Looking back, I blogged about a similar topic in June, but it’s been one of those years. Over the last few weeks I have taken two days leave to sit with my mother in hospital, and three days of my weekends taking her to various appointments. I’m on edge every time the phone rings, half expecting it to herald the arrival of yet another stressful drama.

Because of this, taking care of my writing health is forefront in my mind. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m doing that great a job with it. The limited time I do have to write feels like it’s being sucked into a vacuum of other things that need doing, and I’m tired. Not to mention more than over all of it. I feel like a hamster running frantically and getting nowhere.

That’s not completely true, I must admit. I’m keeping on top of promo for other authors, and that side of my blog is taking off which makes me happy. I’m also getting a fair bit read, as that’s something I tend to do last thing at night for an hour before bed. I’ve found some new ‘favourite’ authors, and revisited others as they’ve put new books out.

I’m also trying to remind myself that I have achieved a bit of writing – though where I was averaging 3-4k a week, that’s about on par for my monthly output at present.

Working full time, and trying to write, is difficult at the best of times. Friends remind me that when life calms down my writing will still be there to go back to. Yet I’m very aware that I haven’t had a new release since January, and not completed anything since. Even my newsletter should have been out last month.

It’s ironic that when we’re stressed and need to write to relieve that stress, it’s the very time we can’t. I still have stories wanting to be written—and very loudly at that—and when I do manage to write, it still flows without much problem. It’s just getting to that point.

Meantime I’m trying to take care of myself by taking breaks from life by spending time with friends, and refilling the well with plenty to watch and read when I’m too tired to do anything else. On the plus side, I’m getting heaps of knitting done. Hospitals and waiting rooms are great for that….

Sorry if this seems like a whiny post. I just wanted to put out there what’s going on with me at present, and why I’m not writing a lot. I couldn’t give up writing as it’s too much of who I am. I just wish this storm that is my life at present could take a break so I can get back to where I want to be.

What do you guys do when life goes to custard? How do you fill your wells?