Aspiring Novelists

I'm suffering from a bad case of Spring Fever, folks.  I only have seven more chapters left to conclude my novel, but for the life of me can't muster up the inspiration to write them.  With such beautiful weather, my attention and energy has been devoted to gardening and biking.  I haven't written in at least three weeks.  Every time I walk into the office my computer sits there, staring at me accusingly, bidding me to finish what I started three years ago.  My responsible side wants to comply, but the  more carefree side, won't allow it.  Perhaps I'm suffering from burn out, I don't know, but whatever the case, it doesn't seem like this phase is going to pass anytime soon.  Professionals like Stephen king and Truman Capote recommend that authors write every day.  Although I've never agreed with this approach, after all my down time I am rethinking it.  In the past, whenever I tried to write without being inspired, I turned...

Hello All, It's time for another Insecure Writer's Group post.  This month I learned a valuable lesson that I would like to share with you. It all began with a compliment I received by  a new member of my monthly Writer's group.  After reading my chapter, the person in question said it was the only piece that she had nothing to add.  In fact, she liked it so much that she read it a couple of times.  She even went so far as to say my prose and the story reminded her of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters.  Now, I am a realist and without a doubt know my work is nowhere close to that of Lewis.  However, be that as it may, the compliment really inspired me. After the meeting, on the drive home, it occurred to me that compliments among writers seem to be far and few between.  It is so easy to become discouraged in this business, as it seems that most critiquers (myself included) tend to focus on the negative and not enough on the po...