It’s been a tough week. I’m a carer for my 90-year-old mother whose health took a sudden and inexplicable turn for the worse this week. After hospital visits, home visits, a gazillion tests and a referral to a consultant geriatrician, we still don’t have a conclusive picture of exactly what happened and why.
The only thing we know for sure is that it was deemed wise to cancel a much-looked-forward-to cruise around the British Isles that both of us (and two other family members) had been looking forward to for the last six months.
I haven’t been doing a whole lot of writing this week, but I have been reading. I’ve been reading inspiring non-fiction, and my ultimate ‘comfort book’ novel that I’ve read a hundred times before (details below as always).
I’ve been reading in waiting rooms (while kind nurses brought me cups of tea), and hospital cafeterias, and curled up on the sofa while my mum sleeps.
I’ve been reading because I’ve learned, over a lifetime as a serious bookworm, that it’s really hard to worry yourself into a giant mental health hole while simultaneously following a story in your head. I’ve been reading because it’s a coping mechanism with no negative side effects (beyond tired eyes). I’ve been reading because the written word can be powerful and magical, and wonderfully distracting, no matter what you’re going through.
So what I’m tasking you with this week isn’t anything that challenging. Just take some time to think about some writing you’re working on, or that you’d like to work on soon, from that perspective. Think about how you can craft a story – fiction or non-fiction – that will distract and comfort a future reader in a time of need.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
This Science-Based Focus Routine Tripled My Writing Productivity by
Why I Swapped Mainstream Publishing for Indie Publishing by
Twelve tiny changes that will transform your writing within 24 hours by Alex Mathers
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: The Art of Laziness and Pride and Prejudice
Watching: Very little (it doesn’t distract me the same way reading does)
Enjoying: A free universal healthcare system
Not enjoying: Hospital visits and the accompanying anxiety
This week’s Medium posts
These went live this week, but were written the previous one. As I say, not much writing got done this week (except for client work - I learnt this week that apparently I never let my clients down, even when I’m having a family crisis). These are friend links, as always, so you can read for free:
I Make Good Money From My Self-Published Book: But almost none of it comes from book sales
Three Financial Moves that Have Helped Me Deal with Cash Flow Issues
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Hi Karen. I’m at a critical point with a manuscript for a novel that I originally wrote 2/2021. Then shelved it for 3 years. (At 11,400 words) I’m now up to a bit over 23k and those changes began happening only this past March. As a writer, I’ve learned the hard way, reader first. And I was inspired by your article and mentioning consider the words we write and how they might be able to comfort another.
I’ve recently set my novel aside due to frustrations with a developmental editor and lack of forward movement. I basically paid 550- and I don’t feel I received value for it.
But reading your words has given me a spark of hope which I intend to marinate on within my subconscious. I’ve received many positive responses from those who’ve read some of it, including the editor I worked with. But the creativity needs to come from “me,” to make it work.
Thanks again for the valuable insight. 🙏🏼 And it didn’t cost me $550-. I will be trying to get into a better habit of reading here on Substack. I’ve had to tone down my reading list for a more narrow focus overall. But I’m glad to be a subscriber to your publication.
Best to you!
~k . . .
Many thanks for the shout out x