The horror of not being able to write, book news and the Valentine Trail

The Horror!

So the weirdest thing has happened... I haven't been able to write. For two whole weeks I've just been staring at the screen and wishing that I could get my mojo back. Yes I've been ill, but that has never stopped me before. It's a weird and wholly unsettling thing to deal with.

Last week I tried the 500 words at a time target and it worked well, I managed 3,000 words each day but when I read them back I realised it wasn't RJ's writing, I hadn't connected to the heart of my characters at all.

I moved an entire chapter to the middle of the book, re-wrote parts of chapter one... still, today I think I have some serious re-editing on what I did last week.

I think what I will try today is the *ignoring what I've written and instead focus on the next chapter* kind of writing so that I can at least get past the mental block.

What I hate the most is that whole scenes are in my head. I can envision them, know what compels each scene, I can even see words. I just can't seem to put them down in writing. :(  (Meredith Russell described it as a moment of having a movie in her head that she can't capture into words - I like the way she thinks).

I guess this is some kind of writer's block or missing muse, but I have always written in the same mindset as Nora Roberts who said:

“Every time I hear writers talk about ‘the muse,’ I just want to bitch-slap them. It’s a job. Do your job.”

Writing is my job, it's also my passion and my drug (yes, I know that sounds dramatic, but a single day without writing normally leaves me angsty). I've been part of the adult workforce for twenty seven years and I finally found what I wanted to be when I grew up - a writer. I am lucky that I am a full time writer. I get my head down and I get writing, so this last two weeks has been really hard. I am miserable. I even considered yesterday that I was burned out and that I would never be able to write again. GAH. Yep, I have feeling sorry for myself down to a fine art. ROFL. Taking away writing is like taking away that drug and I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms...

So today I have woken up determined to crack this book which is all heroes, and hot sex, and family, and guns, and .... GAH... I love this story in my head... JUST GET IT ON THE DAMN PAPER! (or word processor!)

*slaps self*


Out Soon

On February 14th, The Agent And The Model is out with Totally Bound for all third party release. Book 7, and the final book in the series, focuses on Mikey. Set six years after The Barman And The SEAL it is Mikey's story and how his life changed after being the victim of a hate crime.  Read more about this book... 

The Valentine Trail

I have asked some of my author friends to send me romantic scenes to celebrate Valentines. I will be posting these daily in the week leading up to Valentines... watch this space for more details...

Recently released Print Books

  • Ellery Mountain Volume 1 -  Fireman/Cop, Teacher/Soldier, Carpenter/Actor
  • Crooked Tree Ranch
  • End Street Volume 2 (Dragon's Dilemma & Sinful Santa)
  • Texas Christmas

8 comments

  1. I know exactly how you feel, RJ. I've been feeling exactly like you have for the past month. It sucks! I just want my writing mojo back. >_> Good luck getting yours back, I hope you can get over your block! ^_^

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    1. {{{HUGS}}} TT... sighs... it's horrible isn't it... :(

      Good luck getting yours back as well... RJ X

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  2. I hope you get your mojo back soon. *hugs*

    As for the Nora Roberts quote - I have seen that before and this is my opinion on it. I have always thought her stories are very formulaic and run of the mill compared to yours. When I see her quote I realise why. She writes because it is her job, and sometimes I have read her books and you can tell she is just going through the motions and her heart doesn't seem to be in it.

    I would rather wait a little longer and get to read a fantastic book from an author than read the same old same old over and over again.

    There is a reason why I no longer read Nora Roberts' books and it isn't because she writes M/F rather than M/M. There are some M/F authors I still have on my must read list as I do continue to read both even though I only write M/M.

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    1. yeah i am finding the same thing with Nora... HUGS XXXX

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  3. Oh man, I've been struggling with this lately too! [Hugs]
    Just remember to be nice to yourself! Slapping never made anybody more productive. ;) Rooting for you, sweetie...

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    1. I actually meant "creative" rather than productive, lol. But sort of the same....

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    2. ROFL... creative, productive... i'd settle for awake at the moment... :) XXXX

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  4. I'm behind on reading your blog, but I hope you've been able to get your mojo back. I have been writing (I'm pretty sure I'm going to have something to share with you very soon), but my problem seems to be that I get the urge to write at about 10pm, and then wind up staying up so late, that I only get about 3 hours of sleep before I have to be up to get Bay ready for school. I need to figure out how to switch things around.

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