Sometimes, when good things are happening, it seems like life gets in the way of doing everything one wants to do – especially writing. But, that’s okay.
You may ask how it can be okay? You’ve always heard a writer is supposed to write. A writer is supposed to be glued to the chair, fingers on the keyboard, for certain lengths of time or until a given number of words are created. There’s a lot of truth to those ideas.
There also is truth to be found in a writer’s negative feelings of being overwhelmed, out of ideas, completely frustrated, or having trouble balancing or even finding freak out moment time (see my Hamster Wheel blog https://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2026/04/running-aimlessly-on-hamsters-wheel.html ). Those are the lousy depressing times when one wonders if words will ever flow again. The times that hopefully will pass but seem like they won’t.
They aren’t what I’m talking about. I’m addressing not writing because of exhilarating and wonderful distractions. Reading the different posts on Facebook, Instagram, or blogs posted or written by Writers Who Kill authors, I see this past month included graduations, military commissions, Daisy to Brownie bridging, weddings, births, new homes, visiting guests, remodeling that finally finished, book launches, award ceremonies, attending conferences, traveling for fun, and planting for the new season. If you ask me, all of these were good reasons not to write.
The funny thing is that while words may not have gotten down on paper, I find that during these happy times, words keep percolating in my brain. Story ideas that have been tangled become clearer. It is the calm before the storm of words flow. Maybe it has something to do with the release of brain chemicals associated with happiness or simply relaxing, but I know that when the time presents itself to write again, I will. It’s truly okay. I can feel the good vibrations.
What about you? Do you ever find yourself so detoured by happy occasions and acts that you can’t squeeze in other things? When you can, do things work out?
