I have been getting email notifications about my blog account. Most of the time I don't read them, but I did get curious and stop by to see what was going on, but nothing major.
It's been a very long time since I have posted anything on this blog. I've been on a writing hiatus for one reason or another, but I recently got back on X (Twitter) and met a new author who has been asking me a lot of questions.
One of the first ones was: After putting so much into bringing a story to life, what’s one thing about being an author that turned out to be completely different from what you expected?
My answer was almost immediate. That having an autoimmune disease dictates when you write.
The next question was: Has it changed the way you approach your writing, or have you found a way to adapt your process around it?
Now, this was a complete stranger to me, but then again, any time I put something up here, a complete stranger will be reading it, and I didn't really want to get into details, but I will here.
My Fibromyalgia, fluid on my brain, extreme anxiety and sever depression hinder my every day life so much it's sometimes difficult to work in any other pattern or routine. Not to mention, I've recently discovered I have ADHD and wow has that made so much sense!
My writing has been so on and off, inconsistent, that building up a following has been hard. I have stories sitting here on my computer and a crap ton in my head. I write down what I can in notebooks and such, but more often than not, I'm seeking out comfort and peace.
Some of my stories get pretty damn dark and when I get into that headspace, it tends to mess with my depression. Of course, I'm on medication and I do therapy. I heal loudly so others won't die silently. But it's a lifelong journey and process that is an emotional rollercoaster sometimes. Plus, I'm a craftsperson. I make all kinds of things. I have to create or I get really down in that deep, dark pit.
The next question was: Do you find that your best writing days come unexpectedly?
VERY! Sometimes it is the weirdest thing that kick starts my muse. And it brings me back to my blog. I used to feel so guilty and ashamed that I couldn't crank out blogs or books like so many authors in my writing circle. I've gotten to the point where I just accept when and where the muse hits.
The conversation went on from there to talking about the cost of the book, getting it out to the right audience and the struggles that go along with it.
The one thing that a lot of people don't realize is it isn't just a monetary cost to get your book out there, obviously. However, money is a huge factor, even more so as prices keep rising on our basic necessities. When you have to choose between bills, try to figure out dinner on a budget, all of it, it's a huge obstacle for a writer who has a story to get out.
For me, I have a lot of friends who work with me. If I need editing, we work out a plan so that we are both getting paid for our work. I know everyone can't stand AI, which, I have issues with so much crap being put out there and that the data centers are the worst thing for our environment since electric cars, but don't get me started! I use AI for covers, I use it to create junk journal pages, but I will never, ever write a story with it. It's an option for those who know how to use it, and don't have the money to pay someone to do their book covers. But it isn't an option for someone who has a story, it loses the soul energy from your creative processes.
Now you know a little more about my writing life and why I disappear off the face of the planet and suddenly I'm back like a Phoenix rising from my own ashes.
Let me know below, what are your personal struggles with writing? Do you have a disability you have to work around?
