Realm Makers 2018 Overview + Announcement! (Laurie)

I just got home from Realm Makers 2018 on Sunday night, and it was amazing! For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Realm Makers is a writing conference specifically for Christian writers of fantasy and science fiction, but through the community they've built online and in person it feels just as much like a family reunion as a conference :) I've hardly begun to process what I learned, so I thought instead I'd recap with some pictures!

I had the opportunity to connect with so many friends new and old, writers who are just beginning and authors who have won prestigious awards (can you spot fellow Lands Uncharted blogger KaLyn in one of these photos?). And I love them all!!

A fun dinner on the first night!

Hanging out with author H.L. Burke and her pineapple :)

Lovely ladies from my local writing group!

One of the highlights of Realm Makers every year is the awards banquet, where attendees are encouraged to wear costumes from their favorite fandoms. I found a cool dress at Goodwill and went as a sorceress, but as you can tell, some people's ensembles are much more elaborate!

This amazing lady made her own wings!

Selfie with my dear friend and fellow Love2ReadLove2Write author Deanna Fugett!

My fabulous roomies!

Two years ago, I attended Realm Makers and pitched Common to several agents and publishers. It was unbelievably exciting and humbling to see my own book at the bookstore this year and get to participate in a giant book signing!

Eeeeeek!

I also got just a few books signed while I was there... Don't worry, I already owned all but three of them :)

They were heavy to carry around, but so worth it!

It's good to be home, but I miss all my writer friends already! What have been some of the highlights of your summer?


Now, are you wondering about our announcement?? We've decided to cut back a bit on our blogging schedule to free up more time for our writing! Plus, we have a new Instagram account and will be making pretty graphics for it! (Find us here.) But we'll all still be here, continuing to provide the content we hope you've enjoyed during Lands Uncharted's two and a half years of existence :) Starting next week, we'll be posting every Tuesday, alternating between talking about the Writer's Life and What We're Reading, Top 3s every Saturday (you knew we wouldn't cut back on that, right?), and special guests on some Thursdays and Fridays. Thanks for continuing to follow us, we so appreciate you all!

See you next time!
Laurie

Ebb and Flow (Julie)

A few weeks ago my family and I took a vacation to Tennessee. We chose a nice quiet cabin in the rolling farmlands close to two state parks. Both parks are popular for their rivers/waterfalls. I was a little worried that being the summer in the south, they might be dry or wimpy. However, to our good fortune the area had gotten some rain and quiet a storm before we arrived.

We had a wonderful time hiking beside rivers and over suspension bridges, in awe of the mighty power of the water. 

The first park we went to had a trail located at the dam. We arrived to the horrendously annoying sound of the siren wailing its warning to us that water was being released from the dam and the water level would rise to a dangerously high level.  

It got me to thinking that my writing is like a river. Sometimes the dam opens or the rain comes, and I'm flooded with ideas and on a writing "high". Other times, I'm dried up with little to nothing creative. It then becomes a waiting game until the rain comes or the dam opens.  

Do you ever feel that way?  That sometimes your writing is like the mighty rushing river and other times it's like a dry stream-bed. Ya got nothing. 

Though I do find encouragement in that even when the river is dry or not but a small trickle, it will eventually evolve into a beautiful, life changing marvel. 

Personal Notes: Blows and Cushions (Lizzie)

I decided to take a creative writing class this summer. I get a free class each semester since I work at a university, and I thought this particular class might be helpful. It was, sorta, but, overall, it's not something I'd recommend everyone rush out to take. You can learn the same stuff through books and conferences. Speaking of, like going to a conference, the class has inspired me to be more serious and dedicated to my calling to write.

But in some ways, the class is depressing. So much of what's read and talked about either involves depressing subjects or dark subjects (some inappropriate ones too, but this was kept down since there was an early college student in the class). The other students in the class seem to prefer morbid and dark stories to uplifting ones. There's an idea in literary circles, it seems, that writing must be "true to life" and that means dark and depressing. Thus, having a happily-ever-after and humor preclude a work from being truly great; it's tripe for the common reader and not true art. I may be exaggerating, but that's how it felt one day last week.

