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LIVE Blog: The Gathering Days: Why NOT Writing Is OK

LIVE Blog: The Gathering Days: Why NOT Writing Is OK

February 20, 2021 Conference 2021, Prepared Events 2021 15 Comments

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Tags: inspirationalwriting life
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Joni Nemeth
Joni Nemeth
7 days ago

Marcie – I’m so sorry for the unfortunate irony of this post. I follow you on twitter and know the situation with your father. My dad passed quite unexpectedly in 2019 from stroke complications, and I empathize with you completely. Lots of support and love from people who only know you in the “community”.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  Joni Nemeth
7 days ago

Thank you so much. Its been a really tough month and I appreciate you saying that.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  Joni Nemeth
7 days ago

And you are right…there will have to be Gathering Days ahead as I simply experience this grief. Its part of life. And being an author, we need to experience life.

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MikeHays
MikeHays
7 days ago

Thanks for this reminder, Marcie! It’s important to remember that standing still does not mean you’re slipping backwards. My best solutions to story issues often come while I’m mowing or working outdoors.

I hope all is well with you! These past 12 months have been most unusual that’s for sure. I’m optimistically trying to create at my own pace and take it one day at a time.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  MikeHays
7 days ago

It’s always about your own pace. As someone who has run marathons, I had to learn that. It’s not about anyone else’s journey. And sometimes you just have to stop to rest (or pee!)

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MikeHays
MikeHays
Reply to  Marcie
7 days ago

Ha! “Take Time To Pee”

I think that will be the new inspirational poster above my writing space.

Thanks!

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  MikeHays
7 days ago

That will be my next blog post!

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Greenfrog
Greenfrog
7 days ago

What about if it’s YEARS of not writing? I sometimes get really down on myself for the fact I haven’t produced in an insanely long time. Granted, I’m parenting a small person and the world has been absolute chaos, but…. ugh. It is hard to feel like I’m a writer any more when I haven’t written in so long.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  Greenfrog
7 days ago

Is there a way to play with words that is not actual writing? Like a haiku a day? I sometimes have my students summarize something awesome that happened in their day or week with a haiku. It’s a way to keep your connection to the written word, but also give grace to yourself. Just a thought. And believe me, I am sure most of the community gets it. Just being a parent to a small human right now is SOOOOOOOO noble. You are doing life. And that’s ok.

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Greenfrog
Greenfrog
Reply to  Marcie
7 days ago

Thank you. That’s a wonderful idea for how to connect past and present and keep the writing feeling alive. Thank you for the support and thoughtful blog about this issue. Gentleness and making room for creativity are deeply needed.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  Greenfrog
7 days ago

You are very welcome. We all need reminding to be gentle with ourselves and give grace where needed. It’s been a long lesson for me.

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betsyb
betsyb
7 days ago

Thank you for this! I’ve just paired reading your blog with another posted last night from Claire Winn, “It’s Okay to Write Slowly.” Both of these remind me that, yes, it is okay if I’m not actively writing all the time, and that I AM still a writer. One line of yours that really stuck out to me was, “While creative pursuits are fulfilling, they are simultaneously depleting.” I’d never thought about the creative process in quite in that way before, and looking at it that way, taking time for “gathering days” is actually essential to the work of being a writer!

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  betsyb
7 days ago

Exactly! We are artists. We create. In doing so, we put so much of ourselves into each piece. And that is depleting, whether we are aware of it or not. My next book, coming out in August, is a lyrical nonfiction story about the 9/11 Survivor Tree. I put my entire heart into that book. And I needed a lot of Gathering Days throughout the process and afterward to make sure I was filled back up as an artist, so I could give my heart fully to the next project.

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betsyb
betsyb
Reply to  Marcie
7 days ago

Oh, I was just looking at Survivor Tree (I read the interview with you and Aaron on the SJL site), as the title in your bio caught my eye. I love trees, and they are a very important part of my MG novel, which I’m currently revising. I totally hear you about putting your entire heart into a book–my entire heart is in this one of mine, and I’ve needed A LOT of Gathering Days for it too.

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Marcie
Marcie
Reply to  betsyb
7 days ago

That means you are doing it right! Keep on writing and give yourself time to process when you need to. Looking forward to reading your MG when it comes out. Trees are gifts.

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