When your writing hits the pause button
As an accountability coach for a writer my job is to keep the writer focused.
Some writers use the words per page metric. Stephen King writes 2,000 words a day. Come rain or shine or even his birthday, he writes 2,000 words.
Some writers use the egg timer method. They set their egg timer for 20 minutes and write. They don't stop to think, they write for 20 minutes. They then stand up and walk around the house and return resetting the 20-minute clock.
I usually fall between the two of these methods. I'm trying to write between 300-500 words per day. And I've been doing that for a while.
But, sometimes you hit pause. This week I hit the pause button twice.
Tuesday was my birthday. I've always considered it a national holiday and except for one year, I have never worked on my birthday. I figure it's the only day out of the year that's mine and therefore should be all about me.
This year when folks asked what I wanted I was quite honest rather than giving that, "oh nothing answer". Being a week after Christmas birth child I always felt folks left one of their holiday gifts aside to give to me on my birthday, so I usually try to have an answer for "What do you want"! This year I wanted sunshine and two senators.
Wow! I was rewarded for my dream.
Tuesday was a gorgeous sun-filled day, with frost on the trees, and sun! Glorious. The two senators took a little more time to be delivered, but yes! I got two senators. If you don't ask you don't receive right.
The second pause button was hit yesterday.
I have lived through JFK's assassination, 911, but yesterday afternoon I had tears silently falling from my eyes. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that our nation's capitol building was under siege.
I hit pause.
I had no words that could inspire or be a balm to the HEART DREAMS of so many who have been in those halls building a more perfect union. Both my sons texted me "Love you Mom". They knew I would be broken.
Now I don't know if Stephen King wrote his 2000 words yesterday. I assume he did, but all writers hit a day when the universe we live in gets a little off-kilter and we need to hit pause.
And, I as my accountability coach knew today that I would start again. I would share with the world the authoring of my life.
Do you have days that you need to hit pause?
What do you do to start again?
How do you stay motivated in your work?
Hugs. Be Safe. You Matter.
Mary Helen