We were assigned to start a short story and then discuss our ideas with the class in a brainstorming session. Out of eight students, I was the only one with a relatively happy story. There was an unsuccessful hunt for an abducted nine-year-old, a tragic teen romance a la The Fault in Our Stars, a dystopian were affection was banned (no brave hero or heroine set things right), and so on. No happy endings or ultimate triumph (the kidnapper, I think was caught, but the girl was still died). After presenting my fairytale-type story, I initially received silence and then questions about it, including whether I'd write a story without a happy ending. Um, no. Light-hearted adventures with romance are my brand. I like to read and watch them, and I want to create those stories for all the other people like me who read them. The stories aren't all rainbows and daisies, but, overall, I hope they bring joy and light. I'm not caving to a dark literary world's "better" type of story.

After class that day, I met with the professor for feedback on the start of a novel I've been working on for a long time. He tore it apart. Nothing made sense, I was obsessed with umbrellas and gender roles, and so on. He was really nice about it, don't get me wrong. He meant well, but most of it wasn't helpful. When I signed up for the class, I wanted help to improve my writing in the sense of making it more lyrical and beautiful. He didn't speak to that at all. He just didn't get the story and doesn't care for my style, I think. Not dark and literary enough, I guess, or something. After thirty minutes of this, I excused myself to go back to work. When I got back to my office, I found the old critiques I had on that novel. There were several and they were mostly positive. They liked the voice, they liked the characters, they liked the story world. It made sense to them, those people likely to read my genre. Also, that very morning (perfect timing), I found out my submission to the Fellowship of Fantasy: Tales of Ever After was accepted (yay!).

Have you ever read scriptures and heard devotions on a similar theme in a short time frame and wondered if God was trying to tell you something? Well, I went through several days of being bombarded with the theme of not giving up on doing good. Then, I encountered this trial in class as well as a continuing silence about several proposals I'd sent out, and some other disheartening things that challenged my "high" ideals. I wasn't (I hope) about to give up on writing or compromise my ideals, but the reminder to not give up doing good was very encouraging. I am doing good then and shouldn't be swayed by those challenges.

I hope you'll do the same. Not everyone is going to like your work. It's tough, especially when one of the nay-sayers has a PhD in a writing discipline, but you must decide who you write for and that will help determine who you should listen to. Keep on doing whatever good things you're doing and not grow tired. You're needed.

A Season of Change: Personal Notes (Jill)

 If any of you have seen my posts on social media, you might have been aware my oldest child graduated from high school. I shared in my author group, the Pyromaniacs, how I felt happy and sad and nostalgic and, and, and...

My daughter isn't the only one who's adjusting to this new phase of life. The whole family's been learning how to handle our "new normal" (although my husband seems to be doing better than the rest of us). My youngest daughter is adjusting to a life with less quality time with her big sis. I was unprepared for how much of a change it would be for me. My "baby" is now officially an adult and is enrolled in a Big Ten college with a full fall semester of credits. Aside from the financial information I've been sifting through (which strikes terror in my heart), I've also been dealing with a messed-up neck and shoulder. Multiple smaller projects, and the promotional and marketing stuff all writers are required to do, have filled my plate.

After a particularly grueling weekend, I realized something had to give. After much thought, discussion, and prayer, I decided to step down from blogging here at Lands Uncharted. I still have my own blog (www.jmhackman.com), but this will be my last blog post here for awhile.

From the beginning, my fellow bloggers made me feel very welcome here at Lands Uncharted. I made new friends, learned to write faster, became more adept at writing book reviews (something that's difficult for me), met new authors, and connected with some awesome readers! Thanks for visiting and commenting on my posts!

I enjoyed getting to know all of you. Please, stop by and say "hi" on social media. :-)

Personal Notes: Up in Flames (KaLyn)

She labored over every detail: events, deadlines, travel dates, projects, and responsibilities. She examined and organized each one before setting her goals and plotting a course. However, as she neared what should be the end of the dusty trail, she found herself lost in the woods.

Dusk signaled her to stop and make camp.

Later that evening, as she stared into the chanting flames of the campfire, a squirrel investigated the remains of her provisions. After digging for a few moments, the squirrel looked up at her. "Not even a tiny morsel among all this rubbish?"

"Sorry. There wasn't much left."

She picked up the pile of papers and notebooks beside her and tossed them into the fire. It sparked and flared. Pop, pop. Crack. A cloud of carbon and soot rose into the air, carrying the acrid scent of burnt sweat. "Do you smell that?" She asked.

The squirrel wrinkled his nose. "It's awful. What is it?"

"It's my plans going up in smoke."

