October 11, 2010

Has this ever happened to you?

You’re half-way through a short story revision, or the rough draft of your novel, or the research for a biography—and without warning, you lose your desire for the project. The passion evaporates.

You feel lethargic, sad, and brain dead (or least oxygen deprived). You put your writing away for a few days, hoping it’s hormonal or a phase of the moon or post-holiday blues.

However, when you dig it out again, it’s even worse. It doesn’t grab you. You’re sure it won’t grab anyone else either! It’s boring. It goes back in the drawer.

Does Time Heal all Drafts?

Unfortunately, over the next few weeks, the situation worsens. Lethargy turns to apathy. Boredom turns to dislike. You face the fact that, for some reason, you’ve lost your burning desire to write this story—or maybe even write anything at all.

And without the passion, why bother to endure the long hours, the potential rejection of your work, and the low pay? Once it’s lost, how do you recapture your passion for writing?

What is Passion?

The question is summed up well by Hal Zina Bennett in Write from the Heart: “How do authors connect with that passion, bordering on obsession, that drives them to finish even the most ambitious writing projects in spite of seemingly insurmountable handicaps? What is the secret creative energy that the world’s best writers can apparently zap into action the moment their fingers touch their keyboards?”

Some say this passion is tied to how meaningful the writer feels his work is. He feels passion when what he is sharing is deeply meaningful. He may lose his passion when his writing turns into what will sell, what the markets dictate are current trends, and what pays the most money.

Eric Maisel in A Life in the Arts says, “The most salient difference between the regularly blocked artist and the regularly productive artist may not be the greater talent of the latter, but the fact that the productive artist possesses and retains his missionary zeal.”

Most writers would agree that a passion for writing involves enthusiasm, excitement, drive, and a deep love for your work. This passion makes writing a joyous occupation. It makes time fly while “real life” is shoved to the far comers of the mind. It’s being in the flow, enraptured in the present moment. For some, it’s being aware that they’re writers twenty-four hours a day.

Why Does Passion Dissipate?

Passion can spring a leak after too many rejection slips, too many critical comments from spouses or reviewers or critique partners, and too many crises to handle in your personal life.

Passion can also die when you repeat yourself in your work instead of exploring new avenues of writing.

Lack of passion can be caused by chronic fatigue. “Fatigue and the accompanying blockage also come with living the sort of marginal life that artists so often live,” says Eric Maisel. “The effort required to put food on the table, to deal with an illness without benefit of a hospital plan, to pay the rent, to get a toothache treated, to attend to the needs of a spouse or children, can tire out the most passionate and dedicated artist.”

(Parts 2 and 3 will discuss ways to get the passion back!)

10 Comments »

1. 

   Interesting post, Kristi. There’s the writing that puts food on the table and there’s the writing of my heart, but I’ve yet to take on a project just for the money … so passion is always there.

   I would think writing is the one job I’ve had that pays the least considering the amount of time I put into it (there’s the learning curve, etc. to figure into it to be sure but that is also part of the beauty of it — I can learn by doing) so passion is the driving force. It’s having something to say.

   Passion hasn’t dissipated yet, even though I suffer chronically from headaches …

   You mentioned time healing stories. I think sometimes time brings a different perspective or a missing piece of the puzzle to a manuscript. Sometimes, a story simply isn’t ready until several things gel together, but they don’t all fall into your lap at the same time.

   I take periodic breaks from submitting and focus solely on the craft to improve, whether it’s self study or taking a class. That always rejuvenates me. And of course, writing through it all simply makes me feel better.

   Comment by Vijaya — October 11, 2010 @ 1:16 pm

2. 

   Vijaya, those breaks where you take time to focus on improving (whether studying a book on craft and doing all the exercises or taking an online class) are GREAT for re-igniting passion for writing. (I too deal with chronic headaches–for thirty years now–so I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about there!) And yes, sometimes a piece is missing that time away from a project will reveal.

   I hope others will chime in with what works for them this week as well.

