I don't really have a lot of words of wisdom on the topic, but it occurred to me this weekend as I had to travel for my grandmother's funeral, attend the funeral, and be with family, that my job as a writer doesn't stop because of adversity.

Of course different events affect people differently. I was more emotional than I thought I'd be when I got to the funeral. Grandma was 78, and she'd been pretty sick. Her passing was expected — and yet the events overtook me and my emotions.

Still, I have a deadline to meet and though I know I could ask my editor for more time if I really, really felt I needed it, I don't feel like this is one of those times. Had it happened closer to my deadline, that would be different.

You have to know what you can do and what you can't. Think about this as you work on your stories. When you get that call that someone wants to publish your book, you are moving into the category of professional writer. Professionals show up for work every day. Treat writing like a job, show up unless you're sick, take vacations when you need them, and take time off for dealing with emotional events like death and divorce. But get back to work as soon as possible because writing is a job and the job must be done.

So this week I'm working hard to catch up, and I have something new I hope to tell you about soon.

How do you deal with writing through adversity? Any tips or tricks or thoughts on the subject?