This is not the post that I originally planned for my Toolbox post this month. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure I would get a post done. But something happened today that changed my mind. I know one of the ideas behind the #authortoolboxbloghop is to share ideas about when and how to write better, but this time I’m thinking about when not to write.
My friend Cathy died.
Cathy was the author of a trio of books I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. More than that, she was a genuinely good and caring person. It always meant a lot to me when she would reach out with a DM to see how Britt and I were doing or to wish us a good time during whichever holiday was coming up. She was a kind and supportive person and she was taken too soon.
Which makes me think about how short life can be and why, even when we want to be writing hard and progressing ourselves as artists, we need to stop every now and then. We need to take the time to be kind to ourselves and each other. We need to take the time to appreciate our lives and the people in it while they’re still with us.
You’ll be missed, Cathy.
You can read my interview with Cathy here, and links to her books are below.
Don’t forget to read the other Author Toolbox blogs, just click the icon below.
The Scribblings 
Sorry for your loss x
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I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. You are so right, self-care is extremely important.
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So sorry for your loss. What a timely post for me. I’m sitting her at 7 am on a day I promised to give myself off. Time to shut down?
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I am so sorry about your friend. Taking time for you, is so important.
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Sorry for your loss!
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So sorry for your loss. Blessings for Cathy on her new journey and strength to all who grieve her. You definitely have to pick and choose your writing times in these circumstances: you will know when you are ready again.
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I enjoyed reading your interview with Cathy. I’m so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with her family.
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So sorry for your loss. It is important to sometimes stop and think, feel what’s around us, meditate or whatever will help the mind to cope with whatever is going on.
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We all need downtime even from writing. It could be as simple as a walk or even a vacation. It allows our subconscious to work on plots or characters without invading our every thought.
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