After a month of dealing with unexpected life events, I find myself struggling to get back into the writing habit. Earlier this week I read a post by literary agent Carly Watters where she shared 10 writing tips accompanied by author quotes that validated her inspirational tips.
Click here to read Carly’s post 10 Great Writing Tips, in Quotes
At this current time in my life, # 2 resonates the most with me: You don’t have to write every day. In fact, it’s perfectly okay to avoid burn out and take a day off. It doesn’t mean you’re not a writer.
I am learning that sometimes life just happens. And sometimes things become so overwhelming that you have to take a break from writing. In an upcoming post in April, I will reflect upon this break and detail out the process I took to get back into the writing habit (which is still a work in process). We all go through busy or tough times in our lives, and sometimes our writing suffers from it. But you know what? One day the words will start flowing again, because…
Many suffer from the incurable disease of writing, and it becomes chronic in their sick minds. -Juvenal
The Sarcastic Muse 
Good to see you back, Amanda! Glad too that you’re getting over those life things. Cheers!
Thanks, Peter!
Amanda, I happen to be in the same boat, so your post comes at an opportune time. Pesky children have been disturbing my writing. Unfortunately (and fortunately) they are my pesky children, so there you are. So I’m looking forward to your insights on this whole “getting back into the groove” deal. And, as always glad to see what’s on your writing mind. 8~)}
Thanks! Well, getting back into the groove has not been successful as of yet. Hoping this week!
I am lucky, my children have four legs and are furry. I just put them outside to play when they start to disturb me. Good luck!
I just had to say your article hits right to my heart as I was drawn to #2 on Carly Watt’s quote as well as I love to write but I am not a every day writer and I have accepted that in myself. I am also terrible with grammer so having a friend who loved it helps.
I also had to laugh because of our similar website titles. Reading this late at night makes it stand out more as I sit in the dark with my baby snoring beside me. I look forward to reading more on your site.
I am glad this article hit you the same way it hit me. I love it when things have the same impact on others.
By the way, love your website! There is so much there that resonates with my soul. Looking forward to following it.
I think it may have been Robyn who posted something a week or so ago about the difference between process and habit. I know that I had actually fallen into a habit (read, not so good) of writing every day at the same time, no matter what. Some days, things flowed and on other days the writing was contrived.
I am all for the idea (and habit) of sitting down and writing, even when you don’t feel like it, but you certainly have to read your own mood and know when you need a day (or two) off. Us writers know that even when we’re not writing, we’re thinking about writing – and that’s still a valuable piece of the equation, as long as that equation is balanced 😉
Welcome back, writer friend 😉
Great words, Dave – “Us writers know that even when we’re not writing, we’re thinking about writing – and that’s still a valuable piece of the equation, as long as that equation is balanced”. You are completely right. And that is something I needed to hear 🙂 Thank you.
Happy to be back!
Hi Amanda – pull up a chair, because I have much to say. I have a dear friend who had Life happen to her in a big way several years ago. She’s multi-published traditionally and parted way with her literary agent of several years. She mourned it life a death. Her college-age son went into rehab for alcoholism and she went with him (it was a six-week out patient program). There was a health crisis with her elderly parent.
Any of these events are a BIGGIE, but all seemed to happen around the same time. It took a LONG time before she wrote her next book, or wrote at all, but she’s doing it now and it’s worth the wait.
For me, tip #10 resonates the most: You are the only one holding yourself back from writing your breakout novel. “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” — Les Brown
WOW. That’s scaredy-cat me.
Finally, on #4, I would respectfully say she made a mistake. Carly says, “Perfectionism doesn’t exist.” Then, she goes on describe perfectionism and even has Anne Lamott call perfection the oppressor. I think she meant, “PERFECTION doesn’t exits.”
Hi Marcy 🙂 I am happy to hear your friend say it was worth the wait after going through all of that. And even more happy to hear she was able to get back into it.
And #10 and #4 were the other two that resonated with me in addition to #2. I have a Salvador Dali quote on my desk that says, “Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” And I always add to that “because it does not exist”!!
EXACTLY to all that you shared, Amanda. Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you again soon. xo – m3
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