One Tough Theme from Jody Feldman

Hmm. I’ve been having a tough time finding a response to Getting Through Tough Times, this month’s theme. When I’m writing a book, it’s always tough—effortless reading comes only through effortful writing.

On the other hand, it’s never tough. This is the life I’ve chosen. This is what I want to do. This is what I crave when I’m on a break.

On a break. On a break?
Okay. Got it! The writing is hard. The writing is challenging, but my toughest times come when I’m not writing.

It’s never a case of writer’s block. I don’t believe in it for me.
I always have a great many ideas.
I am always capable of writing a sentence in a character’s voice.
There are always words to be typed.
But when I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to work on next, I am capable of spending hours, days, weeks on not-writing.

I’ll wake up with good intentions. I’ll muse about characters or plotlines. I’ll weigh the advantages of working on one project over another. Then I’ll just play one game of this ...

And maybe three each of these ...

Then figure out how to waste more time. I am a pro at that.

I used to beat myself up over spending so much time accomplishing nothing ... until ...

Until I realized that this slacker time is actually time well spent. I am not not-writing. I am regrouping. I am regenerating. I am re-energizing. I am taking this time to remember how much I love my job.