Patricia Stoltey

Author

“I Just Ain’t Hitting.”

By:

Yogi Berra once said: “Slump? I ain’t in no slump. I just ain’t hitting.”

That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling since Monday. I ain’t hitting. I’ve weaseled out of attending two evening events. I wanted to be there, I was in the mood to listen and participate in the discussions, but I couldn’t make myself get ready and go out in the cold. I have a To Do List a mile long, but writing blog posts seems to be the only thing I can finish. I fixed a stir fry meal last night and served it without rice because I didn’t have any of the microwave packets, and it was too much trouble to fix regular rice. See what I mean?

Maybe I have spring fever. I’ll admit to being a little weary of snow and cold. My office is cold today but I don’t have the energy to turn on the space heater (because I have to get up and plug it in first).

It could be the post-first-draft blahs. This suspense novel took a long time to write and I still have revisions to do. I was on top of the world when I finally finished the first draft, but today I’m thinking my main character is a wimp and my plot full of holes. Just the usual stuff writers experience at this stage of the writing process.

I might be coming down with something, I suppose, but I don’t have a fever, and my aches and pains are just the usual ones I get when I sit at the computer too long…

I give up. I’m going to fix a cup of hot tea, a bit of toast (with blueberry jam) wrap up in a cozy afghan, and finish reading Stephen J. Cannell’s Three Shirt Deal, a Shane Scully mystery (and a darned good one, too). If that doesn’t fix me up, nothing will.

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Comments

  1. Hi Patricia.. I just love this post. I had never heard of a ‘blah’ before but from your words and indeed the pace of your post, I get it entirely. And yep, we have all been there… and yep you are on the road to healing it yourself. Mind yourself, be good to yourself, nurture yourself.. cups of tea, books, firesides and afghans all sound grand. And if they don’t work – head for the alcohol!!! And then write another post and tell us how it all panned out!!!

    (Have added you to my bloglist over at http://www.barbarascully.blogspot.com

  3. Wow — definitely a blah epidemic, although New Mexico doesn’t seem to be affected. Maybe they’re having more sunshine down there.

    Galen, you’re too funny. Endless energy? My husband would howl with laughter…

  5. Hi Patricia…it must be going around…today I was so angry and tense and did not even know why. I speed walked my dog around the block twice, and still felt the same. Like you, blogging and comments seem to be what motivates into moving. I too am on a tea and toast with raspberry jelly and night time with cocoa and buttered sourdough toast…I have an art class tomorrow…and already I am thinking of excuses…

  6. Patricia, when I read your post, I wanted to tell you to check out Jan’s blog, but I see she has beaten me to it. If it helps any, I have been feeling blah myself, and after reading Jan’s post realise that she may have nailed the reason why.

    Also wanted to tell you I finally passed on the Circle of Friends award today. Thank you for giving it to me, though I wish you hadn’t because I would have loved passing it onto you had I got it from someone else.

  7. Hey Patricia – see my blog today! It won’t neccesarily pick you up but it will put you in plenty of good company. Retreating with a good book and a cuppa is just the thing…

  9. You definitely deserve a cozy book and a hot cup of tea! Ann is right, we all have those days, but it sounds like yours is turning into three or four! Don’t sit in that chair too long–get out of the house for a bit and see how it feels. At least got to a coffee shop and read or blog from there. I really think it’ll help knock off the cobwebs.

    And I didn’t realize you had finished another first draft! I better get the Writer’s Know award read for you! I know you are a published author and it’s probably old hat at this point, but you can never be too recognized for an accomplishment like completing a manuscript. I’ve decided to do awards only on Saturdays, so I’ll send you a comment to let you know when it’s up for you! Congrats and enjoy your tea and your book. Let us know if it’s a good one!

    If you feel like writing…Writing Prompt Wednesdays today on my blog!
    Michele
    SouthernCityMysteries

  10. We all have those days. I am suffering from the blahs too. Is this a symptom of the seemingly endless winter? Cozying up with a cup of tea and a book sounds like the perfect remedy. A hot water added to the mix would make it the perfect remedy.