I Should Be Writing

[BarryDavidson]

I actually slept in for the first time in a while. Even though I wrote a few last night, I'm going to laze around. I don't even have to cook dinner.

(I'll still probably wind up taking a journal to my in-law's house...)

[BarryDavidson]

Did I mention that I love this site?

It's so gratifying to wake up, check your email, and see that several articles have sold. Especially when you've been absent for most of the month for family reasons.

Yes, this is another "I should be writing" day, and I hope to eventually get to it. I just have to celebrate the fact that I've made more money since joining this site a little over three months ago that I did in the previous five years. If someone had told me five years ago that I could actually be selling my writing, I'd have laughed at them. Now, I have to laugh at myself for doubting.

[Word Gypsy]

Congrats on the sales Barry! You are such a positive influence around the forum too! I am glad that you found this site and that you are happy here.
Have fun with your day even if you only squeeze in a little bit of writing. WG

[JoHunley]

Hurrah for gratification! I just told someone the other day what a difference it is when family or friends say you're such a good writer and ought to make money at it, and when someone actually offers you money in exchange for your work. Family and friends might just be saying nice things, but strangers only give money because they mean it. You're a Legitimate Writer now, unlike all those sad wanna-be hacks puttering away futilely at their keyboards late at night. (Which is how it felt to me, anyhow. Wow, someone was actually giving me money to do what I'm gonna do anyway. Now I've got an excuse, and everyone has to stop rolling their eyes at me.)

Some days are not writing days. Maybe it's an idea day instead.

Yay for Barry's three-month mark!

[Celeste Stewart]

Congrats Barry!

I think we all need some "non-writing" days. They're necessary for recharging our creative juices. When it starts to feel like a job, take a day or two off and then come back filled with ideas.

[BarryDavidson]

I'm glad Im not the only one who has the "job" view. Basically, when it starts to feel like a job, it ceases being fun. What's the point if you're not having fun?

[HayleyWriter]

I have been procrastinating all weekend and I definitely should be writing. Oh ye Gods of Inspiration - where are you? I have a half finished article for Celeste's premium article challenge and it just ain't writing itself properly. Guess I'll have to tackle it soon or the month will be at an end. I'll just go and get a cuppa...

Hayley

[BarryDavidson]

I'm trying to get one house ready to sell, and get another ready to move into. I did get one article idea out of it so far, and I think it was accepted. Going through 12+ years of collected junk, fixing what three children have done in those years, and keeping your sanity is no an easy job. (Since it's a job, it's not fun.)

I hope ya'll get those articles done you're hoping to. I'm having trouble writing a greeting card right now.

[HayleyWriter]

Hi Barry,

Moving is such a big thing - I'm not surprised you can't really write at the moment. I have no such excuse however, just not in the mood, I guess. I'll get back to it all soon. I bet you'll be glad when the move is over!

Hayley

[Celeste Stewart]

Hayley, I was thinking you just had a case of spring fever but then I realized that you're in the southern hemisphere. Could it be a case of the "winter's almost here blues"? Do you even have winter in Australia? :)

Anyhow, take a few days to rejuvenate and let your writing slide. Give yourself a deadline though as it's too easy to not write. I think it's important to go out and live - and then come back and write. Easier said than done. Still have that darned final chapter of my novel that I have postponed for over a year. As the saying goes, "Do as I say, not as I do."

But anyhow, spring or fall, enjoy a few days to yourself! CC will be here when you're back in the mood (- I give it less than a week).

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Hayley, I've been there done that.. :)

I'm writing this week because I can't do ANYTHING else. And today is even my birthday. I was in Labor and Delivery last Thursday because I started having regular contractions. Everything is fine, turns out I had a really bad bladder infection that is not ascending into my kidneys. The baby is fine, in fact, what I was feeling as contractions were bladder spasms, but my uterus was contracting every ten minutes according to the monitor, but they weren't concerned because those were in response to the bladder and I could barely feel them. My little girl was a spitfire, she tried to kick the monitors off, over and over again, and the nurse said all her moving around, squirming, and kicking were great sings she was not in any distress at all. She was showing that infection just who is boss in there right now!

Unfortunately, though the infection doesn't directly threaten her, it does me. I'm on a bunch of medication and I have to take it easy this week because evidently it takes you a lot longer to recover from infection when you're pregnant. My doctor was even concerned enough he wanted to put me back in the hospital on Monday, but I talked him into letting me go home and on Tuesday I started feeling better and my bacteria count is going down slowly but surely. As long as I don't spike a fever or anything, no more hospital for me!

