Tags
I love baseball. Always have. I grew up hearing “Keep your eye on the ball.” And while it was said to me in the context of the game, like most sports, baseball is also a good analogy for keeping my eyes on whatever situation, problem, or event I’m dealing with. By staying focused and concentrating, I can find ways to deal with the problem, maybe even control it, live with it, conquer or solve it, perhaps even eliminate it by knocking it out of the park.
But the curveball is different. It comes along, initially just like any regular pitch. But at the last minute, the good curve ball swerves and dips, leaving me looking at the air where it WAS and not at the ball, which sails across the plate and under my line of vision, making this particular pitch really hard to deal with and capable throwing my entire game seriously OFF.
Lately, my life has been like dealing with one curveball after another. Recurring, and increasingly serious, personal health problems and the resulting weekly medical appointments, long-term home renovation projects, an increased work load, major schedule changes, and serious elder care with dementia issues are demanding more and more of my time and attention. As a result, I feel myself spread thinner and thinner. My energy level and ability to focus is sorely depleted and I’m having a lot of trouble concentrating on all of these major issues much less managing to find time or mental focus necessary to continue building the world of my novel.
Finding a way to keep writing during this challenging time while still attending to the tasks at hand becomes more and more difficult, thus raising a crucial question: How do I stay in the game of writing without striking out due to the overwhelming presence of the curves?
Starting this Sunday, and for six weeks following, I’ll be publishing a series of helpful tips to ensure I’m writing through the curves in a healthy way. Please follow along and share your own tips and strategies for maintaining a healthy creative life when the scales tip out of balance. Cheers!
silversun008 said:
*Gives you a hug*
LikeLike
Angela said:
Awww….so sweet. Thank you. 🙂
I hope you’ll read the posts and share how you keep writing. You always have something new.
LikeLike
Esposo de Amore said:
I love your baseball analogy.
LikeLike
Angela said:
Hey! 🙂
Thanks…..kinda works, right?
Thanks for stopping by, Esposo…. 😉 Hope you’ll catch the next posts in the series.
LikeLike
John S said:
Terrific analogy. great writing, I will look forward to the series. All the best.
LikeLike
Jill said:
Lovely article. The analogy is great (and I have a soft spot for Nolan Ryan since my son is named Nolan).
You’ve got a lot going on there, girl. Take it one day at a time. All of that can become overwhelming very fast. You have to take care of YOU first.
And creativity heals. It’s an outlet. Writing let’s you magically transfer the whisperings of your heart to the page. I look forward to reading your tips and will chime in if I have words of wisdom. (Silly cliche warning!) It’s always darkest before the dawn (true!). Be well and keep on keeping on. xo
LikeLike
Angela said:
I’m so glad you liked it, Jill. And thank you for your support — I appreciate that very much. You’re right about writing being healing — it will help me to write all of this out, help me to stay hopeful and focused in the midst of the maelstrom. The times when I AM able to work on my novel are also healing, but it takes a lot more effort to work my way back into that world for any length of time. I carry it around with me, and dip in and dream and think over it when my head is clear enough. But to keep my hand in, I’m writing more posts and non-fiction — easier to do in short jags (for me anyway) and not so emotionally draining and committment heavy as the fiction.
You know what the insane juggling is like — I can tell from your posts — so I’ll truly look forward to hearing whatever “words of wisdom” you want to share. 😉
I love that your son is named Nolan….. Thanks, Jill.
LikeLike
Images from the Sea said:
Like dancing inbetween rain drops! very elequent and resilient writing, stay the course! thank you for`sharing.
LikeLike
Angela said:
Thank you, Carolina! And you could write one using that rain drops analogy — I love that! Writing this is a way for me to map a path and keep me focused. I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts along the way.
LikeLike
Pingback: Writing Through The Curves: Tip #1: Let go of the pressure. | Persephone Writes
Ruth Nina Welsh said:
Hi Angela, I know nothing about baseball but what a fabulous analogy. The curveball is the one that gets us every time as, by its nature, it’s impossible to plan for. I’m really looking forward to your series and I’m sending all good thoughts your way for the strength to keep managing all that you have to do. Take care, Ruth 🙂
LikeLike
Angela said:
So glad to see you here, Ruth– glad you’re back in the saddle, so to speak. 😉 Thank you for your encouragement and I really look forward to hearing your thoughts and strategies as the series progresses.
LikeLike
Pingback: Writing Through The Curves: Tip #2: Find a place apart. | Persephone Writes
Pingback: Writing Through The Curves, Tip #3: Stay connected. | Persephone Writes
Pingback: Writing Through The Curves, Tip #4: Write something else. | Persephone Writes