This month's Writers Reveal topic was provided by Melissa: When life gives you lemons... how do you keep on writing?
I try not to focus on the lemons that life gives me.
When my laptop crashed, I focused on the positive which was that my husband had a desktop computer and, although it required some changes in how I did things, I was able to move my work to his computer. I was fortunate in that my work was saved and I was fortunate in that we were able to purchase a new laptop for me within months.
When my son was ill and had to stay home from school, missing seven full school days in a row, it meant that I only had to take my kids to one school during that time, which significantly shortened the time I spent on the school runs. I saw it as gaining me an hour a day of writing time. My son eventually got over his mysterious fever and was back at school, and, in the meantime, I managed to get in a little bit of extra writing.
Currently, I am suffering with severe hayfever. It's too the point that my eyes are so watery, itchy and puffy that I can barely see out of them and I can't breathe at all through my nose. I am suffering from allergy-related migraines, and the allergy medicine makes me very sleepy. But it can't be all bad,because I have managed to sit down here and type up this post.
So I guess you could say that when life gives me lemons, I decide that I like lemons and then make the most of it. Yes, I'm a "make lemonade" kind of gal.
But if something happens which absolutely prevents me from writing and editing, here is what I do:
1. Try and be productive in other ways, if at all possible. Maybe that's cleaning house or organizing my files, or maybe it's just about spending more time with my kids.
2. Think about my stories and how they can be improved or what direction they will take next. Often taking a small break from writing helps to renew my creative juices.
3. Read some books and watch some television. I love to read; it helps keep my mind active, helps me learn new things and even helps generate new ideas. Watching television shows and movies can spark creativity too, but it doesn't take as much thought as reading so it's a great way to just rest and recharge my batteries.
4. Spend time with friends. Between raising my children and working on my books, I often find myself spending less and less time with my friends. It's healthy for me to spend some tie with my friends and renew those friendships that have been lax.
5. Volunteer to help someone else. When I am unable to write or edit my work, but I am able to talk and go out in public (i.e. I'm not sick), then I offer to help at my children's schools or to give a talk at the local library.
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This post is part of the Writer’s Reveal monthly blog challenge. To read some of the other posts, visit the blogs below:
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