I have a "special pen" too! You aren't alone, Vicky. I know several writers who get their writing mojo back by drafting with their special pen, in their special notebook. This process is totally a proven thing.

You go, Vicky! RAWR!!

The "shoulds" and the "supposed to's" make such a nasty brew. This is why we all make sure we stick together. Writers NEED writers, for sure.

Preach it, girl. PREACH IT. 🙂

Thanks for the continued encouragement!

I didn't realize I was any more tenacious than so many other writers with challenges to overcome to get their words onto a page.

If that's true, it gives me an even bigger reason to keep at it, for chronically ill and disabled writers, for currently ill or disabled writers, and for the push to have us USE this circumstance of ours to make our fiction even more encouraging for both people LIKE us to read about, and for more able-bodied readers to further develop their sense of empathy.

It is HARD for us to create, but it is NECESSARY for us to 'tell it like it has been for us,' because we can be honest and accurate.

Readers have told me both are important to them.

Now, to pull in more of the able-bodied who want their consciousness raised - by BEING such a character for a few hours while they read. Hint, hint: it is NOT necessarily painful. And it can be life-altering in preparing readers for the vicissitudes of their own future lives.

I do it for more than seeing how it might go in my own life: I hope others will partake of the experience, 'right behind the eyeballs.'

I'm so happy to hear you're writing again. New worlds...YAY!!!

And now I want to go to the zoo tooooo. There's nothing as special as watching a child experience the zoo. I hope you continue this trend. It sounds amazing. 🙂

What a bummer that this felt like I was reading your mind! And what a blessing too. It means you're not alone. I talk to tons of writers every month, and I can assure you that you absolutely aren't alone.

You haven't overshared at all. Instead, I'm sure your comment made someone ELSE feel seen too.

The expectations are often brutal for writers who are trying to publish, and it's a lot to juggle. It's no wonder writers get depleted. Be gentle with that muse of yours. If you protect your Creative Badass, they'll do amazing work for you. 🙂

To be fair, it's been a crappy several weeks for you. But the days when we're fighting to keep our head above water creatively are just hard. WE don't like it, and our Creative Badasses HATE it.

I think the only answer is rest. (Isn't that so annoying?)

Alicia, you can still create. I've never met anyone more tenacious than you about forward progress. You've got this. Maybe more slowly than you want, but you've got this.

I didn't know about the extra surgeries or the sepsis. I'm glad you're still with us, but it sounds like you've had a rotten summer. Here's wishing for a better Fall!