Writers’ Tips

If I wait until everything is perfect – health, time use, local and national events – if all is in good order, I’ll never get on with writing.

Still, a quieting down of some parts of my life are necessary to make way for writing. Some of the obvious things that interfere with writing include being overtired, being very hungry, having too much on my plate (too many to dos I have collected), feeling a financial crunch, grief over losses, and other similar things and events, illness or physical issues.

Last spring I visited the Virgin Islands with my daughter. I knew ahead of time that physically I would not be able to keep pace with her as we went along, but even though I mentioned that I don’t think she realized until we actually got there and began ‘running around’ just what I meant. It was hard for me to walk; my back hurt. I was slow and sat down a lot.

Visiting our friend, Marlene Penn in Tortola, brought it all to the surface. Waving fingers in my face, these two concerned ladies impressed me that I MUST do something about my knee and physical problems when I got home. I insisted my knee was not too bad and was grateful when my Greensboro orthopedic doctor agreed, HOWEVER she did note that both of my hips were down to bone on bone and needed work.

As she said that, I knew immediately what needed to happen – two hip replacements! The first was completed October 12, 2011, and the second is scheduled for March 12. Already I am pleased that I got this done – left hip no longer hurts so much, and right one longs for the knife. I had had no surgery in past 69 years – but my body totally agreed with the diagnosis.

Why is all this important? I had not quite realized how pain can interfere with creativity. But it does. Resolution of the hip issue did not totally stop my writing, but it surely slowed it down.
So how does one clear the mind with such issues on it? Coming to terms with the reality, making concrete plans for resolution, and lots of patience as things progress. Somehow this last was or is my hardest. I like to get things done. Now! But muscle tissue does not heal instantly. Slowly, but surely, it resolves and allows the mind to dwell on other issues.

If one of the issues is having too much to do, it may be time to prioritize your activities. I think for some reason, having the hip surgery made me do this more than I had for some time. What’s important? What can I do without? I don’t really need to do everything other people want me to. I’ve bowed out of teaching – too hard to ‘run’ around campus. I’ve resigned from two groups I was in – I’m not writing children’s stories just now. I’ve resigned from writing for the WGOT newsletter – this was sad, but I just could not keep up, was not driving, and it was too hard to do just now. After about 18 years of being the major writer for that newsletter, I gave it up. Sad but relief and more time and energy for what I really want to do now.

I am a list maker – granted sometimes I follow it and sometimes I pitch it out partly finished. But the process seems to help me clear my way to getting started.

Just jumping in on the easiest chapter has helped me get on with the Nuggets book. Reviewing what I want to do next helps.
Lots of pats on the back help – now, realize most of them come from ME! No one else really knows how hard it has been for me to come back to the keyboard and start writing again. But, just jumping in and doing a little bit day by day has gotten me back to wanting to write again. And I am pleased!