I have been writing online on WordPress for 7 years. Writing has become a habit and I don’t normally stop.
I know too well that a short break is fine, but if you take a lengthy hiatus, it’s more difficult to find the same momentum in writing again.
What happens if you find the writing goddess has suddenly withdrawn her inspiration? Of course this happens to me.
What do I do? I try to do things that make me feel good. I choose swimming most days, which contributes to my mental well-being. I also have coffee with friends outside the house. A strong support network is indispensable to my writing life.
However, sometimes, the office cat Billy wants to have his say, like this, just two days ago.
Billy is not the kind of cat with whom you can engage in a two-way conversation. He seems to win every time these days.
Billy used to be a runaway cat from South Miller’s Dale, who has caused a bit of havoc in Chandler’s Ford.
Now he is an office cat who acts like a CEO.
Sometimes you need time to contemplate
Sometimes you slow down, or need to shut down, as the events around you are overwhelming.
Just two weeks ago I was in Singapore visiting family over Christmas. My brother phoned me one early morning saying, “Sister, your country (Malaysia) has lost another plane. The third plane. Turn on the news now.” I thought it was a joke. I wished.
The Air Asia plane crash (Flight QZ8501) was heartbreaking. It is impossible not to be moved by the harrowing tales of loss of lives.
Now the atrocities in Paris have shocked you and me. It is impossible not to feel a deep sense of outrage and sadness.
Let’s kick start the new year with writing
I hope you’ve resumed some form of normality now in the new year, after a crazy festive Christmas.
I look forward to reading more of your posts on Chandler’s Ford Today in the next 12 months.
I would like to continue sharing what you see and what you discover in Chandler’s Ford, as you have done in the past year. I also like to see your views of the world through your lenses.
Do take a short break if you need to recharge, but do remember to come back, and remember to persevere.
You could try this experiment to keep Billy away from your work area. Just put a small empty cardboard box on one side. Billy will follow the cat instinct of sitting in the box – hence cat-free desktop
Have you not seen the size of Billy? I can’t find a big enough cardboard box!
This evening I was teaching online, and he decided to sit on my keyboard.
I think it is the warmth that he loves. Or perhaps Billy is trying to be a ghost writer.
Try the lid of an A4 paper box (the sort that contains several reams of paper). Most cats will squeeze into that space, but the sides are low enough for Billy to spill over the edge if necessary!