Anticipation & the writing process

Like most everyone I know, I am awake way past my bedtime refreshing NPR and Twitter in alternating clicks. I’m waiting. Just like millions of other women, mothers, children, siblings, parents, creatives, writers.

We’re all waiting to see if the sun rising tomorrow is a little different or more of the same. 

We’re all waiting to see if our fears and concerns over the past four years are but a glimpse into the despair ahead. 

We’re all waiting to see if anyone is actually moving to another country (I have it on good authority that at least one family I know has a well-planned exit strategy.)

This is a stressful and emotional time. The stakes are higher for some than others, but I know I voted for more than myself this morning (Maine does not have early in-person voting). I voted for so many others who couldn’t – who need society to be different so many their children grow up healthy and protected. I voted to invest in the future for my children – the very future that was liquidated and sold off over the past thirty years. I want more for them. 

Mostly, though, I wait until tomorrow morning when I am able to write again. The energy drink is chilling, and I have a new mantra for my morning writing sessions. 

I’m going to head to bed soon. I should get a few hours of sleep before that early 5:30am alarm, but I want to leave you with this small nugget of writing process advice: 

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Your writing – especially your quality writing – can be affected by the things happening in the world that we have zero control over. This is okay, but it might affect your word count.  Let that go. Your humanity is worth far more than your word count.