Sometimes Writing Looks Like THIS

I hit the snooze twice before finally getting up. I visited the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and settled into my writing space for this morning's session. I reviewed my editorial calendar. As I perused the final eight days, I felt uninspired by the prescribed topics and overwhelmed by the gaps I had to fill before the challenge comes to an end.

I hugged my daughter in her first moments of wakefulness, and then told her I had to write.

I logged into my blog dashboard and wrote my pageviews on my tally calendar. I logged into Pandora and heard my Avett Brothers sing I would be sad. I logged into Facebook and paused Pandora to watch Adele's video for her new single Hello. I was taken by her exquisite eye makeup and artificial eye lashes, her blemish-free complexion. I considered how the video must have been shot in America because rural roads don't look like that in her native U.K.

I shared the video on Facebook and admitted that I should be writing.

I went back to my document and formatted the text of the quote I was going to write about today. My daughter's hugs pulled me away from my writing again. Her hugs are the BEST.

I sat back down. I heard her show on Netflix in the background and turned my Pandora station up a little louder. I considered leaving the writing to this evening.

 

“Have you done your writing yet?” Cadence asked.

“Nope.”

“You better get going.”

I stared at the screen for a few more moments and then stood up. 

 

I figured showering would be a productive stall tactic. Maybe something would come to me in the shower. As I shaved my legs, I heard the words that wouldn't come yesterday in a business proposal come to me now. “I hope I remember this when I get into the office,” I said to myself. I kept shaving.

And then it came to me. THIS little morning non-writing is what I should write about. I don't want to give the impression that every moment of writing is inspired and blissful. This is what writing looks like some days. And the less I fight it, the quicker the blocked moment passes, and I am restored to my moment of productive creation. Knowing oneself and one's strengths and weaknesses, what motivates and de-motivates and working with them rather than against them is key to successful writing. I knew sitting there for too long would leave me frustrated and set a bad tone for my morning at work where I also write.

It's now 7:33. I have time to post this to my blog. Drink my tea, toast my bread, pack a snack for Cadence and a lunch for me. Day 23's writing is complete!