***

Story of my life.

I’m betting, to some degree, yours too. That’s just how things go. We make plans. Something happens. Then, we’re forced to change those plans.

April and May were going to be drafting months. Then, needs changed and schedules changed. So, I reprioritized projects and shifted focus from drafting to editing.

But, hey, what’s life without a little flare? God’s plans are greater than our own, and some of the best things result in altered plans.

As a result of those changes, I'm focused on preparing my middle-grade science fiction story for the long road of querying. I'm excited. The greatest blessings are often unplanned.

My husband is one of those unplanned blessings. I could have never imagined someone as wonderful as him, so there’s no way I could have planned for him or our crazy life together. And he has been my biggest supporter through everything.

What unexpected treasures have entered your life and changed your plans?

Savannah Jezowski's Writing Journey (After Blog Tour)

Instead of my normal Personal Notes post today, I'm excited to welcome special guest Savannah Jezowski! Savannah is celebrating the release of her novel, After, with a blog tour, and today she stopped by to share about her writing journey! I'll share more about her book and the tour at the end, but first, here's Savannah!

Thank you for having me today! I am very excited to be here to talk about my writing journey. I started writing stories before I even knew what a paragraph was. My first book was handwritten, illustrated with crayons, and bound with yellow yarn. I keep it buried in a box where I hope nobody will ever find it. It’s truly quite awful. But it’s MINE and I can’t stand the idea of throwing it away.

I think every author will agree with me when they say there is nothing quite like the first published book. I remember the morning I heard that my novella “Wither” had been accepted for publication in the Five Enchanted Roses anthology. I screamed. I double checked my phone. I got on my computer to double check again just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. It was such a big moment in my life. I was giddy, I was ecstatic, I was flying in the clouds…then revisions came around and I came back to earth with a resounding thump they probably felt all the way over in China. Because, let’s face it, like with all dreams, writing requires a lot of work. Good things don’t just happen to you, you don’t just stumble into a happily ever after, or upon a magic lamp. If you want your dreams to come true, you have to work very hard.

I wish revisions on that first story could have been easier. Truly, I shed a lot of tears and despaired of ever succeeding, and worried about disappointing my editors who had given me this wonderful opportunity. But in the end, I succeeded. I finished the revisions. The story was published. It would have been easier to give up, easier still to have never tried at all…but that experience with all its highs and lows has led me to publish several other books and short stories, to start my own business so I can stay home and take care of my darling daughter instead of sending her to daycare. I’ve made SO MANY FRIENDS. One of my best friends ever is an amazing lady I met on Facebook. We’ve been friends for three years now and I cannot imagine life without her. I’ve joined several writing groups and learned how to market my books, how to brand myself, how to build my own website. I’ve taught myself how to photoshop, how to format my own books, and design my own covers.

It all began with that awful little book without paragraphs that I have buried in my filing cabinet. Isn’t that where we all begin? Our “Origin Story” as the super hero universe would say. Our beginnings may be humble, our journey long and difficult, but the only sure way of not succeeding is to never try at all. I hope all my readers are never afraid to put themselves out there in pursuit of their dreams.

I would love for you all to connect with me and share your dreams with me!

Thank you so much for sharing with us, Savannah! Here's a little more about the author:

Savannah Jezowski lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, a wee warrior princess, and two English Springer Spaniels. She is the author of When Ravens Fall and The Neverway Chronicles. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from Rooglewood Press and Mythical Doorways from Fellowship of Fantasy. She likes books, faeries, writing hats and having tea with her imaginary friends.

You can find Savannah on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Goodreads. And here's the blurb for her latest release, After:

“Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death.”

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within. While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the Assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and the danger escalating, there is no escaping the inevitable truth. Today, he may hunt creepers.

Tomorrow, he just might be one.

So intriguing! You can purchase After on Amazon, and enter here for a chance to win a signed paperback copy! Thanks again for visiting today, Savannah, and congratulations on your new release!

Check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour!

