Where do you go to, my lovely? Ten remedies for the writing blues, by Deborah Jenkins

 What do you do when you're frustrated about writing or life? Do you have certain places you go to? Are there a number of things you do? What helps?

There are peculiar and unique things we writers face from time to time - writers' block, writers' back, edits, query letters, research, rejections, rewrites, to name a few. Then there are the things many people put up with - document loss, laptop death, internet issues, chocolate lack. Then there is just life - family worries, job stress, health. You know how it goes...

Last week, I was walking in the nature reserve behind our house, one of my go-to places when things get sticky. It was a pastel coloured day. Naked trees punched holes in a sky hung with snow. A walkway curved ahead. The air had that smoky smell that comes from mud and wood and dying things. It was cold.

Yet, it was soothing to smell the air, hear birds, feel the regular thud of my walking boots on wood. These things help me to settle restless emotions and obsessive thoughts. It's as if they release me. I am able to see the bigger picture and put things in better perspective. A line from a song shot into my head, 'Where do you go to, my lovely?' This is one of the places I go.

It got me thinking about writing problems in particular. Where do we go when things go wrong for us? What do we do? Here are some of the things that help me. Please add to the list in the comments below. You may do something the rest of us have never thought of...

• A walk where you watch the natural world very carefully and whisper observations in your head (moving leaves, pastel sky, bird...) Otherwise, if you're like me, your mind goes back to its troubles
• Encourage another writer. When I feel despondent about my own writing, it helps me to turn those feelings outwards. Who could do with a positive comment on a post, or a share? Who could I send a personal message to? How could I express interest in someone's writing? The positive responses that come back always make me feel better
• Gather a few close writer friends into a small network or two. Tell them you're struggling and share why. A problem shared is...a smaller problem
• Give yourself some slack. It's a difficult world to be part of, this writing life, and we can be notoriously hard on ourselves. Read for a bit, bake something, listen to a cracking programme on BBC Sounds, get your Spring pots ready - whatever you like to do. Distance from your writing problem always helps.
• Read any reviews/positive comments/other feedback you've had about your writing. They will remind you that others appreciate your work and this will encourage you to keep going
• Try a little cleaning or ironing. This will remind you that however bad the writing life gets, it's better than this ;)
• Read a few well known writers' bios to find commonality with other greats! E.g. Mary Wesley had her first novel published at 70, Dr Seuss had his first book rejected 27 times, Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination
• Watch a film to inspire you about writing. If you can't think of one, you could read my post from May 2019 for some ideas
• Choose a character from a favourite book and speak like them to your family and friends for a few hours. Just cos it's fun ('My only love sprung from my only hate. Tis early to cook but I don't want to eat late'. Juliet)
• Find an inspirational quote and rewrite it: If at first you don't succeed, lie on the floor and eat raspberries (I actually did this the other day and it was strangely therapeutic looking at artex from a different angle. N.B.....and blow raspberries would also work here.

Best of all, remind God you feel He has called you to write. Ask Him to encourage you. Then keep your eyes peeled for answers. The next day I received a lovely email about my writing but  (unbelievably) it wasn't until the day after, that I remembered my prayer.

" I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.' Jeremiah 29:11, The Message

So, where do you go to, my lovely? 

Click on the link to see the novella on amazon

Deborah Jenkins is a primary school teacher and freelance writer who has written articles, text books, devotional notes and short stories. She writes regularly for the tes. She has also completed a novella, The Evenness of Things, available as an Amazon e-book. She is currently seeking a publisher for her recently finished novel, Braver, and for three children's stories. Deborah loves hats, trees and small children. After years overseas with her family, who are now grown up, she lives in Sussex with her husband, a Baptist minister, and a cat called Oliver