Thursday, February 24, 2011

One of Those

All members of the human race have them.  One of those weeks.  Then something happens to pick you up and get you back on track.  I slowed down this week after a visit to my elderly mother.  It's difficult to see her slowly fading into confusion.  Her world shrinks as her health issues grow.  It took me a few days to get back on track writing after pounding out almost 25K in the last five weeks.


Over the course of the last few days, I caught up on earlier seasons of a few of my favorite shows.  My daughter and I share a love of the USA network show, White Collar.  I think she loves it for Matt Bomer's blue eyes, and they are amazing, but I like watching a crime show where the crimes have to be solved by outsmarting some really clever thieves.  There are only occasional dead bodies.  We watching all of Season One.

Another show I discovered last year is FX's Justified. It has the clever dialogue and Raylin Givens is a modern day gunfighter masquerading as a federal marshal.  I grew up loving all those great western shows and Clint Eastwood movies.  I haven't watched the entire season yet, because I'm finally back on the WIP.  I also intend to catch up with my blogger friends I ignored for a few days.

So does anything throw you off stride from your writing routines?  What get you back on track? What is the longest you've ignored your writing or blogging?

14 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Haven't ignored my blogging yet, but I sometimes go several days without touching my current work. Need to just focus on it. And sorry about your mom. My parents are growing older and it's tough.

Cate Masters said...

So sorry to hear about your mom, Susan. We recently went through that with both my parents and my husband's parents. I'll be thinking of you in times ahead.
Travel throws off my writing, and too much stress makes it difficult to focus sometimes. But writing's an escape hatch into a place away from reality, so it's a good place to go.

JEM said...

I looooove White Collar! Family stuff always throws me off my game, but so does my own laziness. I'm sorry about your mom, but I'm glad you've got writing to give you a mental vacation (at least, that's what I use it for).

Cheryl Klarich said...

Susan, prayers for you and your mom.

Thanks for the tv show recommendations- I love good television, especially since the advent of u-verse; I love recording and fast forwarding throught the commercials!

The cyber world gets on quite well without me!! so I feel free to leave it when I need too. Breaks can be healthy. :) Blessings!

Golden Eagle said...

I'm sorry to hear about your mom.

The longest I've ignored my writing or blogging? Never more than a week, especially not with my writing--I try to do that every day, even if it's only a sentence. Or half a sentence.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

The parent thing is tough. I'm getting back on schedule with my blogging and wrote over a thousand words today and it's not over yet.

Helen Ginger said...

I'm a routine person, I admit. If I get out of my routine, it's difficult to get back on it.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom.

Abby Minard said...

So sorry about your mother. My mother is going through the same thing with my grandmother.

I took a week off of blogging after New Years, and it was nice to get things done. I've just recently cut down my blogging so I can get everything else done I need to- revising, playing with my daughter, work, cleaning. I feel out of the loop with blogging, but something has to be sacrificed.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

My whole life is throwing off my groove!

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I'm sorry about your mom, too, Sue. :(

I don't want to talk about how long I've ignored my writing OR my blogging. LOL

I love White Collar for the same reasons you do! And your daughter. LOL Do you watch Leverage? It's very clever, too.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Yes, Natalie, we have a love affair with Leverage also. LOL
Diane, I should have known that about you. Spunk! says it all.
I have trouble getting back in the routine too, Helen. I'm trying.
Having a little one makes it extra tough, Abby.

Cheryl Reif said...

Family trauma--even when it's something minor like grumpy kids in the AM--can definitely throw me off my writing game. Sorry you're struggling right now. It helps if I write first thing in the day, before the rest of life intrudes (altho that requires rising early, which is tough to do when you're stressed!) and it helps if I can write a little every day, so I can jump into my WIP when opportunity arises.

And BTW, I just discovered White Collar and am REALLY enjoying it--watched the first three episodes this week. It felt positively decadent :)

Anonymous said...

I took basically a month off beginning around Christmas through much of January. I really needed the break. But I'm back and rocking and rolling now.

Anonymous said...

I've almost gone a week without blogging since I became regular with it. That was difficult, but a friend was in town to be with me for the week and I didn't want to put him aside to do the posts.

I am sporadically working on my novel now, and also a short story. With the novel, I'm editing and I haven't been doing it every day as I wish I would. The short is getting worked on as ideas come.

With my life in a huge flux right now, recently divorced and also recently finding new love, I find making time for my wip's a little difficult, but never far away. I think I'm almost back on track now.

You're always posing very interesting questions. Thanks :)