It’s been a month since my daughter learned to ride a bike.
We were all really excited—now we could ride bikes as a family! Charlotte, North Carolina, has greenways that go on for miles and are nice and flat and perfect for bike riding. And, right now, with highs into the upper 70s, the weather is perfect.
My husband and son go mountain biking together on a pretty regular basis.
I was the only one who hadn’t ridden in 8 years. And my daughter was bike riding like a little maniac since she’d learned how.
“Do you want to practice a little?” asked my husband, a few weeks ago. “Before we get out to the greenway and everything?”
But I shook my head. “You don’t forget how to ride a bike,” I said. Everybody knows that.
Well, let me tell you. You might not forget how to ride a bike, but you can be really, really rusty.
I couldn’t remember how to work all the gears. Were the smaller numbers for going up a hill and the larger numbers for going down one? Or vice versa? And we started off in a gravelly area before the trail became smooth. So….I steered off the path and fell off the bike.
“Let’s wait on Mama,” my husband called to the kids.
We’ve gone riding twice since then. I rode yesterday for nearly 8 miles. And now I’m much better again, but still not quite as steady as my 8 year old daughter who rides almost every day.
I just handed in the second Memphis Barbeque book last Monday. And I had every intention on taking a short break because—I can use a break.
But while we were in Alabama, ideas started pouring in for Memphis book 3 (due in November). I wrote them all down. And then more ideas came and I thought: “Well, what the heck.” And I started writing the book.
I write every day anyway. But I wasn’t going to work on the next book yet—I thought maybe I’d try some flash fiction for fun or some short poems (I’m not a good poet, but hey—it’s worth a try.) Just to keep my hand in it.
But the momentum is still there from all the work I put in the last couple of months on book 2. I’m still in that world. And—I’m worried that if I take a break from it, I’ll be rusty. And I don’t want to fall off my bike.
So I’ve decided to go ahead and write the next book. But I’m not going to keep up the pace that I have for the last couple of books. I’m going to write a little less each day. I’m going to do plenty of brainstorming. I think I’m going to take a slower approach and keep the ideas flowing, but not get any more burned out.
Have you modified your own schedule either to include more writing practice, or to slow down your pace?
Elizabeth – You’ve hit on something I think about a lot. The pace of writing is always a tricky thing. Like you, I don’t want to be burned out, but sometimes, the ideas just flow – and flow – and flow. Besides, I don’t want to get rusty, either : ). I would say I’m taking a measured approach to my WIP. I work on it regularly, but not at the pace I did for B-Very Flat. I’m finding that it’s a richer process that way, even if it’a bit slower…
It’s a great idea to keep going while the inspiration is flowing. I’ve tried to stick to a schedule and ignore that feeling, but it’s always so much harder to write when you’re “rusty”. I now write when I’m feeling it, no matter what, and when I’m not in the groove, I can go back to my plan.
Elizabeth,
Let’s wait on Mama, is funny. Sorry I laugh at your struggle.
I write every day. I don’t want to get lazy, so I write every day. We do need to keep in mind how if we don’t use it, we will lose it- or at least parts of “it”.
Teresa
I do change up the pace, and I try to vary my projects, but I find there is a special kind of “rustiness” that happens when going from one book to another:
When I finish a book, my standards change, I’m working with my best prose, and everything hangs together well, and I can be nit-picky as all get-out.
And then I start something new, and of course it is not up to those standards, and I start to get frustrated and wonder if I’ve lost my touch. And then somewhere along the line, I remember that this is what happened last time, and the time before, and the time before…
I hadn’t ridden in many years when I tried again – this was about twenty years ago, mind – and I fell off my bike. Then I went through a long time between my ex and my new guy. I was told not to worry – that it was like riding a bike – that scared me! But it was way better than riding a bike and I didn’t fall off.
I’m better when I write every day but sometimes I don’t. Then I have to get back up on the horse and go again – hey too many metaphors – yikes.
Cute story. :)
I think I’m going to write my next book a little slower. My most recent felt like a whirlwind these last few months. I’m going to try to balance more reading and writing with this next one.
I’ve been so busy promoting, I’ve not written anything for a long time. And I need to start researching for my next non-fiction book.
BTW – I’m now really nervous about getting on my bike! I’ve only ridden it maybe five times in the last ten years. I’ll probably fall over, too.
Margot–When the ideas are going, I can write all day! But those days are few and far between–maybe every 3 months? Usually I’m working hard at it. I’m going to see how the slower writing pace goes…haven’t done it in a couple years.
