As I’m sure you’ve noticed, new posts to my blog have been absent. I considered pushing through to make sure I had consistent content, but that’s how I ended up in this predicament in the first place. Let me explain.

When the pandemic first began, I was at the start of a blog tour promoting A Noble’s Path, the next book in my quartet. While I had a wonderful time getting to know new bloggers and participating in interviews, the results were mixed. People had other things on their mind and so did I. We didn’t know how long this whole thing was going to last and each day was a question mark.

After the tour ended, I threw myself into edits for book three, A Rebel’s Path. And there were more than a few days when it felt like I had to throw myself into it because I had no desire to work on edits. I made a deal with myself that I would work on at least six pages every day, so I could get my manuscript to my editor in a timely fashion. I have no idea what I wrote and it showed when I got comments back from my editor saying, “This doesn’t sound like you.”

And it wasn’t. I apologized to her and set my work aside promising to get it to her before summer. But the pandemic dragged on, my daughter was home “virtually learning” and my normal time for creativity became hampered. To make a long story short, I got stuck. So I made a really scary decision for someone who has written consistently since 2012. I stopped Writing.

I knew it wasn’t forever, but it still made me nervous. Why was I home, if not to commit to writing? Besides the quarantine, there was no reason I should be here. But then I started to embrace what I call Mechanical creativity–artistic but guided. I practiced calligraphy drills. I used coloring books. I tried drawing tutorials. I created illuminated letter art for friends. I did a lot of redecorating in Animal Crossing. All of it had one thing in common–no writing and no stakes.

It’s still scary especially because I have little patience. I want stuff done yesterday so I can check it off my list, but all the mechanical creativity has taught me to take a breath or three and realize writing will always be there. Every so often I have to relearn that.

So thank you for those readers who kept coming back to my blog and to the new arrivals, welcome. We finally seem to be on the approach to turn a corner and what better way to celebrate than getting back to normal-ish.