Re-Starting the Creative Engine

No sooner had the semester started than my son got sick. I had a premonition this would happen; he’d get some bug from daycare that would infect his tiny lungs and the entire house. My son came down with a fever the Sunday before the semester began. We took him to the doctor, who gave him some medicine. It took him over a week to recover and thankfully he’s now back to his normal, smiling self. But a infant’s illness means that everything must be put on pause — work schedules, creative projects, cleaning, everything.

Now, as I review my sample chapter, I’m finding it hard to start the engine back up. I need to get back into the headspace and reacquaint myself with what I had written. As I do this, I realize something is off with the tone. My editor brain kicks into gear and temps me into deleting and rewriting. I suppose this is a normal part of the process, especially after a long absence from the material. But I find myself grabbing books for inspiration as creative lubricant. I know what I want to say, but I am having a hard time being happy with the way to say it.

I should also remember that the sample chapter is just that: a sample. It needs to be somewhat polished, but it doesn’t need to be brilliant. That’s what editors are for.

Back to work.