When I am book shopping, unless I know I want to read something very specific and do not care what the cover looks like, I find that I am more apt to pick up a book that resonates with me - and that is usually because of the cover and/or title. A good cover and title is the catching force. A writer has only seconds to draw someone in as they saunter through bookstores or surf on Amazon or Barnes and Noble online. I created a cover that resonated with me - regardless of what others think.
I write for me. I write to process and to figure things out. What author doesn't want their book to be popular? I could think of none. However, it is wonderful if you can write, and publish and be secure in what you have accomplished without being dependent on the outcome. You create a child. Let it go and watch it grow.
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I have kept journals since I was a small child. It is only recently that I have published. China Cabinet is my debut as an author. I write because I have to write - because I have no choice - because something in me mandates that I put it all down in words. I call the inner promptings "Jonas" - and there is no telling when Jonas will appear (or disappear).
Get up and walk away - it's that simple. It means it's not time for the next piece to pour out of you. Do something different. I listen to classical music for inspiration, or I go for a walk in the wooded cemetery by my house. Be still and calm and when the muse returns get going. Of course, it doesn't hurt to try to prompt yourself to write if you are feeling stuck, but if you really feel you are up against a wall, then do something you love or something that inspires. Sometimes I put the writing aside and pick up my paintbrush. Do whatever it takes.
