Nobody Gives a Rip If You Forsake Your Writing (A Love Letter)
Go ahead, spend every free moment doom scrolling. Nobody cares. Seriously. Nobody does. It's all on you.
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Hi lovies,
I’m done being nice. So go ahead, doom scroll your life away. Who cares if you do that instead of your writing? Nobody. It’s your life. Waste it as you wish.
Don’t write today.
Don’t do any of your creative work today. Nope, none of it.
Because following every twist and turn of the twenty-four hour news cycle is much more important. Filling your head with toxic sludge is a service to the world. Who wants to read your writing, anyway?
I mean, what does it matter that your story will die when you do, unwritten, never to be told. So what that you’re the only one who can tell it. Doesn’t matter when compared to watching that news video that just dropped.
Your kids who have been asking you to write down your memories? They’re just humoring you.
Your readers who loved your last books and are clamoring for a new one? They’re not serious. Just emailing you to fill their time.
The nagging voice in your head that urges you to go back to the page? Squash it down.
And that other creative work you used to love to do? Same same.
None of your grandkids want to sleep under those gorgeous quilts you used to make.
Your husband doesn’t want to wear that amazing Fisherman knit sweater you haven’t quite finished.
And painting? Total waste of time.
Nobody cares if you start a garden this year.
Nope, noone.
Oh but wait.
I just remembered:
The taste of a ripe tomato from the garden on my tongue. And how maybe your granddaughter has never tasted anything but a store-bought one.
The joy of tucking hand-stitched quilt around a sleepy child.
How warm and cozy a hand-knit sweater feels on chilly winter day.
How stunning a room filled with original art is.
What a pleasure it is to hold the book you wrote in my hands.
But never mind. None of that’s important. Not really.
Nobody cares.1
Love, light, and good writing,
Charlotte
P.S. Hope you’ve had a good week. How’s your writing going? (Dare I ask?)
This Week’s Thing
I came across this quote recently:
“I choose to live in easy world, where everything is easy.” ~ Julia Rogers Hamrick
What would your life look like if you lived in easy world?
This week, before you sit down to write, or if you’re having a hard time during a writing session, repeat to yourself, this is easy, this is easy, this is easy. 99% of the time it will become so.
Give it a try.
Articles and Resources
My prompts for March are posted.
Nice piece from Jennifer Loudon on resistance though creativity.
Good article on writing scenes.
Books
The Bridge Kingdom, by Danielle L. Jensen. It’s time I admit I just don’t like epic fantasy. I love me some cozy fantasy but the other is not my thing. I started reading this novel and it’s quite good, well-written, good characters, interesting world. But something about it doesn’t resonate. Afraid it’s a DNF for me, but if you do like fantasy, give it a try.
Workshops in England and France
Life is crazy here (and everywhere in response). So why not shuck it all and go to England (think swans and the gorgeous garden in which they live and an ancient cathedral with sort of magical Evensongs and a high street bursting with people of all ages and dogs and pubs with fish and chips and mushy peas) to write for a week? I think it’s an excellent idea and I’ll be there to hang out with you. Tons of info, including dates and cost is here. England is easy because they speak the language. Ish.
But there’s also France coming up! We may not speak their language but as long as you give it a whirl (Bon jour is easy to say) you’ll be fine. Find out more on our France page. And seriously, give it a thought. We’d love to have you accompany us for either workshop.
And if you want a taste of the adventure that awaits with our overseas workshops, you can read my posts about this year here, and here, here, here, and here.
Other places to connect with me:
My website (badly in need of an upgrade)
Our workshop website
My original blog (now for archive purposes only, no longer updated, but damn there are a lot of articles on it)
Except me. I do care. I so want to read your words out in the world. So please humor me and get back to the page.
Still writing. Have chosen a couple of well respected journalists to keep myself abreast of the news. I do think we need to be informed of global events. But in a considered way. Like my substack scroll - it is timed to last a cup of coffee. But I always write first with a cup of tea! Then write again by second breakfast!
Message received!