Friday, October 23, 2015

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!

5 comments:

  1. Oh how true these words are! Sometimes we just have to write about the not writing to get the juices flowing again.

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  2. Writing is not always pretty or easy and you shared for all of us what it can look like. The reality is that writing is hard work but in the end it can be very real and even beautiful sometimes. Thanks!

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  3. Perfectly perfect! Happy almost done day!

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  4. Oh yeah. The non-writing thing. Everyone's been there. Glad you shared yours! :)

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  5. I don't know how many times I have gotten good ideas in the shower! Sometimes I just pray I will remember it when I can get to the computer. I think every writer's life has days like this - Jerry Jenkins posted about some on his blog as well a few days ago. It's encouraging to know it's not just me. Thanks for sharing!

    I may have said this before, but some blogspot blogs don't let me comment through my Wordpress account, even though it lists Wordpress as an option. So I have to use my Google account, but there is a link to "My Web Page" there.

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