My Confession

First of all, 

happy 2011!!!

I hope everyone brought the new year in with a kiss :) Or something just as happy!

See, I had all these awesome* posts planned for the last days of 2010. Best books of 2010**. Best blogs. Best cons. Favorite people. Best moments.

Except here's what happened: I went to North Captiva Island with my family over Christmas. Don't we look like a fun bunch? (We so are, I promise.)

I brought my laptop. I did not bring my laptop cord. I'm Einstein, what can I say? I wrote a few thousand words on the trip down, and then my battery died. So I closed my computer and didn't open it again until I was back in Virginia.

And here's my confession:

I didn't write for nine days straight. I didn't think about writing***. I didn't talk about writing. I did nothing writing related whatsoever.

I loved it.  

I was too busy doing this:

And hanging with him:

And finding these:

And listening to this:

And taking these****:

And having girl time with my mom & sisters:

And watching these:

And playing cards and eating good food and adding bananas to pina coladas***** and going for long walks and enjoying how soft the tap water of the island made my hair and playing corn hole and taking excursions to surrounding islands for even better shells and... well, you get the point.

I'm telling you here and now: if you make writing your life? Take a freaking break sometimes! Stop rushing because you want to query or because you want to go on submission or because {insert any reason here}. Stop and enjoy the other parts of life. Family. Nature. Significant other. Take some YOU time. I did--and now I'm more inspired than ever.

I spent a huge part of 2010 with my fingers on laptop keys, clacking away. I made good progress and I plan to continue. But I also lost track of friends and spent less time with my husband than he would have liked and didn't keep in touch with my family the way I should have. Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe taking myself seriously as a writer means that I'll have to make some sacrifices. But those should be more along the lines of cutting TV shows and giving up on as much sleep as I want (and naps) and really, really focusing on creating a writing career for myself. See the difference?  So this year, I'm gonna find a better life/writing balance.

What about you? Any goals for 2011?

*In my mind anyway :)
**I'm totally still posting about the best books of 2010 this week. I can't help myself.
***Okay, you got me. Of course I thought about writing. How could I not? But it sounded cooler and more severe to say I didn't :) 
**** I'm totally not holding the camera correctly, but I was just posing for the picture!
*****Holy crap, they are SO GOOD.