You’re Writing Even When You’re Not Actually Writing

It is late November and I am eyeballs deep in working, holiday prep, end-of-the-year wrap-ups and goalsetting for next year. Throw in a few family-related trips here and there and needless to say, I am not getting any physical writing done.  

Or am I? I reflected on this the other day during one of my nature walks after a period of self-flagellation. I was berating myself for not getting any “significant” writing accomplished. Then I had a memory flash. A long time ago, I had heard from one of my myriad literary resources about the idea of writing without physically writing. So, if I’m not putting my butt in the chair but I’m thinking about writing, jotting down a few ideas, reading or daydreaming, I can count all of that as doing the writing thing. If I’m writing small projects but not the “big” one, that is still writing. This was a hard sell for someone who needs to see proof of work and thrives on productivity. But as I continued to hear from others about this concept and how it’s working for them, I noticed a mindset shift.

I’m now moving toward creating space to remain in the writer mindset and relaxing my all-or-nothing thinking. Yes, I am not physically writing my next book, but I am writing in different ways, and that’s okay. For example, I write scripts for a weekly podcast on grief that I host related to my therapy practice. If you’re curious about that, you can take a listen here. Another example is that I’m writing out my seasonal and yearly plan. I am also mentally preparing to edit the book I finished in August and creating writing classes for a wellness platform I joined recently. I’m tossing around ideas for my next book project. Finally, I am writing the occasional blog post on this platform.

I’m discovering that if I can expand how I define writing, then there is a lot of room for grace….and stress relief. It’s freeing not stressing about this as much anymore.

Where are you on this? Do you agree with me that writerly-related tasks and writing in smaller ways can be considered as writing? Send your thoughts to lori@loriapeterswriter.com.  

**Update on My Next Book**

Since my last post, I have heard from the publisher for my upcoming book, Writing Through Your Grief.  This book is now set for release sometime in 2024. There are a few books ahead of me in the pipeline, so I’m thinking it will not debut until Spring or Summer 2024. Of course, if I have an update on this, I will let you know.  

Write & Rise, my friends!