Diary of a Staycation: Day 3

I confess.  The sloth had a bit of a triumph yesterday.  Kind of.  I also blame the cold that curtailed a bit of this week’s ambition.  I mean I actually turned up the thermostat on the second floor yesterday.  But I still didn’t feel like moving much from a place where I could wrap a blanket around my cold toes.

I suppose that is allowed on a week off from work.  Right?  Even when I’m still checking and responding to work email.  Because… well, I am that person.  Unless I leave the country.  So that is something to contemplate about time off. 

I did work on a few minor projects.  I made some chocolate cinnamon banana bread.  Mostly so I could turn on the oven and warm up the kitchen floor a bit.  I also found things to put in the laundry so the dryer could be an additional source of heat. 

I realized with all of this, I could never survive in a world without central heating.  Even though I am pretty cheap with it and have the Brennan chill in my veins.  I can’t imagine living in the worlds I take my characters to – having to get water from a well or go to an outhouse on days like we experienced over the weekend.

Maybe that resistance to imagination was the reason for me not picking up the pen to visit those worlds yesterday.  I did write in my journal.  Maybe that counts – but not really.

To underscore my lack of devotion to fiction, yesterday’s decluttering was an unpacking of neglected Worcester Writers Collaborative promotional materials.  We had some great momentum a few years back, working together to go to festivals and events to sell and promote our books.  I met a lot of kindred spirits through our writers group, people with whom I am glad to still share dinners and conversations today.  But I realize our writing routines have fallen off as much as our promotional ones.

Lives change.  As do priorities.  I suppose that is the consequence of writing being a side business.  I thought a couple years back when I was spending my daily life at a job that sucked my soul away that I would like to make it my main business.  I was cranking out word counts that put this week to shame.  I filled notebooks and drew maps on my chalkboard walls and bought countless history books for research.  But then I found a job I like.  A job, apparently, from which I can’t even take a break from email for more than a weekend.

I’m not the only one in the group for whom circumstances have altered.  I think we all would like to come together again.  And really, it just takes one of us to make the invitation.   It would be good to get out there to talk and promote books again.  We will.

But for now, today, here is a passive suggestion to visit the website and check out one of several Central Massachusetts authors.  There is fiction and non-fiction and all sorts of genres.  And the added bonus of local scenery, as well as supporting someone you might know.

I am going to give myself the suggestion to get back to writing before the day ends and push myself, hopefully, closer to having a book to sell again.