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, May 14^th

• Review – Rachel Lopez
• Review – Cup of Books
• Review – Hunting for Truth

Tuesday, May 15^th

• Guest Post – Lands Uncharted
• Book Review – Reflections of an Author
• Guest Post – Jenelle Schmidt

Wednesday, May 16^th

• Book Spotlight – Seasons of Humility
• Author Interview – Jilligan’s Island

Thursday, May 17^th

• Character Interview – Jenelle Schmidt
• Character Interview – Unicorn Quester

Friday, May 18^th

• Author Interview – C.O. Bonham
• Author Interview – Autumn J. Cruz Writing
• Book Spotlight – Read, Write, Laugh, DANCE

Saturday May 19^th

• Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher

Monday, May 21^st

• Blog Tour Wrap-Up –Unicorn Quester

Personal Notes (Julie)

Last week for us was Teacher Appreciation week. By far, the number one gift I've gotten over the years has been something coffee related. Which would be awesome. If I drank coffee. As I was putting the second stash of coffee in the teacher's lounge, one of the other teachers asked how I
survived without coffee. My answer: I just suffer through. In fact, I very frequently feel like an outcast among teachers because of my no coffee mentality. But that's okay. I have my tea, which is decaffeinated...but anyway. It's all in the mind. Right?

Most teachers turn to coffee to get them through the stresses of the day. Now that the school year is winding down, my stress level

goes up. I find myself running to the store more often for those chocolate covered almonds.

For me, relieving stress comes in many forms. I love taking naps when everything is quiet and you don't have to do anything for those few precious minutes. Exercising is helpful, especially after I eat too many chocolate covered almonds. I bet most of us would agree that reading a good book is a top choice.

Sometimes I have the habit of staying at home too much, and I have to remind myself to go outside (when it's nice) and enjoy God's creation. A little bit of vitamin D works wonders for clearing the mind.

What about you? Are you in a stressful, busy time of life right now? What are your favs for stress relief?

What I Learned from Writing Student Recommendation Letters (Lizzie)

I teach an upper-level microbiology lab in the fall semester. It meets twice a week for almost three hours each session, which means I spend a good bit of time with my students in a more personal environment than a large lecture hall. Because of this, several students over the years have asked me to write letters of recommendation for them for graduate schools, internships, medical school, jobs, and, in one case, the Navy.

Writing letters of recommendation isn't easy, and while most of my students were good or excellent, there are a few I hope never ask me for such a favor. But what is there to learn, or be reminded of, from writing these?  Well, I'm glad you've asked, because here are five things that have stood out to me.

From the institutions who will receive the letters:
1) Academic achievement is important, but so is character and interpersonal skills. In addition to affirming the applicant's knowledge and practical skills, the institutions wanted to know if the applicant was teachable, respectful, and worked well with others. I also included if a student was punctual and responsible (turned in assignments on time and kept his or her lab area clean, and so on).


From the students:
2) Always ask permission before putting someone down as a reference. Never give out a private phone number. I once received a request from a program for information on a student who never spoke to me about being her reference. She also gave this program my personal cell phone number. I never gave that to her, much less gave her permission to give it out. I didn't get her a bad reference, but neither was I effusive in her praise, which the representative I talked with probably picked up on.

3) Request to meet the one doing your recommendation letter in person. If it is possible to meet with the instructor you want a recommendation from, contact him or her by email or phone to ask about meeting. Tell her you want to discuss providing a recommendation and offer to bring any additional information that might be helpful (such as a resume). A few students did this, and I found it a mark of professionalism as well as helpful in writing a good recommendation letter. I could easily have said no and requested that they send me any information I needed, if I didn't have the time. But it was nice to see them again and ask them in person what their goals were and why they wanted to pursue their particular path, as well as what qualified them for it. In addition to refreshing my memory of who they were (it's easy to forgot which face goes with which name sometimes), it showed courage and good interpersonal skills in them. It also gave me a stronger sense of what I should say in the recommendation letter.

4) Send, or offer to send, a resume and other information that might be helpful. I don't know everything about my students' dreams and goals and qualifications. A simple resume as well as a brief statement (in person or via email if we can't meet) of why the student wants to be in a particular program or go into a particular field of study is helpful. Also, the student would be wise to remind the instructor as to when and how they know one another (give year and class in initial email request).

5) Be clear in expectations (and for me personally, be diligent) . One student, whom I particularly liked (fortunately for me), asked me to do recommendations for summer internships. She told me what to expect regarding the type of recommendations (letters verses forms, online verses printed). I agreed and was expecting more than one request to come in by email for her. About eleven or twelve came in! I was not expecting that many. While I think mentioning exactly how many to expect would have been good, I admired her diligence in searching for and applying for so many opportunities. It was an encouragement to me to keep trying, because I'm all to apt to give up after a few job applications or agent submissions.

