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| Susan Diane Johnson |
Keeping the Spark
Alive During the Workweek
By Suzie Johnson
Many writers work full-time at another job, including
myself. I wish I had words of wisdom regarding time-management, but I don’t. I
need those words myself. What I hope I can speak to is creativity and how not
to lose it.
A day job can kill your creativity, even if it’s one you
love. And I dearly love my job. But
because of the kind of work I do, it emotionally exhausts me to the point that
I don’t always feel like writing when I get home. What I’ve learned the hard way is that one
day away from your manuscript turns to two days and then ten. Before you even
realize it, you’ve lost the spark that fueled your imagination and writing
becomes a chore.
Writers must write every day, even if it’s just a sentence,
a paragraph, or an idea.
The most important thing I’ve learned is to not put off
writing down ideas as they come to me. I might think I’m going to remember the
brilliant scene I dreamed while I was sleeping, or the sparkling conversation
between my characters that I thought of while I was in the shower, but I won’t
unless I write it down as soon as I wake up or as soon as I’m out of the
shower. I’ve lost more ideas by ignoring them, so I’ve learned to keep a
writing tablet by my bed for just this purpose.
Obviously I can’t write while I’m working. So how do I
handle it when I have some burning idea during the work day? That same writing tablet I wrote on when I
woke up or after I showered, goes everywhere with me. The very instant I get a
break, I jot down enough of the idea that I won’t lose it.
I’ve become a thought collector. The very act of putting the
ideas on paper keeps my thoughts alive during the day, and helps me look
forward to the time I can put everything into my document. It helps keep the
spark growing so my manuscript can stay alive.
And if I can’t type them in until the weekend, I’ve usually
collected plenty of thoughts during the week so when I sit down at the computer
I have enough ideas to keep that old nemesis called writer’s block as far away as possible.
If you lose enthusiasm for your manuscript during the week,
I encourage you to make it a habit to become a thought collector.
~~~~~
Susan Diane Johnson is the author of two contemporary novels, True North, and No Substitute. Her first historical
novel, Sweet Mountain Music, will be
available in May. Susan is a regular contributor to the Inkwell
Inspirations blog, a group blog by Christian woman and for Christian women. She
is also member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America,
and National Cancer Registrars’ Association. During the day, Susan is a cancer
registrar at her local hospital and lives in northwest Washington with her
husband and their naughty little cat. They are the parents of a wonderful grown
son, and hope to one day become grandparents. You can contact Susan through her
website (below), or at glorybooks@yahoo.com.
~~~~~
What she doesn’t know is that Joe has already decided
the best thing for Lisa is for him to be out of her life.
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| True North |
True North by Susan Diane Johnson
Several
months after a tragic accident that claimed their son, Lisa and Joe Kendall's
marriage has fallen apart. Lisa prays every day for Joe to come back home so
they can grieve their loss together.
Their
marriage isn't the only thing suffering, and Joe is forced into taking time off
so he can find "closure". Unsure where to spend two weeks, Joe
decides to go on the Alaskan cruise they were supposed to take with their son.
The last person he expects to see once the ship is well under way is Lisa, who
hopes two weeks alone with Joe will help restore their marriage.
