I was making good progress on Conceived in a Canoe, the sequel to my memoir, Dr. Beare’s Daughter, when I came down with that dreaded affliction—writer’s block. I knew everything I wanted to write but was blocked on how to best present it. This was very bad, because readers of Dr. Beare’s Daughter were waiting for the sequel. If I stayed blocked for too long, they’d lose interest. But there you have it. I can’t publish a book until I know I’ve given my readers my best. I had to let creativity percolate.
While the sequel was brewing, I decided to work on a novel that I’ve ignored for years. I’d never figured out how to make its message clear and compelling. Maybe after all that time, I could see what would make it work. I managed to write a revision, and I sent it out to beta readers. They let me know I still have a lot of work to do to make it interesting. So, I went another round on the book and sent it out for editing. When it comes back, it will need even more work.
Now I’ve gone back to the sequel and I’m happy to find that taking some time away helped the dreaded affliction to pass. However, I find myself juggling two books at once. That’s becoming its own dreaded affliction, but at least I’m not bored . . . until I get blocked again