Life happens and what that means for a writer…
- Admin
- Jan 6
- 3 min read
So many of us experience numerous life happenings. Whether it’s over the course of a couple of days, months or years. It affects us all differently.
Being a writer comes with moments of excitement, impossibility, difficulty—and stagnation.
Excited when I spend a couple of hours on a revision or write a new scene that just flows out.
Impossible when I'm over thinking character development, plot, conflict, and so on. When the answer is - Just write! And don’t stop!
Something I learned a long time ago is that the story, character and everything else will develop as you go. Things can change or surprise you as you keep writing. You also learn and get to know your characters as the story unfolds in your creative world.
You can’t know everything all at once.
Difficult to find the right words to a phrase or sentence or just one word. You stare at the circled word with red ink for weeks or months.
Then, you have…
Stagnant.
Does it mean bored, stuck, unmotivated, lacking inspiration, or all of these combined?
Or maybe it means not being sure what projects to work on. When these times happen, I end up taking a break, but as each day goes by and it turns into weeks, I wonder is this really a break or is it avoiding the work completely?
Or your inner peace has been rocked due to life happenings, (i.e. new job, move, sickness, death or any major to minor event in your life) and you don’t realize when you are ignoring your own work.
Perhaps your creativity is blocked: that creative magic, that passion that drives you forward.
If you have time on your hands but just aren’t getting down to the writing, then it's likely the fear of not being able to create.
Look at a few pieces of your own writing, work on an exercise or look at something you published as a friendly reminder that…You got this!
5 ways to get back on track
Journal: Anything! Your feelings, goals, seeing your thoughts on paper makes it more real and accepting. It's also an emotions dump. You can feel calmer and less overwhelmed by thoughts, worries or trauma.
Read your favorite genre: There’s nothing like relaxing with a great book! You can also try a new genre pertaining to the season or holiday it is. This can be a fun way to get into the spirit as well…Halloween, Christmas, summer, snow, Valentine’s Day…there are so many to choose from!
Critique for others: Help is always appreciated. I have learned this puts your mind back into an editing brain. Then, you can tackle your own work after critiquing others work.
Get creative with creating! Try arts, crafts, miniatures, and painting. This creates a different way to shift your perspective. It’s a nice way to relax but many hours can fly by doing these things!
Exercise and Eat Well: Even if it's a walk. Make sure you enjoy what you're doing. Eating heavy processed foods including heavy fats and high salt can bog you down and create lethargy. Choose energy boosting foods!
Writing Related Exercises:
Interview your characters! This is such a fun way to get to know them and get inside their mind.
Rewrite a scene in a different scenario or point of view completely.
Write about your experiences.
Write about something from your life and ask, “what if.” Now you have a story!
Write about a new place and feel all the five senses. Then, write about it later when you get home.
Take a notebook and pen out with you. Note anything you see or thoughts that pass your mind that prompt a story or poem or piece of any writing. Maybe a reflective blog or journal entry. This can bring on realizations and new ideas or ah ha moments.
Or soak in life and write when you're ready. Mayb
e a break is what you actually needed.
Live in the moments you are gifted with.
Clear your mind and allow the new stuff to enter so that you can create.
Get out there and explore, trying new things!
Thank you for reading!
Nicole Klunder