A New Season: Personal Notes (Jill)

In the midst of writing my current WIP, things have been busy. My oldest daughter's been receiving boatloads of college pamphlets, talking with the college recruiters at school, and arranging visits to the schools that interest her.  I'm still in a state of shock. Didn't I just give birth to her a year or two ago? Wasn't it only a few months ago that she sang the ABC's? I don't feel old enough to have a graduating senior in the house.

On Friday, she attended an expo arranged by my alma mater. So we dropped her off, then amused ourselves on campus for six hours. During the free time, my husband and I walked campus while I pointed out all the things that had changed or been added. I also cried a bit as I realized she really is old enough to do this, even though I feel woefully unprepared. We walked the mile-plus distance to the financial offices to discuss billing and financial planning, then rode the bus back (perhaps it was due to shock). A fortifying meal of burgers at Five Guys followed.

As I watched the students and professors attend classes and present lectures, I peered beneath my nostalgia. My husband and I were entering a new season in our lives. What did I want? Where did I want to go from here?

Since my college graduation (a long time ago), an idea had lurked in the back of my mind. Maybe I'd return, take a few creative writing classes. Or maybe I'd sign up to get my MFA. Despite my "what if" ideas about going back to school,  I realized I'm done attending college -- at least for right now. It's my kids' turn to attend college and learn as much as they can.

Who knows what will happen after that? Although I'll continue to grow and learn, for now I'm content with where I am in life. It feels pretty good. My motto this year is #Godsgotthis. I'll just have to remember that when the first bill for college arrives in the mail.

Personal Notes: Wonder (KaLyn)

The past five months have been a barrage of changes, trials, illnesses, and deaths during a season of waiting. Middle of the night phone calls, knowing people you care about are hurting and you can't do anything about it... we even moved 900 miles away (a blessing to be near family again, but the process of moving also comes with challenges).

I have felt loved and blessed through it all. How strange that must sound. But it's true, nevertheless.

In the past, my anxiety would have been thru the roof. I would have been downing gallons of Chamomile tea, alternating between tears and pacing the floor (not constantly, mind you, but there would always be those days).

But not now. Not this time.

The changes have kept me busy, with little time to dwell - as it should be. Prayer and watchful eyes have shown me all the ways God has comforted and carried me during this time.

I am in awe at the wonder of it.

Have you ever felt that way?

Balancing Baskets (Laurie)

It may not be obvious from the title, but my post today was inspired by the idea to "not put all your eggs in one basket." A little over a year ago, I signed my first publishing contract. As I navigated the new waters of publication, I also made efforts to increase my social media presence as an author, plus I was busy working on what I planned to be book 2 in my Tales of the Mystics series. Soon I tacked on a short story, then another short story, then a novella. And more marketing.

For a while, it was great. I felt so productive, and I had clearly found my "thing." I was juggling being an author and a stay-at-home mom, so how could I possibly have time for anything else? But eventually that mentality started to have a negative effect. Every spare moment that wasn't devoted to my family needed to go to something writing-related. If it didn't, I was wasting precious time. I placed huge importance on every marketing effort, and I got frustrated that even with dedicating as much time as I could to authorly activities, many others seemed to be doing so much more.

Does this sound unhealthy to you? It took a while, but finally I noticed how unbalanced my life had become. Sure, I was getting a lot done, but I wasn't getting enough sleep, I was feeling stressed and anxious a lot of the time, and I was having trouble enjoying any time spent relaxing, even when I was with my husband and sons.

So at the craziest possible time, in the midst of gearing up for my debut novel to release, I took a step back. I convinced myself that trimming down to two weekly posts on my author Facebook page would be sufficient. I allowed myself to take a break from writing new material and participating in my critique group when I had a long list of tasks to accomplish related to my blog tour and other marketing efforts. I refrained from signing up for every guest blogging opportunity I saw. I even joined a choir at my church.

And I'm so much happier for it! Some people can live and breathe writing, or whatever their chosen occupation happens to be, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I can't, and I need to accept that about myself. I hope writing and related author activities will be an important part of my life for many, many years to come, but it's not MY LIFE. Finding a better balance has helped me separate myself from my work a bit, which has resulted in less stress, more quality time with my family, and less concern about things like social media reach and negative reviews. I still stay up way too late many nights, and I still worry sometimes that I'm not doing enough, either in my writing life or everything outside it, but it's progress :)


How about you? Have you struggled to find balance in some aspect of your life? Do you have any tips for those of us who want to "do it all!" without being stressed?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Personal Notes (Julie)

I just got back from my third time taking a group of students from my school on a service trip. My first year we went to the Philippines, but then the next year we changed to a relatively unknown, small island called Saipan.

