By Jennifer Deibel, @ThisGalsJourney
Dirty dishes were pushed to the side and drinks had been refreshed. All around the table, laptops opened and seats were shuffled and scuffled to comfortable positions. As is our bi-monthly custom, we’d eaten and shared our latest life-happenings with one another and now it was time to write.
I opened my computer and stared at the screen. I had nothing to write. All my articles had been submitted, my latest manuscript had been submitted to my editor, and I didn’t have a new book or story to start working on. I’d just finished a round of brainstorming ideas for a theoretical third book that I hope I am blessed to get to write someday, and it wasn’t time to compile a new newsletter.
As fingers clack-a-lacked furiously around me, I sat and sipped my ice water that I wished was coffee and felt very out of place in that moment. I’d come out to my writer’s group not just for the fellowship and community, but also to get some work done. Problem was, I had nothing to write.
So, it got me thinking: What does a writer do when there’s nothing to write?
Oh, sure, I know there’s always something to write. But in that moment, it escaped me. I was waiting on word of a bigger project, so I didn’t want to get tucked in to anything new or time consuming just yet. So, I had to figure out what to do.
And here are some ideas for how you can wait well in the in-between times:
- Connect on social media with those you haven’t been able to. I was able to go back through my social media channels and reply to any comments I’d missed, answer questions that had come in, and comment on other accounts that had slipped my attention recently. It was really nice!
- Spread the word about other authors/creatives. If you don’t have anything you need to be working on, spend some time helping promote other authors’ work. Hopefully you do this already, but sometimes its nice to be able to spend a little extra concentrated time supporting those you respect, those you’re excited to see new work from, etc.
- Write your next newsletter. You do have a newsletter, right?? Even if it’s not time for the next edition to go out, you could update the template, check the links, or write the articles you want to include.
- Rest! Sometimes, it does our hearts and minds good to take a break and let ourselves rest. This could look like resting on the couch, watching an episode or two of your favorite show, going for a walk, or meeting a friend for coffee.
These are just a few things you can do to wait well while in-between projects. What other ideas do you have?
Blessings,
Jen
After the loss of her Irish mother in the summer of 1920, Moira Doherty decides to fulfill her mother’s wish for her to leave Boston and teach in her mother’s home village of Ballymann in Donegal, Ireland. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about a scandalous family reputation abound and threaten not only her new position but also her life.
Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of unlikely friends including Sean, a handsome thatcher, to help her clear her family name before it’s too late. As she seeks to navigate her new life in Ireland, she may find that this is truly the life she was always meant to live.
Historical romance fans will embrace this lyrical tale of family and relish the cultural nuances, the rich history and the beautiful setting imbedded in the pages of A Dance in Donegal.
Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com . Her debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, released Feb. 2, 2021 from Revell and is available wherever books are sold!