Today, I was told I graduated. Really, it was my last follow-up appointment for my ACL repair surgery. It’s hard to believe it’s been six months, and yet not that hard to believe. I’ve definitely come a long way in my recovery and thinking about that brings to mind the many other things I’ve learned this year regarding writing.
Honestly, I should’ve seen the writer’s block coming. Mainly, this is because of an interview of Daniel Negreanu I saw years ago. Someone asked him how he maintains his mental stamina for the World Series of Poker. If you’re not aware, the W.S.O.P. Events kick off in the mornings and will run until the wee hours of the night. So, it’s not unheard of for a player to be at the table for fourteen hours or more in the day. Negreanu mentioned that regular exercise helps one have better focus at the table. Like poker, writing is a sedentary activity. Unlike poker, it’s also very solitary, so that physical activity link with mental health is key. When I was relegated to hobbling around on crutches and in pain, it never should have surprised me for writer’s block to set in.
Luckily, I had snagged the 2018 Romance Writers of America recordings from my local chapter and there were two sessions that helped immensely. The first recommended a 20-minute rule to get back into the swing of my story. The other session featured another writer’s personal story of struggle. That story reminded me of one of my first bosses who sadly passed away twenty years ago. She always said to me, “Karen, we have no problems.” No matter what stressful, problem-riddled situation we were dealing with, she forced me to keep that perspective. Listening to this other writer’s struggle made me think of Babs and keep in mind, I “had no problems.” The story I was working on seemed to have dried up, but it eventually came back.
So, writer’s block is a real thing, but I got through it. Hence, my view of ‘not believing’ in writer’s block has changed. It exists, but like any other challenge in life, it has to be dealt with and I learned or re-learned some tools for defeating it.
I think that sums up what I’ve learned this year. Stay tuned for my 2020 goals blog post. That will come soon since the bloody year will be over soon! One thing is for sure. My goals for next year won’t be word oriented.