Routines-Does Everyone Need Them?

First off,  I want to thank everyone who responded here, via Face Book, email, or twitter to my crisis post from last week. You all came up with some great ideas and it was wonderful to feel the “writer” love out there.

I’m still in recovery it seems, I have had some ideas kicking around, but not up to diving in yet (soon though!). Because of that I sort of feel like it just wouldn’t fit for me to launch a blog post about some aspect or craft of writing while I’m still getting my feet back under me.

So today I thought I’d take about something I can relate to- having a routine. I’ve noticed that when I have a regular routine for any activity it radically increases the likelihood of my continuing that activity. For instance, working out, housework, or...writing. Along with the writing issues, I’ve fallen off the working out routine due to assorted injuries and getting back on it is proving difficult to say the least. I’m sure this lack of routine in that part of my life is impacting everything else- including contributing to my DOA writing situation.
When I have a pattern or routine in place, I follow through simply because "that's what I do".  But when I fall out of that routine, I have a really hard time even completing basic goals. I realize that if I want my writer's mojo (and my working out mojo ;)) to come back, I need to reestablish a routine.

This also makes me wonder about other writer’s routines- both stay at home writers, and those like me with a full-time day job. Do you have a routine? Why or why not? Would you mind sharing it? What have you found that works great for keeping you on track? What great concept to do the same crashed and burned?

Thanks for coming by and extra thanks for sharing your routines with us here :).

Broken Writer's Mojo

 

First, let me apologize for this blog being dark for so long.  I haven’t gone this long without a post in …well….never.  But the very lack of recent posting is the focus of today’s blog.

I have lost my creating/writing mojo.

Now it wasn't caused by anything writing related, usually a writing funk happens (for me anyway) at the result of a serious writing set-back or nasty rejection.  Nope, this time life has just been poking at me with a well sharpened stick.  A lot.

Normally writing is my refuge from the cruelties of the rest of the world, but I think cumulative attacks on my psyche have left me drained.  I really don't want to do anything, I don't feel bad (well still freaked out from our house being burgled a few days ago), but I'm just not interested in creating.

I just survived the greatest mojo-kick-starter around- Comic Con.  For a day I thought I'd be fine.  Then house got broken into and my mojo folded like a pack of marked playing cards.  Didn't even want to do this blog since I had nothing to say.

So, I'm reaching out to you all asking for help- how can I get my focus back to what I KNOW I love?  I have been reading, so that's good (I was lucky to win an advanced copy of Gail Carriger's new book (coming out in Feb- and so far it's a HOOT!!).  But no urge to even think about my writing.

To be honest, it's starting to freak me out.

So any helpful mojo-kick starting ideas out there?

Thanks!