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?
Hmmm… (puts finger to nose) I haven’t been good about this one. Kids pull me one way, hubby the other, traumatic events have happened the past 2 years, very serious indeed. Nope, I haven’t dealt well with this topic. But I do know that even when sick, people still have to work.
Writing is such an emotional tidal pool that, at times, it’s hard to get the right juices flowing in the right directions. I believe it’s easier to go to work when bad things happen, to do the mundane if you focus on something other than your pain. But writing can be a painful process. Sometimes… it just won’t come. Thankfully, I’ve not had anything but self-imposed deadlines to wrangle through at these times.
Yes, I most definitely need to work on this one.
I understand letting other responsibilities push you away, I really do. But if you’re going to publish and have deadlines, you have to learn to sit down and push the exterior world away for an hour or so at the least. Words can be revised. A blank page can’t.
Hugs, Kathy!