Lorel–The days I don’t feel like doing it, it’s a chore. And I hate the writing-is-a-chore feeling because it’s the only thing I’m good at and I love it! But some days…the love just isn’t there. I still do it–like you say, when we’re rusty it’s just so hard.
Teresa–It WAS funny. :) The kids were all rolling their eyes about how slow Mama was…
I think the writing goes a lot slower and is a lot harder with every break we take. I really *have* to write every day or I totally lose the rhythm of it.
Jan–You’re the metaphor queen today!
I’m not sure what it is about riding the bike that we’re not supposed to forget! I guess the balance? But I’ve always been clumsy, anyway…even on a good day when WALKING and not even ON a bike.
I can imagine that dating *could* be like riding a bike. :) Glad it wasn’t for you, considering how bumpy it can be at the start.
Karen–I think it might be a nice change. Slow and steady wins the race! The days when I get a ton of ideas, I’ll do a ton of writing, but otherwise I’m just going to try to go at an average pace.
Diane–I’d think research would be a good way to get back into the writing groove. You’re looking at data in a creative way…
That was my problem–hadn’t ridden a bike in 8 years and before that 8 years I hadn’t ridden since I was 15! That’s not a lot of practice.
Very timely for me. I have decided to step away from the computer. Not for big stretches, but just for small breaks during the day and do non-computer things, like composting or dusting or a bit of cleaning. My house and family will appreciate it, I think.
Helen
Straight From Hel
I am writing more and more. I’ve given myself permission to take weekends off with my family, but often find myself writing a flash story or two. I’d love to see your efforts in that genre!
I’ve definitely been on a rollercoaster ride of writing lately. I can’t seem to stop or slow it down. It’s like there are too many books in my head and I must get them out. However, I’m taking my time on the editing process and trying to slow it down a bit. Perhaps when my muse is quieet the rust may have a chance to set in but I have a feeling that will be a while. :)
Well, I’m writing less now due to the dead laptop :)
I do go in spurts – first draft is very absorbing for me and I tend to ignore as much of the outside world as I can when I’m working on it. Revising – not so much :)
I’m in a big transition because it’s all about revision and submission these days. Actual writing (not counting blogging and commenting, of course) is not part of the routine at the moment. But I’m okay with that. Blogging is great writing practice.
I am writing something every day, although I need to focus more on my next book.
My writing is scheduled like yours but I do need to keep writing other things in between novels – short stories, flash fictions, blogs, poems, contests.
I don’t want to get rusty.
ann
It’s a good idea to work on your book while the ideas are there! You’d be kicking yourself if you didn’t start it and then forgot all your great ideas. I do modify my writing schedule sometimes, but only if something comes up I’m not expecting. I always write on the weekdays whether inspired or not and I take a break on the weekends. But when I get a sudden inspiration for my WIP on the weekends I give in and write!
Helen–I’ve got some spring cleaning on my calendar for the week! And I’ll write too…but not as much. I’ve GOT to get my desk organized. Bleh.
Heather–You are lucky! Definitely enjoy it and write, write, write! My muse and I aren’t on speaking terms most days. In fact, I actively hate my muse and I’m pretty sure it’s mutual…
The Daring Novelist–I know what you mean. Sometimes I’ll forget what a secondary character looks like, etc. It does make you feel like you’re losing your touch. That’s a scary feeling. I usually write more to work through it (not sure that’s the best way to handle the problem.)
Alex–We better get cracking!
Janel–They wouldn’t be as good as yours. :) I haven’t done them in a while and my old flash fiction wasn’t so hot. I’m a big fan of short stories…grew up on “The Necklace,” etc…but my admiration for it doesn’t seem to extend into ability, which is too bad.
Ann–Rustiness is a bad thing!
Jemi-I was in your shoes with the dead laptop last summer, and I *suffered*. And my family suffered, too!
Laura–You’re right because I’m not one of those writers who is inspired all the time. It’s definitely more of a working-at-it thing for me. If my quirky Muse is actually talking to me, I’m there!
Patricia–I seem to be in a cycle where I’m doing both at once! But they kind of use different processes, so it’s not too bad. Well, I say that, but I got burned out, so it must be a LITTLE bad…
I haven’t ridden a bike for years. Wonder how rusty my skills are. Loved the post.
Elizabeth – your comments about feeling a residual momentum from your last WIP reminds me of something Stephen King wrote – possibly in On Writing – about how he often has “a little gas left in the tank” which he uses to knock out some of his novella-length ideas. The Body ( which was filmed as Stand By Me) is one such story and became a classic in it’s own right. So, who knows where that little extra “oomph” will take you.