Monday, February 29, 2016

Writing as Therapy



I’ve always been a strong proponent of the thought that writing can be very therapeutic. Today, Sunday, is a good example.

The wind is howling outside and it’s pouring rain. The dogs delight in going outside to do their business and waiting until they’re back in the house to shake off the rain. 

 
The new (two months old) refrigerator is having motor problems. It sounds like the garbage disposal. It stops when you open the refrigerator door. Leave it open for a few minutes, and when you close it the noise stops. If you close the door too soon, the noise continues. Get yourself some ice cubes, and it starts screaming again. It’s Sunday. Who wants to call for repairs on a Sunday?

Thanks to the weather, Poop Duty has been put on hold. It’s an ugly job, but someone has to clean up the mess – daily. There are three dogs – two yellow Labs and a Chiwienie. For those who don’t know, a Chiwienie is half Chihuahua and half Dachshund.

After leaving the refrigerator door open for exactly four minutes and then closing it, the screaming has stopped. Step away from the ice cubes.

Can’t go outside for Poop Duty, so what’s left? The laundry is done and so is the vacuuming. I hear a book calling my name.

Sometimes we write a book that doesn’t hold our attention, much less the readers’. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I started one a long time ago about a nursing home. It hit too close to a real life situation and I couldn’t deal with the story. Not done, but gone.

Other times we work on a book that we enjoy, that grabs us as the writer and won’t let go. At those times nothing seems as important as the new Work in Progress (WIP). We lose ourselves in the story. The ideas are coming faster than we can type them. We don’t even want to break to eat, but we have to.

We get so wrapped up in the story that all of our problems seem to take a backseat, if only for a little while. I love that! None of my jobs over the years ever had the effect on me. If I’d only known, I would have started writing the day I left kindergarten. Really.

I’ve talked to other authors about this feeling, but unfortunately, when we get around to the subject of marketing and promoting, it feels like someone popped our Happy Balloon. One of the reasons is that no one seems to be able to come up with a new and unique promotional idea. You might write the Great American Novel, but it may not go anywhere because no one knows about it. (I’m not speaking of myself, by the way. Great American Novel? Ha! But fun, yes.) We’ve got to run ourselves ragged trying to get the Word out there.

I bought three new toys for the dogs yesterday. They’re exactly alike, and yet each dog wants the same toy – just like little kids. Let them figure it out themselves. I have a book to write.

There are some books that wrap us in their arms and beg to be written. Those are the ones that are therapeutic. For a little while, it’s all about us and our book. Nothing else matters. We can forget grinding motors, wet dogs and the celery that went limp before we could use it in the tuna salad.


Right now I’m writing a time travel mystery. The therapy I get from working on this WIP is worth far more than I could ever get from a paid therapist. Sorry, Doctor, but it’s the truth. The only thing better than writing therapy is chocolate. Hmm. Chocolate vs. Writing. That’s too close to call.

Ah. It’s time to get back to writing, and I think I’ll have some chocolate while I write. Perfect solution.

Has your writing ever helped you get through a rough day or some hard times? I sure hope so.

Here’s to happy writing days (holding chocolate in the air).

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

By the way, both the Sandi Webster Mysteries and the Bogey Man Mysteries can be ordered through your favorite bookstore in paperback. Just ask for them.

14 comments:

  1. Writing has gotten me through a lot of tough times. Life seems to constantly present "challenges" but, when I write, they all magically disappear. I'm in the story, living the plot along with my characters.
    The next best thing is floating in a pool with the sun shining down on me. My problems seem to drift away.
    For me, water is therapeutic and so is writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's amazing, Pat, that writing (and sun and water) can have such a beneficial side, and we probably didn't realize came with the territory when we started out. Thank you for commenting!

      Delete
  2. Writing allows me to take the characteristics of people who annoy me and make them the victim.
    Fiona Gavelle
    Una Tiers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good thought, Fiona. I once heard an author say that as long as there were people she didn't like, she'd never run out of victims or stories. Thank you so much for commenting!

      Delete
  3. I so agree with Fiona and the author you mention, Marja. Right now I live in a lovely place with wonderful residents except for a few I wouldn't mind killing in a book. I mentioned this to a friend Saturday and she was horrified that I would even think of killing anyone even in a book. Obviously, she doesn't read mysteries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You reminded me of a story, Pat. I once said, "Oh, I could just shoot her" about someone I worked with. I was talking to the janitor and he took me seriously. I had to explain what a figure of speech was. Maybe you should get your neighbor started on mysteries. Thank you for commenting!

      Delete
  4. You are absolutely right, Marja. Last summer I lost my beloved only brother. I was plotting a book and started working on it immediately. And when I finished it, I turned immediately to another one. While I'm writing, I don't have to think about how much I miss him. When I stop, it's a different story. And this is only one instance of how my writing (and also reading) has helped me through a terrible time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I understand completely, Dorothy. I reacted just the opposite when I lost my husband. I couldn't read or write for almost a year. I'm sorry for your loss, but glad you had something to keep you going. Thank you so much for commenting!

      Delete
  5. Sometimes when I want to complain about someone or something, and I know I can't, I'll just write it out in a spiral notebook I keep, and it makes me feel a lot better. Someday, I may turn that notebook into a novel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea, Evelyn, and I should try that. Your notes might make a killer novel. : ) Thank you for commenting!

      Delete
    2. Good article, Marja. I agree that writing is therapeutic. Writing saved me from deep depression when my daughter and other family members passed on, and I was able to incorporate some of those feelings into my novels.

      Delete
  6. I'm glad you could incorporate those feelings, Jean. It's not the easiest thing to do, but it helps. Thank you so much for commenting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. So agree. I don't know what I'd do without writing. Lost at sea, I guess. Thanks for another excellent heart-felt post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know what I'd do without it, either, Madelaine. I'm glad you could relate to the subject. Thank you for commenting!

      Delete