It’s easy to get caught up in our own narrative. Our language and culture (I’m American) teaches us to say, “I am a writer,” rather than “I write,” or “I like to write.” This puts a lot of pressure on our writing and ourselves. The truth is you are a whole person with or without the writing. While consistency is best, and our culture values productivity, you have to understand and empathize with yourself when you are unable to write. Maybe there’s a lot going on at work or at home. You could be feeling the effects of staying home the past eleven months without a clear end in sight. Or maybe you’re feeling blocked (Laini Taylor recommends the book Around the Writer’s Block for that!) When you turn around and it’s been three months and you haven’t written a single word, don’t despair. Don’t berate yourself. An don’t decide you’re no longer a writer because you aren’t churning out pages like Kerouac (& do you really fancy yourself a Kerouac type? ) You’re a human, and sometimes writing is not your only focus. It’s something you like to do. But it’s not who you are.
