Writer Giddiness, Feng Shui, and Stress Relief

On the first Monday of each month I gab about what's going on with me, my writing, and life in general.

Lord, is it May already? I know, people always talk about how the years fly by, but this one is shooting past me at light speed. Seems I'd barely posted my April update when I realized it was time to reflect on May. At this rate, Christmas may actually come in July...

Writer Giddiness

I was poking around the dark corners of my past recently, looking for something appropriate for my Throwback Thursday post, when I found myself surfing through some old blogs back when I was taking writing classes in college. I found one in particular about the joy of writing that brought a smile, not because it reminded me of the past, but made me realize that I feel the same way about writing today. Here's a clip from that post:

Something funny happened to me on my way back from writing class the other day...

Well okay, something happens to me after every writing class. I get happy. No, happy doesn't cover it, really. Giddy is a better word choice. Doesn't matter what we did in class, either. Whether it be a low energy day or a Writing Is Great session, by the time I pull into work (creative writing bumps against my work shift twice a week) I feel like I'm marching onto the center platform at the Olympic Games. Halfway down the hall, the sensation bubbles up until I want to spin around, arms held aloft. Then I remember where I am. Work. Hospital. The place with a special ward set aside for grown women who spin themselves about in the halls. So I refrain and the gears begin to downshift. Poof! Mood wears off. Rinse and repeat next class.

That's right. Writing gives me a giddy feeling, making me feel like Julie Andrews on the mountaintop. Luckily for those around me, I will not burst into song, but the vibe is real nonetheless. Writing isn't just something that I do. It's an old friend, a constant companion I am always thrilled to see, no matter how many years go by.

Feng Shui

I have been in full writer mode these past few months, gaining steam and chugging along on projects for two of my pen names as well as helping edit/publish my husband's work. Juggling jobs, kids, writing, and life in general has forever been a challenge for me, so I'll be taking a beat this month to "zen" out my schedule-and my writing space.

I don't know about you, but when I get busy, things slide. Areas get cluttered. And when things get disorganized, I get more scattered mentally. Life reflects art, they say, and if my home is my canvas, I perform better when things are neat and tidy. Feng Shui is something I've practiced longer than I've been writing fiction, and yet I frequently find myself in need of a zen makeover for my space.  So this month I'll be taking a look at my Feng Shui octagon, or bagua, and looking for ways to restore order to the chaos.

Stress Relief

Even though writing makes me spin-around-happy, a lot has been happening--and good stress is still, well, stressful. Deciding to do a Feng Shui sweep of the house will help in the long run, but that, too, means extra busy work up front to accomplish it. So May will be seeing more down time for me, despite the release of Sons of Herne 5: Magic of Midsummer sometime mid-month, plus a surprise release dropping in June. (That I am SO INCREDIBLY excited about that I'm about over the moon!) Off I go!

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On select Mondays, I like to gab about whatever's going on with me. For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than twenty-five books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.