Saving Runt and the Challenges of a Writer

Saving RuntMy newest release, Saving Runt: Cosmos’ Gateway Book 7, comes with a mixture of feelings—the biggest one a sense is of relief that I’m finally feeling almost normal again. Writing is a true passion, but like many creative people, it comes with a few characteristics written in very fine print that should be read with care. The Biggest is to ‘Be Kind to Yourself’.

Being kind to yourself is something that we should all recognize as a critical component to remaining both physically and mentally healthy. I didn’t realize how important it was until this past year. You see, I was mom, wife, professional career woman—everything, but Susan. I forgot that if I don’t take care of Susan, it is hard to be everything else.

Writing is a very sedentary career. Research is saying that sitting is the new smoking. I don’t know about that, but I do know that it is easy to lose track of time and look up to see that midnight is fast approaching. There is always something that needs to be done: writing, emails, paperwork, Social Media interaction, bills, marketing—all the things that being in business require (don’t get me started on the bookkeeping! I still have nightmares about balancing the checkbook!) It is a guarantee that the stress of all that needs to be done, combined with sitting for hours, will cause fatigue. I’ve been working on finding balance, but it is hard to pull yourself away from what needs to be done. I always put my husband, my kids, and my job before me—until I crashed and realized that without rearranging the order, I was in trouble. I’ve learned that being a little selfish is good and that saying ‘No!’ Isn’t the end of the world! Talk about an empowering feeling.

When Runt missed her original deadline that I had set for myself, it was a devastating feeling. How could I not fulfill a commitment? How could I let readers down and myself? I was a machine, after all. I should be able to do anything and everything! I always had before. But like a snowball rolling downhill, life decided to give me a severe wake up call.

Exhaustion hit me hard. It was like plowing into a brick wall at 60 mph. That was when my husband, friends, and my readers came in and not only told me to be kind to myself—but showed me how. They were supportive as I struggled. They were patient and there for me, chatting, encouraging, and telling me to take my time—no one is going to beat me up because they had my back.

Then, I cried. I cried because I was tired. I cried because I didn’t understand what was going on with me—the woman who never stopped, who never let anyone down, who was always there. But, most of all I cried because I realized that I wasn’t alone, that I—Susan—the one everyone always leaned on—had shoulders that I could lean on. They were strong. They were warm. They helped me—and I began to write again. Sometimes a sentence before I had to lay down. Sometimes a paragraph. But the support I received braced me and each day I felt stronger and the stories began to flow stronger than ever.

I was excited about Saving Runt. I felt my writing was stronger and it felt good. Through the struggles, I felt hope and saw a shining light. That light shone down and I loved what I saw—a brilliant sign that said it’s okay to ‘Be Kind to Me’ everyday. For that I would like to thank my husband, my friends, and especially my readers. You’ve taught me a very, very beautiful lesson about life. Thank you, Susan