Ok, ready? Truth One, the one that might get me a poke in the eye, especially from my writer friends.
I don’t get writer’s block. Ever.
It just doesn’t happen to me. When I’ve got a blank sheet of paper and enough elbow room in life, I can always find something to say. (If you know me, you will find this unsurprising.) It has been a gift in my writing life, I can literally pick up a pen if I get four and a half minutes and carry on where I left off. I called it Micro-writing and it’s kind of my special power. If you’ve ever read any of my stuff, then that’s how it got into your hands. Tens of thousands of micro-writing sessions.
Now for the twist. The first truth was a lie, sort of. The reason I haven’t written anything on my Work In Progress (Cady 2 if you’re interested) is because of that little fact of ‘life elbow room’ I mentioned before. Regulars to this page and Writewipe regulars will know that I’m one of the carers for my daughter who has a vanishingly rare genetic condition. For non-regulars, I’ll link to other posts. The Coles notes version is that her condition gives her weak muscles including in her chest. This is why any of your friends with SEND kids love Flu Season (dun, dun, duhhhh!)
This Flu Season (just imagine the noise every time), a day ago, we took both kids for their second Covid jab. Went swimmingly. I love you NHS and all your little elves. Then in the afternoon, THE SNOT started. So much snot. World of snot. Snotopolis.
Rookies in this situation would panic, but this is not our first rodeo, so we calmly rolled up our sleeves, and Operation Wipealot, began. So far, was so good. However, also followers of our world will know that: nothing is ever that easy. We put everyone to bed, with a round of nebulising and physio to the youngest and check on them every couple of hours. But here, gentle readers is the rub: it is unlikely to be Covid. Snot, not a symptom of that ever-giving bastard, largely. But even if it isn’t, that doesn’t mean it won’t get more serious super quick (we had a fortnight on HDU the year we fell for that one). So lots more testing of temps and hoping that it is, just a cold. And if it is more than a cold, we can’t go for our respite break to the Hospice (waiting since summer, cancelled twice for various reasons no-one could help) and we’re desperate for the break. Like Walking Dead levels of exhausted. So my brain is everywhere. Can I keep together the plot of an appealing who-dunnit, to twist and terrify, delight and befuddle my long-suffering readers? No, can I bollocks.
Is that writer’s block? Well. no. Not really, I’m writing this, aren’t I? But is it something shared by all my Writer/Carer buddies at SWAN_UK and around the world? You bet your ass it is. (If you’re one of those *and* you get writer’s block, I’m so sorry, ‘Ow!’ please stop poking me.)
Ok, last truth. It’s your last chance to grab my Sci-Fi Fantasy short, which features Ixxy, the Space Pirate Hobbit! Ixxy and the Net is currently 99c/p/e from all good booksellers. Linky here. books2read.com/u/bzd2Gj End of October 31st, like the spirits of the night before, it will vanish!
So till next time, wish us luck, or if you don’t believe in that, or anything, then buy the book! All the best x