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 11, 2010 @ 2:10 pm

3. 

   I hear you! The passion for a project of mine has been slowly squeezed out by deadlines for other books, and all that other work that pays the bills.
   I’m taking the plunge this week and going to where part of my story takes place, hoping that being there and sinking into the landscape (not literally!) will re-engage me with the story again.
   I’m jumping the gun with a solution here, but it comes from really needing and wanting to fire up my passion for the story again!

   Comment by Sherryl — October 12, 2010 @ 2:01 am

4. 

   Sherryl, we’ll talk the rest of the week about some solutions, but your idea is a fun one! If you can go to the setting of your story, it can really help. I set a few of my novels in real places–mostly the mysteries–and going to those parks or towns or wherever really helped me get into the right mood. Enjoy your trip!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 12, 2010 @ 9:37 am

5. 

   Vijaya and Kristi, so sorry about your chronic headaches. That must make it awfully difficult to focus sometimes. Bravo for you both for keeping your passion alive! I have a chronic lung disease, and sometimes it can be difficult, especially when fatigue takes over.

   Lately I am reigniting my passion through this blog and through the 100-Day Challenge. I was bummed out for a while as I struggled with what my vision for writing really is, but I am learning my passion comes out more in creative nonfiction and in subject areas that were important to me even as a little child.

   Comment by Trudy — October 12, 2010 @ 11:28 am

6. 

   Trudy, you’re right about the fatigue. With any chronic type of illness or pain, I think the fatigue factor is HUGE. It has to be taken into account in many ways–but it can be! I’m glad the Challenge is helping you reconnect with your passion for certain subjects. It does so often consist of going back to that child in us that felt the magic!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 12, 2010 @ 4:39 pm

7. 

   Great post, Kristi. For years I had the very problem you describe. I was able to do work-for-hire projects (where a deadline is always strong motivation to finish). But when it came to writing my own stuff, I would—just as you describe—start off strong and soon lose all desire to finish. For years I was stuck.

   You mention the importance of finding meaning in your work. How true! It was Anne Lamott, in BIRD BY BIRD, who showed me this. She said that when you start stories and never bother to finish them, it is because there is nothing at the center of these stories, no universal truth that you hold dear.

   After I read her words, I thought and thought and thought about what it was I cared about. That was one of the things that helped me regain my passion. The other was finding a great story (I’m a nonfiction writer), the kind of story that begs for me to tell it because it aligns with that universal truth.

   Anyway, today I’m happily hard at work on a book project. It is a topic so great, so worth knowing about, that I want to crawl out onto my roof and shout about it! I won’t, though. I’m afraid of heights. I’ll just write about it instead.

   Comment by Rebecca — October 13, 2010 @ 6:23 am

8. 

   Rebecca, thanks for your comments! And for recommending one of my all-time favorite writing books, BIRD BY BIRD. Loved your enthusiasm for your new project! Like you, I won’t be crawling out onto any roofs, but writing about it sounds great! Enjoyed your website–my grandkids would love your science and nature books!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — October 13, 2010 @ 6:43 am

9. 

   I loved this part of your post “passion for writing involves enthusiasm, excitement, drive, and a deep love for your work. This passion makes writing a joyous occupation. It makes time fly while “real life” is shoved to the far comers of the mind.” This is exactly how I feel about writing. You could not have written that any better!
   I too find life getting in the way and my passion slipping now and again, which is a bummer. I always feel so much more alive again when I can reclaim that passion and reignite the flame! Then I think back and say to myself “why did I let those things get in the way of my writing, and throw me off course.” I mentally have to put the train back on the tracks and refocus, usually with an aspiring book about writing.

   Comment by Jodi — October 16, 2010 @ 5:47 pm

10. 

    Jodi, that is so true about having to guard our writing passion and re-igniting it over and over as life intrudes (and it will!) Inspiring books about writing are what do it for me too!

    Comment by Kristi Holl — October 18, 2010 @ 2:56 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website