They say there are two kinds of writers: those who are gifted, and those who work really really hard to write something good.
Since my youth, I was never really the latter. I’d catch a seed of inspiration and stories would burst onto the page as I scribbled or typed at high speed. The inspiration would last for hours, or days, or even a month at most until I ran out of steam. Then I’d go back to regular programming until the next seed of inspiration sprouted forth like Jack’s magic beans.
This is how I wrote Twenty-Eight, Legend of Flinders, and 1001 Ways to Destroy the World. I was writing by the seat of my pants, holding on for dear life as inspiration drove my brain. I’d tunnel vision on my project. It was delightful fun.
As wave after wave of inspiration hit, my stories sprouted more stories and soon I had a few dozen manuscripts, each to a different book, all in varying stages of completion…
In college, I was able to finish my stories thanks to studying creative writing. My professors taught me to hone my gifts, sharpen my writing skills even further. Professor Rosario Lucero is one such writer I credit with this feat. It takes a lot of effort to make a gifted person humble enough to realize their weaknesses.
Because of my university training, I learned to outline more carefully, and balance things out. And thanks to all that, I’ve now got a finished novel, and several other projects under development. 🙂
A word of note: frustration makes me write more. So being cooped up at home post-surgery is definitely gonna make me write more! Whether blog or more stories, only time will tell.