We’re currently in the thick of moving preparations at the moment. It’s Wednesday; we’re moving Saturday, and there are still some cleaning jobs, final yard clean-up, and last-minute packing to do yet! But we’re getting there.
My writing time lately has been struggling quite a bit. We’ve been spending a lot more time with other people (mostly goodbye meals), and the stress of having things in limbo especially this last week has really made it difficult to focus. I never realized before what part a tidy, “normal” environment plays into my creativity levels! It’s a fascinating thing to think about.
Anyway, I have wanted to continue doing at least a little writing, just to keep the practice in, so I’ve been pushing myself to do 100 words each day in my story. Keeping going in the midst of change is hard, but at the same time it’s also refreshing to have one constant I can count on in my life.
I’ve also been working on “fueling up” as much as possible, and I thought it would be fun to share a few places I’m finding inspiration these days with you!
- Read updates from other writers. I frequently stop by Lydia Howe’s and Kate Willis’ blogs, because they often talk about writing. Seeing other writers struggle with their stories, fight through, and make progress, has always inspired me, so I’m gleaning as much inspiration from them as possible.
- Shawn Smucker’s writing updates. Technically, this should fit under the previous point, but I’ve appreciated the thoughts he’s had to share so much recently that it deserves its own place in the list. 🙂 His goal is to write 1000 words every weekday, and each day before he begins writing he does a short journal entry or pep talk for the day. So far, I’ve found it helpful and encouraging. And it makes me itch to start writing more myself, so YAY!
- 2018 Author Olympics. A.M.Heath has apparently come up with this–it’s a self-paced olympics for authors, that runs alongside the winter olympics. I’ve never participated, but I’m hoping I can this year! From the description: “Each author sets their own daily goals in the hopes of earning a virtual medal by the end of the day.”
- Three Day Word Wars. Again, something I haven’t participated in yet (schedules don’t always mesh very well!), but this is a community of writers who write as much as they possibly can over a three-day period, send in their final wordcounts, and whoever has the most at the end wins a prize. Pretty fun. I’m hoping I can join in next time, but we’ll see! The next one is running from February 22-24.
- Read good books. I’m just over half-way through an apologetic, Cold Case Christianity (I mentioned that in an earlier post sometime). I’m also part-way through a novella that’s taken me over a year to read. As soon as I’ve finished that, I’m planning to read several books from authors I know I love—I always find lots of good inspiration there! Good writing, both non-fiction and fiction, often inspires me to work on writing myself.
- Listen to piano music. I’ve loved some of Thad Fiscella’s songs for a long time, and often find his music inspiring.
- Keep writing. As much as I might struggle to have this on the list, it really is helpful. My goal is to do at least 100 words per day. Often, I average just above that, but at least I keep moving a little!
What are you doing to keep yourself inspired and moving in your work right now? Do you struggle to focus when your surroundings are changing?
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