Swimmin' in a Pool of Writing Funk Gunk

 

Wayyyyyy back in the day, I was in a Blog Chain with several other amazing authors. Basically, someone would choose a topic for the chain and we’d all post our take on it and link to each other. I was going back through a bunch of old posts and came across this one…which is very timely considering the writing funk I am currently in. The question asked was:

When you're in a pool of writing funk, how do you get out?

My response (slightly tweaked to reflect my current status):

This question is horribly timely as I am currently trying to hose off the gunk of the funk as we speak. Now, first of all, I need to point out that it is not my writing that gets me funky. Oh sure, when the rejections pour in, it dampens my mood a bit. And mostly because I get those “good” rejections; the ones that say “you are a great writer and this is a great story, it’s just not quite right for us right now.” It’s harder to be that close and not quite make it. My favorite was when one of my dream agents told me “it’s not you, it’s me.” Had me rolling on the ground.

(Update: I now have the most amazing agent on the planet. Absolutely worth the wait!)

Anyhow, my writing funks tend to happen as a side effect to what is going on in my Real Life. Writer’s block never lasts for long. I just work on something else or go do a load of dishes. I always get GREAT ideas when I’m doing dishes. But if I’ve been cooped in the house with the kids for months on end with no break, or if I’m stressed over anything else going on in my life, or just not feeling well…..my Real Life funk spills over into writing territory and becomes (dunh dunh duuuunh) WRITING FUNK.

How do I get out of it, you ask? I take a writing break. I read…a LOT. I will usually pick one of my favorite series and will read all the way through. Or find a new series and just let myself enjoy reading for a few days without the guilt of knowing I should be working on my own books. I am working on keeping my breaks to a few days, but most of the time, they will last several weeks. And occasionally longer. Sometimes I just really need that reset.

I also load up on romcoms and British comedies. Two of my favorite British comedies are the shows Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous. I love watching movies like Fools Gold and The Holiday and Pure Luck. When I get in a funk, I want to laugh. Here are a couple clips of my favorite funnies for you (if I figure out how to post the video, I'll change it from the links) :) …

Absolutely Fabulous
Vicar of Dibley

And of course, my wonderful friends are great at pulling me out when I’m about to go under. I start sending out hordes of desperate messages. My weekly chat sessions with my writing bestie and collab partner Lisa Rayne, and my monthly chats with Lexi Post and our other writer buddies help SO much. Talking things out with peeps who understand the pain is incredibly helpful.

When things are really really bad, I tend to shut down a bit, stay away from everything and everyone, and that is when the hordes of messages start coming my way. I don’t know how I ever got through the day without my writing family. They are a true Godsend.

And of course, a daily funny fix from some choice memes always help….here are a few of my favorites….