This week’s guest poster is the lovely Elke Feuer who shares some great tips for how to keep writing when things become difficult. Enjoy!

How to keep writing when all hell breaks loose

by Elke Feuer

Writing is difficult enough, but when life rears its ugly head with unexpected events and emergencies, sitting down to write can seem impossible. Whether it’s a nasty cold, a class project your child mentions the day before it’s due or a notice from your boss about working later or on the weekend, you can still write.

Write about difficulties

If you’re overwhelmed by what’s going on in your life sitting down to write one word seems unfathomable, or a waste of time because of the madness surrounding you.

Instead of shying away from writing because of life crazies, why not write about the emotions you’re feeling with poetry, blogging, or short stories.

Often writing about your world makes it bearable, or at the very least, entertaining.

Write Whenever

When working on my first book, I wrote early in the morning before work started, during my lunchtime, after the kids went to bed and every bit of unexpected free time (waiting in the doctor’s office) that dropped in my lap.

Finding time to write when your life is in turmoil is more difficult, but think of that writing time as therapy.

The time you need to heal, refresh or regroup from the craziness of your life.

Exercise

Exercising helps. I’m not talking about an hour intense workout at the gym or a boot camp session with a drill sergeant from hell-unless that’s your thing.

The exercise you choose should get your blood pumping and clear your head, not dread exercise again.

A brisk walk works wonders. Being outside surrounded by nature, and its sights and sounds will lift your spirits.

No matter the type of exercise you choose, exercising shifts your mood, leaves you refreshed, invigorated, and ready to face life’s challenges.

Take alone time

A trip to the hairdressers, a walk in the park, time on the beach, and even a spa day goes a long way. The key is to spend time alone with your thoughts to clear your head, or just ponder life.

When the world around us is hectic, we can forget to take care of ourselves. Our creative life is an important part of who we are and needs the attention.

Neglect it long enough, and your creativity might go on hiatus or not show up when you need or want it.

Breathe

Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised the impact a five minutes breathing session can have on your day, and if done regularly, your life.

Events that happen throughout our day creates tension in our bodies, mind, and spirit. Tension we often don’t realize we’re holding onto until we take time to breathe.

Explore the Positives

There’s a positive in almost everything, you merely need to search for it. Take a minute and write out anything positive you’ll learn from this experience or after the situation has passed. Surprise! Not only did you surround yourself with positive vibes, but you also wrote words.

Read

Yes, reading does help you write, especially if the book will you deal with your situation, and inspires you start writing. Reading provides a moment of escape, and elevates your mood if it’s a good book.

While reading, analyze the book: plot, the characters, sentence structure. Consider what areas of the book you’d change, or what elements you can use in your own writing. A word you like but have never used. Choose one item that captures your attention.

Sometimes skipping a day or taking a brief break from writing and caring for your emotional and physical wellbeing is what’s needed. The key is to come back to write and not let a one day or one-week break turn into weeks, or months.

When life grips you by the throat, what are your tricks to keep writing?

About Elke

Elke Feuer is an author, freelance writer, and entrepreneur. She writes ‘On the Edge Suspense’ novels with an occasional paranormal twist. When not writing, she’s helping writers with her online FB group CayWriters.

Website   |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads

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Big thanks to Elke Feuer for this great article, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Do please check out Elke’s links. Share your own thoughts about what you do when life becomes chaotic. As always all comments by new commenters are moderated so don’t worry if you don’t see your comment immediately.

I’m finally starting to feel better, so I will be back on Friday 18:30 BST with a blog post of my own.

Happy writing

Ari