Writing as Therapy

One of the reasons I started my writing journey is because it was cathartic. I could escape from life for short spans of time and let my imagination run wild. Make up an alternate reality. There were years when I didn't write, when I was exploring who I was going to become when I finally grew up, but I always came back to writing. It has always been a part of me.

On the flip side, there were times I couldn't write, during those peak stress times in life. Some of the more popular stressors - Buying a house. Changing jobs. Death. Getting married/divorced. The birth of a child.

There's a delicate balance. While I often use writing as stress relief - an escape from the pressures and stress of the day job, I have discovered there are certain stresses that require a different outlet. Like walking, or exercise. Some distractions demand more "head space," which crowds out the imagination required to write. This is where discipline kicks in.

As an author, I try to write every day. Create habits. It's a job, and it needs to be done. There are days when it's impossible to write depending on where life decides to insert itself into my schedule, and like exercise or sports, when you don't do something regularly, you get "out of shape." The key is to not get too lazy, to get back into the routine as quickly as possible.

So what's this all about? DH and I have been trying to buy a new house, and I've been through a week of offers and counteroffers and -- hello? -- buying a house is a major life stressor. I'm also trying to write the final Epitaph installment, a book I have a thin outline sketch for but I can't seem to get off the proverbial runway. I have all the information I need to dive him and write like a fiend, but the words aren't working the way they're supposed to! Every book has its idiosyncrasies. I didn't think I'd finish THE SCULPTOR as quickly as I did, but those words practically flew from my fingers to the page. (Hey, did I mention that book released yesterday?? Do you have a copy yet? I personally think it's one of the best ones in the series.) Yes, this book will get written. Routine means I'm putting words down, even if they aren't the best words. It's okay to write crap in a first draft. I'll clean it up later, when my focus is back. The important part is to keep the discipline, not to break from the routine.

Now! In case you didn't know it, the first in the Epitaph series has been free all summer, but that's going to end soon. If you don't have a copy, now is the time to go get it! And as my final hurrah to summer, I've teamed up with a bunch of other authors of small-town steamy romances. Two lucky winners can win a HUGE collection of books (my contribution is THE SELKIE), and we're giving away an ereader to a grand prize winner. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you got this information in your mailbox. Enter the contest by clicking here: http://bit.ly/steamysmalltowmrom-sep18. Good luck!