Guest Post: RM Lutz

Bonjour de Paris, tout le monde! RM Lutz from The Book Hound has joined us today. Go check out her blog and leave lots of lovely comments, because she is a lovely person with a lovely blog. 

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I’ve never guest-posted before, so this is a new experience for me. So, as per normal for me, my first thought when encountering a new, big, scary (maybe not—but humor me) experience was: don’t mess it up. 

It’s my first thought about a lot of things. First archery tournament? Don’t mess it up. Terrifying presentation? Don’t mess it up. First time making a new recipe? Don’t mess it up. Not, do your best. Not, let’s think how to best do this. 

But, don’t mess it up. 

And with that one phrase, all creative thoughts shut down. The gears stopped turning, the muses fell silent, the well of inspiration dried up, the hamster fell off the wheel—however you want to say it, I didn’t know what to write. I was too scared to find inspiration because I was too afraid of failure to look ahead to what might be accomplished.

Whether it’s because we’ve scared ourselves out of inspiration or because we just don’t feel like inspired authors, a lack of inspiration may seem like the end of the world. 

But it’s not. 

To tell the truth, I don’t feel like an inspired, accomplished writer most days. Quite the opposite—I feel like a second-rate, dried out, uninspired novice who probably has no business writing. 

If I waited for inspiration, I’d never get anything more than a few sentences down on the page. If I waited to feel like I was a qualified writer, I’d never write a post on my blog or open up my WIP document again. 

I’d sit and stew in my easy chair, my coffee growing colder by the minute. And then I’d give up. 

Don’t give up on writing. Don’t wait until inspiration strikes you like a lightning bolt—because odds are, it won’t. Don’t wait until you feel qualified—because odds are, you won’t. That’s okay. Don’t feel qualified? Write until you get better. Practice makes perfect. Don’t feel inspired? Take Jack London’s advice and go chase after inspiration with a club, lightsaber, fountain pen, or whatever your weapon of choice happens to be.

Don’t wait until you feel good enough. Write now. Write in spite of being uninspired. 

One day, you might look back at that book, or article, or scrap of paper. And while it might be flat and riddled with grammar errors and totally bland, it was a step in the right direction. 



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Thank you so much RM for joining me today, and remember to check out her blog!

Comments

  1. Victoria, you're in Paris??? I'M SO JEALOUS.

    RM, I totally agree. Inspiration is so fickle, and it's pointless waiting for the muse to come and give us something to write. We have to just do--just write--and we'll get there eventually, even if it is difficult (which it usually is). Thanks for sharing! :)

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    1. I don't swoon over Paris like some people do, but I have to admit I also am a bit jealous.

      What motivates you to write, Liz? 'Cause I am currently dreading opening the WIP word document. And it's been going on for days--no, weeks--now.

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    2. Stubbornness and determination? That is probably my best motivation. I go through long periods where I dread writing a single word, and sometimes the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I want, more than anything, to make a career as a published author. So even if I hate it half the time, I'm bound and determined to do what it takes. (But that makes it sound easy, which it isn't.)

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    3. Liz: Well, I *was* in Paris but then we hit London and Rome and now I'm boarding a plane for Dubai... It's been a very long trip.

      RM: You shall swoon over Paris when I'm done with you, mon amis :) And good luck with finding the courage/motivation to open your WIP because I know your novel will be fabulous when you're through with it.

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  2. Indeed, Jack London has it right. I think to some extent we all need to get around our imposter syndromes and just realize that we gotta do what we gotta do.

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    1. Impostor syndrome? That sounds interesting.

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    2. *buts into conversations* The Imposter Syndrome is when you feel like you don't belong or feel like you deserve something, even if you do. For example, some minoriy groups may feel like they got a certain job because they are a minority and not because they are skilled enough to get the job. I think many writers have it and think they aren't actually a writer and are afraid people will find out that they don't belong in the writing community. That's my understanding of it, anyways.

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