A lot has been written about how difficult and tedious writing can be. But what of love? If you sit in your chair thinking negative thoughts about how hard it is to get any words on the page, is that going to be better than actually enjoying your writing process?

We all know the fast writers on the NaNoWriMo site are a bit obsessive – but I’ll bet they also love their characters and get joy out of bringing their stories to the page. I find that when I get emotionally involved with my characters the story goes deeper and has richer description and philosophical underpinnings.

A bit of character love resolves flat-character syndrome. After all, if you approach the page in boredom and/or fear, that will probably carry over into the story. However if you sit before the computer and feel some genuine joy and excitement about the writing of your novel, that too will be reflected in the pages of your manuscript.

If you’re not feeling the love, try this. Sit in front of your opened manuscript page and say this affirmation ten times: “I love my characters and they love me because I give them life.” Ten times…. and then check to see if your attitude has changed. If it hasn’t changed sufficiently, say this ten times: “I love writing this novel and bringing life and excitement into my characters.”

If you still think you’re unhappy with your writing progress, just write anyway. You may find that subconsciously your attitude made a subtle shift and that you’re happier than you think.

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