It's always quiet the experience to take a group of students on a week long trip. Oh the stories!! But the greatest thing to me is watching them step out of their comfort zones and do things they would never normally do otherwise.

One particular story is volunteering at the Salvation Army's Soup Kitchen two days. This was new for us this year, and when we arrived, we found the place was a bit small with only three tables set up. Normally, one man runs the whole lunch meal with maybe one or two people helping out here and there. Now he had nine student all wanting to help out. The problem was they all wanted to either serve the food or give out cans to people as they left. That made for two crowded areas but no one to talk to the people. The other chaperone and I gently urged them to be brave and go sit and chat with the locals. Listen to their stories.

When we finished and drove away, it did my heart good to hear my students chatter on about what interesting conversations they had and how much they enjoyed talking to the locals and the many connections they found. For example, some of the locals could actually speak Japanese (many of my students are Japanese) and one lady use to work in mainland Japan before coming to Saipan. I met several ladies who were from the Philippines, so I got to chat about my time there and hear their stories of how they came to Saipan.
The students never would have shared their attention and time if they hadn't taken that first step (with a slight helping push) out of their comfort zones.

It's so easy to stay in places that are comfortable and familiar, but like this trip, wonderful experiences can happen if only if you take that first step. As one student shared, it gets easier after that first time.

Forbidden Island (my favorite view)

Resolution Checkup (Lizzie)

It's February 6. How are your New Year's resolutions coming? I'm doing okay. I spoke to a local bookstore owner about carrying The Rose and the Wand (haven't heard back yet), turned in a short story for an anthology, made several notes on a few stories, and kept up with my two jobs. I added the goal of taking voice lessons to improve my singing and get over some of my self-consciousness--and it's helping both. But ... I haven't exercised as much as I should have, nor read as much as I needed, studied French as much as I should, or written much at all (creativity is dry from lack of reading and recreation time).

While I may not be perfectly on track for this year's goals, I'm not going to get discouraged. I hope you wouldn't either. I'll keep going and accomplish whatever I can. I hope you will too!

How is your progress?

What's Stress Got To Do With It? (Jill)

Last week found me boiling water on my stove.

We live in a small, rural town, and lately, we’d been experiencing air in our tap water. It was like milk, with a surplus of bubbles, that surged from our faucet in staccato bursts. Then people in the community started complaining of dirt in their water. After a few days of this, we received a boil water notice with an urgent plea to conserve. Rumors and facts flew about the level of water in the town tanks, the reason for the low water levels, and what was being done (or not being done) to fix the many leaks in the pipes.

In between deciding if there was enough water to take a shower or do laundry, I was also trying to keep my youngest focused on her homework and midterms. Her math midterm was looming, and play practice for the middle school play was every night. My oldest was also dealing with midterms and waiting for an acceptance to her favorite college.

Surprisingly, I had trouble staying focused on my current Work In Progress (WIP).

Stress  can disrupt creativity. A simple Google search of stress + creativity brings up plenty of studies and coping solutions. I’m thankful I wasn’t dealing with a health issue, a financial scare, a death, or some other tragedy. Our water concerns and midterms are miniscule problems in the grand scheme of things. Still, it affected my productivity. Some people can compartmentalize and work anyway—I envy their ability. I carry my stress with me, make it comfortable, feed it snacks. So when I sit down to write, it settles over my shoulder to breathe down my neck while I stare at a blank computer screen. 

Working on smaller projects helped. I managed to finish a flash fiction piece and polish a short story. I gave myself grace, lots and lots of grace. I’m not superhuman, and I know my limits. Tomorrow would be waiting—preferably one without a boil water requirement, or a million phone calls to make, or a pre-algebra midterm to dread.

On Friday, our community received pallets of drinking water from Nestle, as well as help from a neighboring community to find and fix the leaks in our system. I also read an email from the pre-algebra teacher. (My daughter aced the midterm!)

 

That afternoon, I finished plotting my next WIP. Tomorrow had arrived.