Of course, there is a difference. While I might not feel like doing the real jobs, just showing up and doing them earns me a paycheck. Cakes get decorated (note--there really isn't a lot of room for creativity at a supermarket bakery. Just follow the design pattern and anyone with a modicum of skill in handling an icing bag can decorate a cake.) Wine gets poured and served (bartenders are required to know how to paste on a "genuine" smile and keep our true feelings in check) and sold.
After writing five books in my Black Horse Campground series, some people think I have nothing else to write. If anything, I have even MORE stories to tell... so many that it can be overwhelming at times. And tiring. And maybe just a little intimidating. It can create a bottleneck in the writer's mind and it seems that nothing can get through onto the page.
When it comes to writing, just "showing up" doesn't cut it. Just putting words down on paper, or a screen, isn't enough. The words should make sense, should tell a story, should make a point. And they should entertain or at least engage the reader. That's where a writer suddenly develops what is commonly called "writer's block"--because they can't seem to write anything worth reading, therefore they think they can't or shouldn't write.
The beauty of writing is that it doesn't have to be done right the first time. Editing and rewriting are the master tools of writing. So when the dreaded "writer's block" creeps up, I tell myself that I can't call out from the job. Write something. Anything. It can be fixed later. Just like a vacation away from the "real jobs" helps me recharge the batteries to keep on going, so can reading (for fun and for work--since I read fiction for reviews and evaluations) and other creative endeavors recharge the batteries for writing.
I'm just now taking my writing out of the charger and starting with a fresh pack of energy to go on with my series. Let's do this!
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