It has been a long time! One of the last times I blogged and/or sent out a newsletter was just before I headed off to the Boreal forest and stayed at Elkhorn resort ALL BY MYSELF. It was an amazing weekend, full of writing, walks in the trees and more writing. I accomplished a tremendous amount, accomplished getting draft #2 of Book 1 over half finished. And then I returned home.
To Christmas and holiday prep, the whirlwind of holidays, celebrations and family and then...
Holy Funktown.
I spent the next three months hardly writing a word at all. My mind was active as always with plot ideas, twists, ways to deepen the characters, their relationships with one another and their connection to the story. But…no… writing. I was unmotivated, told myself I’d get up early tomorrow to give ‘er a try, try on Sunday instead of Saturday. And it went on and on and on.
There were reasons for my change in psyche & mental energy – one very big one was having a teen struggling immensely with insomnia. I understood that but still my conscious, my guilt for not writing would not let me rest.
Then the most fortunate quick conversation happened with an understanding friend at our sons’ hockey game of all places. Terri asked me how the writing was going (she is always such an enthusiastic, interested supporter!) and I was honest with her rather than giving my easy out answer of ‘It’s going good.’ Terri then shared with me a golden nugget from her mentor:
“There are times of growth and times of needing to consolidate”
I just wanted to weep. It was like she took my soul and gave it a giant hug. And it gave me the permission that I seemed to be refusing myself that this downtime was okay, to use it to regenerate and rejuvenate.
Once I actively decided to let this time be what it was, amazing things happened. Within ten days of the conversation, I was back to writing. And within a month, I completed my draft #2 of Book 1, did a full read through (that is reading a full novel in two sittings folks) and took the plunge and sent it off to a developmental editor.
So remember, work is important but it needs to be balanced with rest to help us for whatever we need at the time to let us continue moving ahead. Healing, inspiration and calm was what I needed but wasn’t listening to allow myself those things. So I urge you, to value, and let yourself, take your rest and I hope you will be as amazed at the results as I have been.