Missing Mojo

 

Gonna try and rattle some bones and get my mojo back this week.  Photo copyright Lori Gravley. 

Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all.

–Charles Bukowski

In a week and a half, I’ll be getting a new kitchen.  But first I have to move my kitchen into a small space, pack away lots of extra stuff, demolish the old kitchen, and paint the walls down to a bare white canvas. 

Yeesh, why did I plan this for November?  

But honestly, this wouldn’t be a problem most years.  I’d make writing my priority and the other stuff would get done in my spare time. Now, the sun is down, and I haven’t yet written a single word. 

It has nothing to do with the stupid kitchen or my failed marriage, or the shingles virus that is still making me feel uncomfortable in my skin.  

It has to do with my missing mojo.  I’m just not feeling it. I haven’t felt it all year.  I feel like I’m just phoning it in without really feeling committed. And, insert favorite expletive(s) here, I’m tired of feeling this way.  

I know that sitting down to work even when I’m not feeling it is one way to invite the magic back. Honestly, I don’t believe in writer’s block, but I think that what I have had this year is writer’s block.  

Which is just an easier way to say this:

·     I’ve worked too much this year as I’ve tried to get myself into good financial shape for my impending dissolution. 

·     I’ve had low-level depression this year as I’ve grieved but not been able to truly move beyond my 28-year marriage. 

·     My support system has been weakened by all the travel I’ve done this year.  I’ve only been in town for 14 of the past 44 weeks. Some of the travel has been personal, but much of it has been work, and some of that work has been conducting training solo, which means I’m alone in the evenings.  That can be nice, but this year it’s been difficult. 

·      I have worked very hard at my writing for the past eight years, and I don’t have much to show for it.  I’m feeling frustrated by the limitations of traditional publishing, but I’m also not sure I want to branch out into self-publishing. 

So, this low writing energy makes sense, but I’m not going through this whole month complaining every day about how hard it is to write.  To combat this writer's block I'm going to implement some new habits this week to see if I can find some joy. 

Routines, exercise, and limiting social media are three frequent recommendations for overcoming writer’s block, so I’ve taken those suggestions and put them into this week's plan.  

1.  I’m going to solidify my morning routine and add an hour and a half of writing to it. Here’s what I do in the morning: coffee, journal, yoga, meditate, get dressed.  For the next week, that routine will be coffee, journal, yoga, meditate, write for 1.5 hours, get dressed.

2.  I’m going to spend at least 15 minutes each day working on a new Pinterest board for the new novel and the new world. 

3.  I will not get on Instagram or Facebook until after lunch or 12pm, whichever is later. 

4.  I will take a short walk after lunch (and an hour of social media) and then I will come back and write for another hour.  

5.  Writing comes first, chores come later.  

6.  I will make a reward chart and track my successes in the above on paper.  

7.  I will listen to the voices in my head. I think I’ve got some hidden critics making it through into my writing time, so I’ll try to shine a little light on them this week, so I can respond to them appropriately. 

I’ll let you know how I do next Sunday.  Oh, and another note about how to overcome writer’s block.  Choose a different project and work on that for a little while.  I’ve been doing that already this week.  Thank you for joining me.  

Now, time to write.