Getting Back on Track - Fall 2016

This year at the League Of Utah Writers Fall Conference we had several classes on writer wellness and productivity. I couldn’t make either one.

I’m regretting that.

I have to find new motivation to write again. I have such a backlog of books waiting for publication that the hurry is gone. I have to remind myself that it really was never there, that I always invented deadlines so I could force myself to write. It is how I do it. Being busy paid for itself in that I was doing the work, being what I wanted to be.

Now my life has changed. I’m in leadership at the LUW, I have an agent to query for me, I spend lots of time teaching and with new accolades and many titles I have new and constant promotional duties. And I still have all those books waiting their turn.

New work has suffered.

It hasn’t suffered long; only about a month, but for me, since I got into this feeling the reaching hand of death and the end of my days (aka bucket-list #1), this delay is inexcusable.

Luckily, another bucket-list event is happening this weekend. I am hosting having and participating in an actual writers retreat. The Infinite Monkey Writing Retreat by name. The first of many I hope. We’ve rented a HUGE house up the canyon by a reservoir with enough beds for 20 of my new closest friends with the intention and directive and motivation to write!

I’m getting stoked for this. I leave tonight. It is just the priming my pump needs. I start new classes next week, but with this happening now, I’ll arrive on the other side of the Sunday with new work and newer ambition.

Or I’ll cry.

I’ll cry anyway. I’m a writer. I always cry. I’ll cry on paper if I can, otherwise, I’ll just cry more.

No two of my books have ever been written the same way. As I slide into this new work in progress, CORONAM 2: OF CIVILIZED, SAVED, AND SAVAGES, this will be a new way and it should work. It’ll motivate me at a time when I’m slowing down in other areas (a bit) for the holidays and Nanowrimo is happening on its heals.

All good.

Productivity here I come!

Or I’ll cry.