So it's been a while since I've blogged...aaand I've got no excuse. In fact, I would even say that I haven't been doing any serious writing up until now.
I went to visit my dad at the nursing home with my mom, and this is something I do (or should do) every week, and I was given a very stern talking to. Keep in mind that my dad's ability to mentally process things is kind of slow--he's not mentally retarded or anything, it just takes some time for him to talk about a subject. For an example, if you were talking about dogs, he'd have trouble completing his sentences because he'd have trouble recalling words. Not to mention the fact that he always has the TV on, so sometimes he gets a little distracted (in all honesty, I would too--especially if Spongebob's on).
(Bear with me on the conversation, I don't remember the exact words)
Anyway, so my dad was asking me about my book--again, not directly. He didn't flat out ask me, "So how's your book coming along?" It was more of, "So what are you doing this summer?" And he wasn't referring to my internship or tutoring job. I knew what he was asking, and I was playing coy (a.k.a. dumb). Finally, after much muddling through (I wasn't helping), he said, "For the next two weeks, for the next two weeks, see what you write. You know, at least 3/4 of it. Doesn't have to be good, but you need to have at least something to show an accomplishment. You need to accomplish something."
Then I kinda nodded, not looking at him, "Okay, okay."
"No, don't just say okay. You need to take this seriously."
I nodded mutely, again. I was thoroughly upset, and I felt like I was getting picked on--I thought my mother had put him up to this. My mom, I love her, she's been (what I call nagging) really supportive. No, it's not nagging. She knew what my goal was (cause I told her), and she was trying to push me. Well truthfully, I'm a bit ashamed that she was the one doing it. I should be disciplined enough to push myself. I wrote a 150-page novel last semester for a class--WITH OTHER CLASSES TO ATTEND TO! So why couldn't I manage this goal of completing my book (roughly)?
My mother told me, on the drive home, that she understood where my dad was coming from and what he was saying. Being a writer means being your own boss. You have deadlines, but you don't. No one's there to enforce you, there are no penalties if you miss it.
So, since 7:00 PM of Sunday July 6th, I have been actively writing. I've even looked into creating and writing pitches for the book (the synopsis I will have to tackle at a later date and time). I have my slow moments, but I'm actually making good progress. My mojo is back. I didn't have writer's block. I just caught the extremely-lazy-butt bug that often is seen throughout summer. Well, that bug is no longer here, and I am even more determined to see this goal through. Even if I should fail, and at the end of my senior year I don't find a literary agent or a publisher to publish my book, at least I'll have something completed. As long as I have a finished product, and from there I can keep looking. In the world of writing, you need to persist, you need to bug; otherwise, no one will pay attention to you. But first you need a finished product.
You need mental toughness (which is the point of this blog). And right now, I'm going to need some, because it is currently 5:19 AM, and I'm writing this post instead of my book.
Hopefully I'm not half-dead when I write the next post.
