creativity

I thought I'd write about something different this morning. I'm writing a novel - actually I wrote a novel and now I'm editing it. That's what I'm supposed to be doing right now - I have on my daily schedule from 9AM to noon - editing. Yes I schedule my day to help me stay on track. Some people would find this stifles their creativity, but I find it makes room for mine and gives my day purpose so I actually get things done.

Right now I'm fighting the process. I found a wonderful book Rock Your Revisions that describes and maps out a specific process for revising or editing a book. (Technically 2 different terms I'm sure, but I use them interchangeably) Anyway, I know that if I follow certain steps I can make this process more organized and less chaotic. For some reason, unlike my schedule, I'm fighting it because I'm afraid (there's that word again) that I'll lose my creativity and my writing voice using this system or any system for that matter. I need to remember that this novel is already in my voice and anything that I write from here on in will still be in my voice because I'll write it.

This system, for lack of a better word, gives my creativity a framework in which to reach it's fullest potential rather than just writing for writing sake. I want to self publish this book, so I have to make the work approachable to readers. My creativity needs to flourish, but it also needs to be understandable and approachable - it needs to make sense. I want it to be my best work and I have to remember that I'm not handing this off to another author so this will still be my voice. I need to trust the process.

There's another of those familiar words again - trust. Trust and fear seem to be two really important words in all aspects of my life. I guess I'm being told that my work these days is to face my fear and trust myself in all things.

Look I learned something about myself today.