TVS:  In her novel Envy, Sandra Brown states, "Writing is damned hard work. It's borderline masochistic. If your heart's not in it, you're doomed before you start." Today’s guest is Anthony Stevens, who agrees with that sentiment...that secret drive--or demon, if you prefer-- which spurs those of us calling ourselves writers.  Take it away, Mr. Stevens!

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Sadomasochism.

I'm firmly convinced that all writers suffer from (enjoy?) it to a certain point.

Sadistic because the moment we stumble upon a nebulous concept that might turn into a story, we mercilessly flog the Muse until the poor thing surrenders and the dialog flows from our fingertips, through the keyboard and onto the page.  Masochistic because we seem to be unable to avoid subjecting ourselves to deadlines and such insanity as the NaNoWriMo challenge. Don't bother looking it up right now. The link is below and you can do that later. For now, just accept that every November, writers from around the world devote themselves to the challenge of creating a fifty thousand word novel in thirty days or less. That works out to a bit more than sixteen hundred words a day.

One would think that even if you were foolish enough to allow your ego to accept the challenge once, you would learn a valuable lesson. That does not seem to be the case for most of us. This will be the forth year I've started it. Two of the last three times, I've finished ahead of schedule and won bragging rights. Just as a side note, each of those novels were published the following year.

This year, I'm writing an urban fantasy novel as part of my Otherkin Shifter series. It will explain the ancient origins of shifters through a series of historical scenes. Besides the usual conflicts, resolution and romance, this will also have a healthy dose of humor. The title is Echopharte and that is a clue.

Which brings us to the first week of November, 2010. So far, I'm on track with a bit more than two thousand words a day under my belt. My goal is to wrap this up the day before Thanksgiving so I can devote the weekend to friends and family.  Which brings me to the second masochistic point and something we should all consider.

Writing is selfish. After the story has been created, we can be generous human beings and share it with friends, family and anyone we can corral for a moment. But the actual process of creation can only be done alone. We must give up a certain part of each day to sit down and type. It is selfish and yet a part of being a writer.

And it doesn't end there, either. In the ever-changing world that is modern publishing, the difference between just being a writer and being an Author means that besides the Craft of Writing, we must also master the Business of Writing. This involves a never-ending round of promotions and reaching out to our fans and prospective readers. As a social animal, I love this contact, but I must also admit, there are times when my Muse begs to be flogged. The keyboard beckons and my selfish side makes me close the chat and email windows, turn off the cellphone and lock the door.

Yep! Sadomasochistic seems to be the proper term.

What have you done that makes you love the pain of doing it?

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TVS:  Thanks for this insightful blog.  Definitely something to think about.  Writing a novel is painful but a delight, and the rewards soon outweighs what we have to go through to produce it.  More info on Anthony Stevens and his own “painful productions” may be found at his weblog:  http://masteranthonystevens.com

READERS’ COMMENTS:

Those of us who must write definitely put ourselves through ridiculous amounts of torture in the process--and yet it is the most satisfying endeavor I know.  Writing a novel is no easy feat, even after one has written several, and it requires great lengths of time and solitude in order to do.  Then, there are the multitudes of reviews--great and terrible--we subject ourselves to, the lost sleep endured in promotion, and that all-powerful drive to write the next novel amongst it all.

 

It's tiring and exhilarating--and I live for it.

 

Lisa Lane

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I believe you have it this on the head. Most writers talk about the burning need to write, but those who do not feel this passion, cannot understand just how controlling a mistress it can be. Though I try not to flog my muse there are days when it must be done. The selfish part is a given. The first time I tried NANO, my husband felt like a single father. And don’t even get me started on the drawbacks of promo. Thanks for sharing.

Becky Meyer