J. S. Kuiken

Novel writing can be a little bit like a romantic relationship.

Love survives and flourishes in an environment where you actively commit to the act of loving. Love doesn’t just happen. Love is something one must do.

Novel writing is the same way. A story is nurtured and blooms only when you have the discipline to get up and invest in it, day in and day out, by sitting down and writing. Novels don’t just happen. Noveling is something one must do.

However, just like a relationship, one needs something more to sustain a novel over the months and years it can take to develop. Something which makes the heart sing and sparks joy in the soul. That something, which is unique and intangible, is passion. Without it, the heart will wither, the soul shrivels and the relationship or novel will not endure. Because passion gives us a reason to do the hard parts. It motivates and inspires us.

I’ve been working on expanding a novella into a novel over the past six months. I adore the main character of the story and I know it’s a cracking good yarn. The problem is that I don’t have any passion for it. Working on it is a chore. I know that writing is like that sometimes, but I’ve been actively avoiding it because I just don’t … care. There’s no ardor for me, no fervor, nothing which compels me nor moves my heart and soul.

So, this is me breaking up with that project, at least for a little while. We’re currently on hiatus.

But I have this ex, you see, that I haven’t quite gotten over. We hit it off over a year ago and that novel had me completely captivated. Unfortunately, the timing with the project was off and it didn’t quite work out at the time. I had too much going on my life and I didn’t have the energy to take on the challenge of that endeavor. Well, I’m in a better place now and there’s no time like the present to rekindle a flame that never really died.