If you judge that then you will not enjoy it and if you don't enjoy it then why even do it?

Your enough, Ami, may just be rocking a new book launch and developing a smooth plan for book 3! Some people push themselves harder than others. LOL

Oh, Leanne. I feel those health issues. I've lived that. I was ... fortunate? ... that at a very young age, my body began to react to the stress. I had a doctor sit me down and explain that if I wanted to live to be 21, I needed to make some drastic changes in how I chose to live. My life has been a constant push/pull between my inherent type A personality and my body that simply will not deal with that sort of behavior.

There is so much "thou shalt" type of advice in the writing community!!! And yet, I often find that the best writing comes from those who take time to find their process and learn to enjoy and respect their creativity.

You ARE a writer. Don't let anyone tell you that if you don't hit a specific word goal, you aren't.

Perhaps a better definition of writer would be "person who hears voices in their head and who technically is not insane" -- or some better written variation of that. Because writers write even on days when the pen doesn't touch paper. The stories swirl in our minds. We see someone on the street and we don't see them like other people... we see stories! We dream stories, we get lost in a cup of coffee with our brains in other worlds, other times.

I pray your health issues improve and you see the joy that is your creativity!

And know that you are NOT alone!

Thanks, Sandy! We all need to remember to be kind to ourselves!

Exactly, Jenny! Great pointers!

I think it's so important that you wrote this. I think most of us feel this on a visceral level.

I gave up procrastination for Lent, so we'll see what that does for me.

But something interesting I've found is that when I don't want to do something, especially something I love as much as writing, it is because that day's task is too big for my special little ADD brain.

So, if I've said, "I'll write the next chapter," I need to change that to "a scene. "

Or a page. Or a sentence. Or sometimes a 10 minute brainstorming session.

When it is small enough to inspire creativity, I will do it. And since creativity begets creativity, I'll then start on the next thing that I can envision. Then the next.