WEDDING WEEK

Holy crap, it’s wedding week!!!

I got engaged in Ireland last April, so it’s been a decently long engagement of 1.5 years. Still, I can’t believe the big day is here.

Planning a wedding has been a lot of work, not gonna lie. I’ve enjoyed so much of it, especially since I started everything VERY EARLY, but it’s been a crazy final push leading up to the wedding. Balance has been, well, pretty much non-existent lately.

It reminds me of earlier this year when writing was far and away the most important part of my day-to-day. I’d finish work and then immediately dive into writing for multiple hours, occasionally relying on cereal for dinner so I wouldn’t have to stop revisions. I usually try to find balance in my life, and I’ve gotten significantly better at it over the years, but sometimes these moments will happen. Sometimes I’ll write a ton, and sometimes I won’t write at all.

That’s life.

In September, I was incredibly focused on the final push to Pitch Wars. I decided that the wedding prep would kick back up once my entry was submitted, and that’s now come to pass. The timing ended up working out pretty well, even if I maaaaay have been a mess in September.

As writers, we often kick ourselves about not doing ‘enough,’ whatever that means. Not writing enough, not writing fast enough, not brainstorming quickly enough. Not reading enough other books. Not attending enough events. Not having enough of a social media following. Not writing as fast as our peers. Not getting that deal soon enough.

It can be hard to remember that timing doesn’t matter so much, in the end, so long as we keep going. There’s no timeline on our dreams. And we damn sure aren’t competing against one another.

This is a tough business to break into (and I can only imagine how much harder it gets once you’re actually in), and it’s important to remind ourselves to not make it any harder by putting massive amounts of pressure on ourselves. It’s so important to take breaks and recharge. It’s crucial to remind ourselves that breaks are good, that we’re not machines.

I have no idea how I would have done writing and wedding prep at the same time this month, and while I’m occasionally tempted to feel guilty about not writing in October, I immediately remind myself that it’s good to take a break. I’m only getting married once, and I want to focus my attention all in on this final week ahead.

And since I’ve taken a break, my brain has relaxed and opened up to new story possibilities, which is really cool. I’ve been VERY lightly brainstorming a story to start drafting once I begin querying Flare, so we’re a few months out.

My next post will be in November, after I’ve gotten married and gone on my honeymoon. I can’t think of a more perfect time to take a break, and whatever your goals are ahead, remember to treat yourself kindly.

Hugs and hot cocoa,
Valerie