By J.A. (Julie) Kazimer
Ever heard the saying, When Life Gives You Lemons?
I’m sure sick of the bite of lemonade right now. Since January, and my stupid New Years’ resolution to write daily, the most I’ve written is 500 words and that was in the cafeteria of a hospital. My dad has been having some serious heart issues, and we’ve been in and out of hospitals for what seems like an eternity though it’s really only two months.
This isn’t a poor me post, though it probably sounds a lot like one (for which I apologize), so please read on as I do have a writerly point.
It’s hard to write when everything in your life is crazy. It’s also hard to write when everything is going as smooth as gravy (weirdly whenever I make gravy it comes out in clumps). It’s especially hard to write when you’ve in the throes of new love, like, or lust.
Okay, it’s hard to write is my point.
Anyway, even when it seems like an impossible task (like when I have an end of April deadline for my next book to be at the publisher) writing can be just what the doctor ordered, right after he orders a bunch of Xanax.
To lose yourself in your work is a healthy way of coping or so I’ve heard. So taking my own advice, I’m going to go write 2,000 words right now.
I’d love to know how you cope when life gives you lemons. Do you write more or less? How do you manage the real world and your isolated writerly one?
You’ll probably be tickled you launched me into guilt. I was going great guns, daily word counts, etc. Then a blog tour/book launch, some travel, and what-not, and I’m back to saying, “Tomorrow. I’ll start in again tomorrow.” But, like you, I’m gonna to 2000 right now. This very minute. Watch me go.
It depends on what kind of lemons are delivered to me and where I am when I get them. As a rule though I can usually find any old excuse to keep me from my writing. I do manage to get all my blog posts out according to schedule, but the other writing? I’m terrible, I know.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
When life gives me lemons, I make fruity Caribbean Drinks with tiny umbrellas, and then write or not. So far this year, 3 poems, each about 45 lines is all I’ve creatively come up with. And the point: fly fishing is great and sunny weather draws me riverside. The more I let the writing go, the more I find it showing up at the right time. But I’m a day-jobber so that helps.