You Picked a Fine Time to Post This

 

I used to post every Monday.

 

 

Then I switched to Wednesdays.

Sundays were open for the occasional Thought Bubble.

Pfft. Occasional. That’s funny.

Point is, I had a schedule. It cut down on the stress of blogging. (Anyone who blogs, no matter how much they love it, knows there’s a certain amount of stress that goes with the blogging territory.)

You have a day or two or whatever and that is when you post.

Your readers know when to expect you. It’s what you’re supposed to do…

But that’s not why I did it. I had specific days I posted because it fit in nicely with my schedule OCD. I liked it.

But I don’t have a prompt or a series.

If something interesting happens in my life, I write about it. Sometimes, when the scheduled day comes along to publish, it’s not relevant anymore. So it sits here. Wasted words. Such a shame.

What if…? No…

But…

What if I posted whenever I felt like it? *gasp* Besides potentially annoying readers, what harm could it do?

I decided the answer was “none”.

So, at least for now, I’m posting whatever day I decide to write and hit ‘publish’.

 

Watch out. The Lemon Shark is going to show up when you least expect it.

Writing that just made me feel queasy. Also… free.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

 

When do you post? Do you post whenever you feel like it? Do you have certain days? Do you ever deviate from your schedule?

 

 

I Need to Get the Hell out of My Own Way

 

I walked away from writing.

 

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

But I ran back—characters shouting in my head and fingers itching for the keyboard.

I need to write.

Without it, I am incomplete. I am miserable.

So why am I not writing? To be fair, I’ve started flash fiction again. But I’ve stopped there.

I’m not taking a scene or idea and running with it. I’m not working on any of my novels. What’s going on?

Well, I’m busy. My health isn’t great. My to-do list is growing every day. I have deadlines, meetings, and appointments. Did I mention kids? Because. Kids. I have a lot going on in my life right now.

When it comes to writing, I always have an excuse ready. Except I call it a “reason” because I’m a word nerd and these small differences often wind up making a big difference.

Excuses are crap, my writer-self says.

Reasons are real, tangible things that get in my way, my writer-self says.

I hate to admit it but it’s true. Think about this. You MAKE excuses, you HAVE reasons. See? My writer-self is right. Also, she’s full of shit.

I need to get out of my own way.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

 

Have you ever caused your writer’s block? Been your own problem? Are your “reasons” just excuses in disguise? 

 

Reduce Your Stress by Leaving Your Smartphone ON

 

Whether you’re having a full-blown panic attack or simply feeling a bit overwhelmed, you could stand to get rid of some stress in your life. I just know it.

Many articles I read suggest the same thing: unplug.

They advocate silencing your phone, getting rid of your apps, turning off alerts.

So here’s what I’m doing: I’m keeping everything and keeping it on.

Turning all these off makes me anxious. I worry whether that appointment is today and, if so, what time it is and, crap, what if I’m late because we’re playing Boggle. What if I miss that call, text, or email I’ve been waiting for?

If I set my phone up to check my email, guess what I’m not doing? If I set it up to alert me an hour before an appointment, I can be in the moment because I won’t be watching the clock. It gives me peace of mind.

Am I relying too much on my phone? You bet. But, for now, it’s working.

There are times I need a break—I mute my phone or turn it off completely. I get it. I really do. But, sometimes, reducing my stress means not unplugging.

 

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.