But I've got ALOT done. It's like I rebooted my writing business and two of my original clients came right back. It's like they were waiting to see me active again LOL. So I have a ton to write for a new web property going up, and a lesson plan to do "A Man for All Seasons." I've even managed to throw in a few articles to C-C yesterday.

Just hang in there and don't worry, the inspiration will come back. I had a dry spell of a few months, and while I don't know your religious leanings, for me once I got my life priorities clearly in order, everything just fell right back into place for me.

[HayleyWriter]

Celeste - Spring fever? Well, even though we are in Autumn (Fall - except that most trees here are evergreens and we don't have heaps of leaves that fall), the weather is still pretty balmy - between 20 and 32 degrees celsius, so I guess it would be equivalent weather to Spring in some areas. Yes, we do have winter. In Sydney, where I live, the weather gets down to between 5 to 10 degrees with average top temps around 17-22 on most winter days. There are places in Australia where it snows and obviously the temperature can drop below zero there.

I haven't been 100 per cent though for a few weeks, (bad attack of diverticulitus), and I just caught my husband's cold or flu or whatever has kept him home for the last few days, so I guess I can make illness my excuse. I've also been extremely busy in my day job with extra responsibilities right now and an interstate business trip to Queensland next week - I'm actually looking forward to writing on the plane! You're right - it won't take me long to get back on track.

Elizabeth - Congratulations on your birthday. Sounds like the writing has kicked in again at just the right time for you. I'm really glad your baby is not in danger from the infection, but make sure you take it easy and get yourself better too!Thanks too for sharing and the update - it's nice to know how your pregnancy is going.

As for life priorities, you could be right there. I am a Christian and I go to church every week, but not been spending much time reading the bible lately. I'll get back to basics and see if my writing becomes inspired again. Meanwhile, you need to get better, ok!

Thanks both for your encouragement!I really do appreciate you sharing and making a girl from down under feel a part of this lovely writing community. Even finding your messages on the forum today has made me feel more inclined to write again!

LOL
Hayley

[Celeste Stewart]

Well, shoot. Both of you take it easy and get better. That's more important. Happy birthday, E!

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Hayley-

I am actually a brand new Christian. I just had my baptism Feb. 15. Last year when my writing business was booming, I was sacrificing my role as a step mom and wife to write. Sure, the money was nice, but my family doesn't NEED money. It needs a full time Mom and house manager, because without me everything falls apart. I struggled with that a lot because personally I don't find value in housework. It's taken a nice slice of humble pie from God for me to realize even when I'm just loading and unloading the dishwasher, it makes me and my family happy to not worry if there are clean dishes. It sounds silly, but I'm serious about that is what it takes for me to clean my house!

I have seen a huge spike in my writing ability and just calm about the results by placing my writing in God's hands. Once I acknowledged Him as the source of my talent, and quite puffing myself up on my writing skills, boy did he have a ton of work for me to do! :) Plus I don't stress the sales anymore, or sit there and stalk my articles. LOL. It's nice. I spend a few minutes in the morning journaling with Him and reading the Bible, and it gives me such a fresh outlook for the day.

Good luck to you and I'm sure you will find your groove again. Sometimes as a writer though we need our breaks to refresh and reboot. So if that is the season of time you're in, don't worry it will come back :)

[HayleyWriter]

Elizabeth,

Wow! What a revelation. I too find housework difficult and it's good to recognise the benefit of doing it for other people, like my husband. It's amazing how God works in our hearts to continually change our perspective on even the little things. It's also nice to know that I might get to meet you "in person" in the future when the faithful come to heaven. I've been a Christian for several years, but I still struggle with many things. I guess it's a lifelong process of refining. Your comments have helped me to gain some new perspectives, and to reinforce others, like my writing skill is a gift from God and he is in control of all, so I want to thank you for being willing to share your faith so openly on the forum.

I'm sure when the timing is right, my writing will get back on track. I've often noticed that God has three answers to prayers: "Yes", "No", and "In MY timing and perfect plan for you - not in yours!". The latter sometimes feels like a "No" but when you look back on the tapestry of your life, you can often see answered prayers years down the track from when you first prayed them.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement and sharing. I do appreciate it! I'm also praying for the health of you and your baby, so hopefully, that will be a prayer that is answered with a resounding "YES!"

How many children and step children do you have? I'm currently writing an article about infertility, as this is God's plan for my life.

LOL

Hayley