The Things That Feed Me Take Me Away From My Writing (A Love Letter)

Seeking balance is a constant quest

Photo by Henrique Felix on Unsplash

Hey lovies,

Last week I had three lunches out; two with friends and one with my sister recently back from Costa Rica. I relished all of these lunch dates. The food (especially at the lunch with my sister at the best sandwich shop in town) fed my need for physical nourishment and the conversation fed my need for emotional and intellectual nourishment.

But man did all those appointments (and several evenings out) wreak havoc with my writing schedule. It takes time to drive to the restaurant, eat and talk, and drive home. And try as I might to be diligent before and after dates and appointments, I have a difficult time with transitions. Do you? I spend too much time anticipating the lunch (a lot of thought gets wasted on logistics) and afterwards my brain is so full I fritter time away while I process things.

And there’s also this: last week on Sunday, I’d spent a happy morning doing weekend stuff, doing my favorite crossword puzzle as I lingered over breakfast, Going to Michael’s with my daughter since I’d attended a jewelry class with friends the day before and of course I had to buy more stuff to make, hanging out. I was okay doing this because I’d reserved the afternoon for work. I like getting a headstart on the week, and at the moment I am blessed with a plethora of manuscripts to read. Plus there’s the Artist’s Way lesson to post each week and an agenda for the zoom gathering to put together.

But then my almost-twelve-year-old-but-really-more-like-thirteen granddaughter texted me. I’m not going to screenshot our conversation to protect her privacy but it went like this:

Hey can I come over at three for a while?

?

Please

I can ride my bike down

Please :) :) :) :) :)

Please?

Hellooooo

(Lest you think I ignoring her, such was not the case. That whole stream came through within seconds.)

I saved this image from this site: https://www.vox.com/23042796/bluey-disney-plus-bandit-imagination. Pretty sure Vox and Disney are not going to mind the publicity.

So, of course, she came down. We went through all my jewelry and she took an armload of my bracelets. We watched Bluey which I had never seen and adored. She ate microwave Annie’s Mac and Cheese and took all the gummy sharks and chocolate I hide stash for grandchildren in the drawer of my air fryer.

And I did not get a lick of work done.

But, oh how her visit fed me.

And that’s the paradox of writing. You need a life full of experiences in order to have something to write about yet enjoying those experiences leaves little time to write.

I know what the answer is before I even pose the question, and I think we all know the question but I’ll ask it anyway. How do we balance writing and all the other things that happen in life?

I did something a little different this week. I asked this question on Substack Notes, not really expecting anything, but I got some great replies. Here they are:

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“I see it’s a bit like breathing..you inhale and then you exhale..you write and then you let go. Then come back again next time. I remind myself that my job is to show up to write. After I’m done, it’s time to go. I told the universe to send the words to me if it’s so important but I’m not putting my life on hold, waiting for them :)” Aishwarya Rajan.

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“Always ask yourself, “What’s really important?” This helps me align my actions with my goals and make more conscious, loving decisions about how I spend my time.” Daria Diaz, Wellgevity Warrior

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“I find it helpful to think of myself as a sponge. I can only squeeze out what I've gained. What comes out is my own unique mix of the thoughts and experiences I've internalized. Without reading, I have nothing to write. But at the same time, if I don't squeeze it out, I become too clogged up to effectively take in any more. I have to find myself in there before I can process more.” Michael Krantz, Chiapas Missions

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“Tough one- I guess there is time for experiences and then time for writing. You can’t have everything at once.” Liza Debevec, Sharing Secrets (And Other Useful Stuff)

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“I’ve come to accept that there is no day-to-day balance. Some days I do more writing, and some days other things take priority. Maybe the key is to think of it in larger swaths of time - a month, maybe, or a year at a time - and ask if we are writing enough to feed our souls, or if perhaps it’s time to demand the time we need for it.” Stephanie Dethlefs, Writing From the Ground Up

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Thanks, guys.

And here is my answer. I’m teaching the Artist’s Way and this quote from Julia Cameron jumped out at me in last week’s lesson:

“Creativity happens in the moment, and in the moment we are timeless.”

That’s it, isn’t it? Staying in the moment, whether you are experiencing things or writing about them is the key.

Love, light, and good writing,

Charlotte

P.S. What is your take on all of this?

P.P.S. Please do go investigate all the other SS’s I featured here.

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Free Class on Writing Dynamic Scenes!

My business partner Debbie Guyol and I are offering a two-part zoom class on writing scenes. Here’s the scoop.

Mondays at 5 PM Pacific, March 17^th and 24^th

We are excited to present this two-part class to give you an opportunity to see how our workshops work. BUT this is not a sales pitch. We will be presenting helpful information on writing scenes.

--Review elements of scene

--Discuss what a scene should do

--Talk about what a scene should not do

--A brief discussion of the concept of the sequel

At the end of the first workshop, we’ll give you an assignment to write a scene that you will send to us and the members of the class. During the second session, we’ll review and discuss your scenes, workshop style. Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle.

To register and receive the zoom link, please email Charlotte at chardixon@comcast.net with SCENE CLASS in the subject line. (Or you can reply to this newsletter.) Please do join us!

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Books

I am still on the search for a fantasy novel that will grip me the way some of my fav cozy fantasies have. So far that hasn’t happened, but I remain hopeful. Here are some titles I have ordered or taken from the library. We’re going to the beach this weekend with family and despite the fact that I’ll be there with all five of my grandchildren I am hopeful I will get lots of reading time in. Uh-huh, right.

The Awakening, by Nora Roberts. Every once in awhile I pick up one of her books to see why she’s so popular. This is a fantasy and I’m currently reading it. According to the cover blurb and reviews, our heroine Breen eventually gets to a magical land through a portal in Galway, Ireland. But I’m interested in how long it takes the author to get Breen there. First we must go through a lot of ordinary day stuff. And yet I keep reading. Jury is out.

The Courting of Bristol Keats, by Mary E. Pearson. This is one I hope to read or at least start this weekend. As Bristol and her siblings struggle to support themselves, they receive word that an aunt wants to help. This leads Bristol to face a world of gods and fae and monsters. Fingers crossed this is a fantasy I’ll like.

The River Has Roots, by Amal El-Mohtar. Don’t tell her, but I got this for my daughter-in-law for her birthday. I think I’m going to get myself a copy, too. It’s billed as a comforting fairy-tale and a love story. And from reading the sample, I can see the writing is lyrical.

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Resources

Archetypes of resistance. Where do you fit in?

RIP, Susan DeFreitas. I was so stunned and sad to read of her death. I knew she had brain cancer but I thought she was beating it. I’ve taken several of her classes and recommended her articles here often.

Feel like you’ve messed up your writing? Never fear. Sometimes you have to go there to finish.

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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.

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Other places to connect with me:

Buy my books

My coaching website

Instagram

Threads

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)

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