Inspiration and 'that' Brick Wall

Oh yeah.
















It's happened again you guys.

In regards to writing and blogging, I have hit that unavoidable, no matter how hard you try, wall.
It's sneaky that way. You go along quite happily and then it appears from outta no-where. *POOF*

I have been a relatively rubbish writer and blogger of late, and I can only apologise. After being deluged, we are now baking in the long awaited summer sun and it hasn't done anything for my motivation... I am a lot like my poor wilting tomato plants. No fruit to harvest... (Is this a metaphor or a simile? I don't care now anyway. Humph! ... You see; this is what the heat does to me!)

The state of my poor tomatoes aside, I was actually considering pulling the plug on my blog... I just felt I had nothing to share or give to my lovely followers... Then I pulled myself together before someone decided to slap me in the face with a fish, just to snap me out of it.

I'm just going through a writing drought, that's all.

Everywhere I turn; there seems to be one distraction after another and it has really thrown me off course. I have been too relaxed in my writing commitments and it's left me feeling rather distant from my writing goals.

This week I had two "thanks, but no thanks" reply emails to picture book submissions. The first one was pretty standard, no clue as to what the agent thought about the work and the other was from a publisher and it was:  "ooooooh, so close!" The email described how the submissions dept. had considered it and had even gone so far as to take it to the editor for consideration. (Heart skips a beat!) Unfortunately, the publishing list for the next two years is full, so they won't be taking my submission further. It was descibed as "having potential" (Deflates)

When do you know that you should give up writing?

I know that the odds of being published are stacked against me. Not only has the industry hit upon tough times, with many places shutting their doors to new authors; I have no formal writing qualifications, just a dream and a passion.

I dreamt of being the next Beatrix Potter when I was a tiny tot. To create beautiful pictures and stories that would be loved by children everywhere...

Link: Wikipedia

It's not exactly going according to plan...

For a start I can't express my work visually, which is to no end a frustration for me. In my minds eye I can see the book as a whole. Picture book writing is harder than you think. Picture book stories are mainly told through the pictures (sounds obvious right?), so words are just the foundation. The pictures maybe something going on in the background that only the observer can see. (E.G. a charater sneaking up on another)
Therefore, it's difficult to convey the whole idea of a picture book to an agency/publisher if you have no pictures to support the idea.

Since starting this crazy writing venture, I always feel that I have come so close, yet not close enough. At what point does an aspiring author know that it really is time to let it go and put thier energies into something completely different? (*Side-steps another fish-slap* ... I know, I know, suck it up right?!)

As you can probably feel from my rant, I am having a: I'm feeling a bit poopy-pants-blah at the moment, so I am going to wrap things up here and try to leave things on a more positive note:

Five postive reflections

1. Although the replies I recieved this week meant I was unsuccessful, at least I got a reply!
2. My work has potential...
3. I still have plenty of stories to get onto paper...
4. ..and plenty of agents/publishers to harass approach
5. I have planty of time to hone and perfect the craft

So, fellow bloggers... If you find your face against that brick wall, how do you turn it around? Have you ever felt that you should retire from your blog, and if you have, how did you deal with that? Any tips?!

Thanks for reading the ramble!