How The “New Normal” Is Affecting My Writing Life

“How’s the novel coming?”

 

This question, to be honest, leaves me feeling cold lately.  The writing is just not flowing. Editing feels like I’m trying to create a beautiful statue from a giant slab of marble, slow and meticulous. Kinda tiring really. 😞

 

We discussed a few weeks ago the concept of new normal, well today I’d like to tell you how that new normal is affecting my writing routine.  Before Covid-19 I was just getting into editing my novel, doing my morning stuff and then writing before coffee. Then quarantine happened, kid and husband were home, work duties, school stuff, and general uneasiness threw off EVERYTHING!

 

It took me a month of lockdown to just get back into a morning routine, figure out how school and work could happen at the same time and keep everyone happy (including my clients).  Now, I’ve got to figure out when to write – not just the time of day or week, but how much energy do I have to expend to pursue my creative projects.

 

I ❤️️ writing, but it’s not what pays the bills and feeds my family.  It’s not going to help my 3rd grader with math (but if you know what will – send help because math and I don’t always get along). It can’t be my sole focus right now. I have to find a balance. 

 

Before I valued the weekends with my family, relaxing and catching up on things around the house and playing games of Roblox, but I have found that weekends are the perfect time to get my weekly editing sessions in now.  I had to learn to be flexible and think a tiny bit of the box.  

 

Weekends are so perfect because there’s no client work to worry about, no school to think about, my husband doesn’t have to be tied to his computer all day, and my son is happy doing his own thing sometimes.  I can get a few 20-minute sessions in and still have time for gaming, household cleaning, movies, and baking.  

 

So how’s the new normal affecting you? Are you using a more flexible schedule? Can you celebrate even the tiniest of wins this week, even if you’re not getting all the things done?

 

For me, I’m celebrating writing this post and writing the new ending of my novel! 🎉

 

 

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