Such was the case for me at the end of 2017. I have a chronic illness, so I haven't been well for years, but at the end if 2017 things took a turn for the worse. Doctors discovered a diffuse brain tumour, one they couldn't do a lot about. I couldn't be fixed. I cannot be fixed.
But there were things that could be done to control the symptoms. The tumour is slow growing, very slow, so was not in immediate danger. But it was still impairing my brain activity, still causing it's own set of problems. Without going into the details, it's taken an entire year to get to the point where I can return to work. Return to writing.
As anyone who has been forced on medical leave can attest, returning to work after a long illness is difficult. Beyond difficult. It is never an easy process. But when you're a writer, working from home, there are a whole new set of challenges.
First, it's motivation. I don't have a boss. I don't have someone hanging over me demanding work get done. My editor doesn't care if I work or not. No one does, really. So just sitting at the computer and pounding out some actual words can be a challenge. Forcing creative work is, while not impossible, very difficult.
But once I'm at the computer, ready to write, then what? What words do I write? What story? Where was I in that cruddy novel I was writing more than a year ago? Can I continue with that novel? Start a new novel? What novel? I need an idea and I need it now. Hello...
So, while I wait for that idea to arrive, I'll blog. I have multiple blogs about multiple topics. Dogs, horses, paganism, I write about a lot of things. Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things with some blogging.
Maybe...
Wish me luck!
