John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” We all have to make time for our writing–it really is true that in order to be a writer, you must write. Last night a novel writing student said she had the best of intentions for a writing session, but then the IRS rejected her tax return and the writing time vanished. Another said her mother was dying. No one plans for interruptions , but they occur.
Don’t waste time berating yourself when life gets in the way of your writing plans, but don’t make excuses for avoiding the keyboard. Those dust bunnies can wait. Meanwhile, get that word count in. And when life throws a curveball, perhaps a writing-related activity (reading, copyediting, research) will be as much as you can handle. If you are up to your eyeballs in holy week, just get through it and resume your routine when you recover.
Writing Tip for Today: When your writing plans are thwarted, see if you can sneak in some reading. Carry with you a small notebook to jot down plot points, character qualities or other ideas. Above all, don’t give up. Practice the 3 Ps: Practice, Patience, Persistence. Happy Easter to all.