CLS Romance: The Tide Goes Out

There's always that moment in your book where the initial rush wears off, and you start thinking hard about it. You reflect on your opening, and you make changes. Maybe you share it with others, and they say, "Wouldn't it be cool it...?"

Yes, that's where I am with my romance novel.

I have a great portion of the first part done, it's just I want some time to consider where it's going and how I want things to develop. It may require some reworking, but there are some great ideas I didn't consider for a book like this, and I want time to piece them together with what I have.

The tide goes out, and it's that strange moment in a project where the mental thought work you put in will be the difference between the book being what you want, and something that is a bit more difficult to get through. Both get to your vision, it's just the latter taking more rework time after you are done than the former.

You need this reflective moment, and it helps. You feel the pull of the water as the ocean rushes out around your feet, and the starting wave of energy is spent as things pull away. Good writers use this chance to realign, reflect, and retool themselves for the long walk up the beach that is called 'writing a novel' since this is a long walk and not a sprint.

Creative energy is the food for the long walk on the beach.

You talk about your book, you gather ideas, you let things cook so you can solidify them in your head. You always got your original plan, but there are so many good ideas out there you pick and choose them to make your work that much better. I am always careful of that dreaded 'out of scope' idea that comes in and derails a project, but like a great artist, you be very selective and support your ideas with all the stuff that comes in later.

Good artists are very selective. What you choose to drop makes or breaks your works.

But the tide goes out, and you take a moment to reflect. It's natural, and you needn't worry about losing momentum or getting it done. You are  a master writer, it will get done, and you will do it. You will make time. Don't dread, do. But be confident enough to know when nature is telling you to slow down and take in the beautiful ideas around you and use them to enrich yourself,