There’s an old blues song which to me sums up that feeling when everything in the universe (especially my writing!) is going my way. ‘Got My Mojo Working’ is a classic, and when I have mine going, mountains crumble, dragons roar, and projects get finished.
There are periods of time where nothing is happening and it’s a struggle to be creative. I’ve learned to stop fighting at that point and I switch my focus to editing or marketing or recording. Due to experience, I am always confident the faucet will once again start pouring out content for poems, essays, stories, and novels. I just have to be patient.
Entering the month of August, I was diligently working on a novel, The Accountants, when the copious flow of words was reduced to an occasional drip. I did not panic, I went on vacation. I took my laptop and IPad to Spain with me, but I wasn’t worried about attempting to write. In the past when I’ve dried up, all of my efforts were stale and unpalatable.
Instead, I started recording the audiobook for The Delicious Escape while on a balcony overlooking the Balearic Sea while relaxing on the island of Mallorca. On the fourth day, I had an idea for a short story and the creative juices started flowing.
The Ozark Creative Writers conference sponsors more than thirty writing contests for its annual celebration. The challenges and themes are daunting, but I’d gotten an idea and I ran with it. Of those contests, I submitted seventeen entries, I think.
Upon my return home, I cut off my ringer, closeted myself away in my office with my laptop and let my mojo work. It’s almost the end of the month and I’ve been in rhythm for a couple of weeks now. My stats? Thirteen new short stories in multiple genres, three chapters in The Accountants, four poems, five essays, and a blog. I also cobbled together my stories for Gauntlets and Conches Volume Two; Nemesis, Painted Horses, and Aces Up My Pants Leg. That’s a lot, but when I’m in the groove, the sky’s the limit.
I’m still bobbing along in this artistic flow, writing every day, jotting down new ideas, and making plans for the the future. It feels good when my mojo is working. September is going to be great.
