A Writer’s Reset

                                                                                               

 By Tammy Karasek

 

This summer flew by much like a car at the race track—fast and furious. My summer writing schedule arrived in much the same way—many projects and with near simultaneous due dates.

What’s a writer to do?

I have a couple thoughts on that question I hope will both equip and encourage you when you find your current writing schedule ready to overflow.

• First, breathe. Take a slow breath in, close your eyes and let the breath release as you take your time counting down from ten to one.

• Next, pray for God to show you what writing projects are due first. In my case, I had several due within the same week. Now what?

• Break the submissions down by size. If you have a large project due on Tuesday of the week, plus a small one Wednesday and another even smaller due on Friday, rethink your schedule. Do the least time-consuming first, then the next and follow last with the big project. Hear me out. Faced with a week like that in the past, I would work on the largest project first, all the while worrying about the other two. I tried this a couple weeks ago. I took those small pieces, completed, then submitted them. Once I removed them from  my task list, I was able to focus on the more involved work. No stress involved and my writing was more laser-focused on all three of the submissions.

• Change your office for the summer. If you sit at your desk in its own room, closet, or corner, pack up a few necessities you use as you write and change your writing address. Refresh and reset your mind for great work. It doesn’t matter if you move to a different location within your home or you decide to find a special coffee or tea shop to set up a couple mornings or evenings of the week. When you change where you work, it gives your brain stimulation and newness to work that large muscle. A little change can make your focus better and rid your mind of the distractions at home for a bit.

• If you leave your office, at the end of summer, assess what you missed about your office and what you enjoyed about the new spot. I did my assessment after the month of June. I found my office had become too cluttered with little items sitting on a couple surfaces that were growing, but I had become oblivious to them. Items I’d needed to give a quick bit of attention, but instead I’d set them aside for another day. Hmm, I wonder when another day will arrive?

All of the above items are meant to have you walk away from your office or writing space, and have an open mind if that spot is your best work space.

 Once you find the issues that hinder your focus, change them. Do you need a big clean-out of clutter? Could your room use a rearrangement of furniture so you have sun near your face for some Vitamin D? 

I told my husband my issue was I needed to move to a different house. He smiled. Then pointed to the clutter and said, “Try to put all that away first and see what happens.” Sigh.

Only you will know what reset you need for your writing area, schedule, and focus. Most issues can be fixed if you take the time to step back, step away for a bit, and see what stands out for attention. You can do this. I recommend that you do.

The above are not the only items to assist the busy writer in a much needed reset, what else would you add?

 Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

 Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out!

 

When not writing Rom-Com, she’s The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for a couple best-selling authors. Her work was published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and others. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.