have I written more of Book II since then? Nope! Anxiety due to what has happened in Minneapolis and Omaha, two cities close to my heart, has zapped away my desire to write creatively.
The fact of the matter is motivation can be affected by circumstances outside of your control: the loss of work, the betrayal of a close friend, the stress of life, etc. Don't feel bad or beat yourself up if you're not up to doing something creative, even if it is something you love. Muse is a fickle thing.
If you've experienced something similar, I would love to hear about it. Until next time!
