Friday, April 5, 2013

A to Z Challenge: External Factors

Funny that this is today's topic, since it's pretty much a summary for my day. And sorry if the post turns out to be a bit... dry. I'm not sure if I'll be able to be funny(ish) today. 

The reason: Last night, I went to bed with a slight niggling ache above my right brow. When I woke up this morning, it was a full-blown migraine. 

For those of you who've experience one: it was one of those bouts. You know, that makes you want to cry like a little girl and roll into the fetal position. Even if you happen to be in the bank. 

BANK! Yes. I was. With a migraine. And a bruised butt because of the not so gentle injection I'd received for the pain. All to pay a tenth of my salary into a bank account I don't use because of bank charges I didn't technically incur. So that I could close it. 

I arrived home in time for lunch, ate, and almost as soon as I left the table, another bank's lady rang the bell to arrange for my new account. So yeah. Migraine, although no longer acting like a perverse imp with a jackhammer, is still there, and still knocking at my skull occasionally. 

After she left, I got a bit of work done. And here I am. Typing this post before I ball up into the fetal position like I'd wanted to do all day. 

Aaah... the things I do for new novelists. 

Any of you notice something? Or... more specifically, do any of you not notice something? 

Yeah... writing is conspicuous in its absence today. I haven't written a word. And I won't until tomorrow. 

And that's okay. 

Because sometimes, life happens. Even to us writers. 

We still have to deal with banks and sick children and basements that flood and the coming zombie apocalypse. Well... maybe not the kids and the flooding basements. Not all of us have those. 

But the point is, sometimes, we just can't write because there's no time. 

And that's okay. 

Tomorrow, or maybe next week, will be better. 

As long as you come back to writing as soon as you can. 

What has been your external-factor-day from hell? 

47 comments:

  1. I'm sorry! Go curl into a fetal position and sleep.
    Just my day job - and stupid meetings - beating at me this week.

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    1. Ugh that sounds sucky. Hope things settle down again soon!

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  2. Real life is a bitch - ideally we should be cocoon and not let the world in

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  3. Hi Misha, sorry to hear about your migraine. I suffered with them in my teens and now my wife and daughter both get them so I understand the pain.

    You are right, sometimes it's so hard to beat ourselves up over things outside of our control. The important thing is not to use them as an excuse to completely throw in the towel. As you say, if you have to change your plans today, make a new plan and do it tomorrow or whenever you can. I admire the fact you still managed to post today - well done!

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  4. I saw you tweet that you had a migraine. I'm sorry Misha. I hope it is no longer bothering you.

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    1. Stuck with me all through the weekend, so took Sunday off from anything with a screen except my e-reader. And even then, I'd take a nap at the slightest twinge in my head.

      Worked wonders.

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  5. Ugh, migraines and dealing with banks are bad enough by themselves. :-/ So sorry you had to get them both together!! I hope you feel better soon!

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  6. And yet Misha, those external factors can invariably form the ideas behind what's upcoming in your writing. Get better soon and don't pressurise yourself with this challenge. Your well being is far more important.

    Take care, my friend.

    Gary

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Gary! I took your advice and stayed offline for most of Sunday. :-)

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  7. Ah yes, the external reality. Klahanie's right, we get a lot of our ideas from that world we must deal with, still it's great to crawl inside a story and be in charge of what happens to the people and the way the events unfold.

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    1. So true. Getting back into a story is sort of like a security blanket, really...

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  8. Too many to list! Like every other day lately. But at least I'm getting a bit of writing in. Hang tough, girl!

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  9. My oldest gets those. They make him puke.

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    1. Mine make me nauseous when I have to read, but I've never thrown up from it, luckily.

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  10. I use to get migraines all the time. I pray with all my heart and soul, never to get them again. I pray that you won't have a repeat, Misha and your moments ahead will be better!

    I know extreme light, sunlight and computer light can bring them on. Driving and sunlight hitting you in the face does it also!

    Anyway, feel better! Sometimes just writing about the things that affect you on a day to day bases can be very helpful to others.

    Thanks for sharing! Peace and recovery unto you , Misha!

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    1. Yeah I sort of realized this the hard way. When I drove to the bank, the sun hitting my windscreen made my head hurt so much that I physically cried from it.

      So for the rest of the weekend, I spent a lot of time out of direct sunlight.

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  11. So very sorry that you are hit with this monster, migraine. It is such a big determiner of my life, despite my efforts to keep it at bay.

    I'd like a shot today, myself.

    Will be praying for you, Misha.

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  12. I'm sorry to hear about your migraine!

    I haven't had any horrible external factors set in today . . . yet. One of the luckier days, I suppose.

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  13. I used to get mirgraines BAD when I was younger. Luckily, I grew out of them, but I know exactly how you feel.

    Hope you start feeling better soon!

    Left and Write

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  14. Really sorry you hurt that bad. I've had days like that where I'm just miserable but I have to keep going.

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    1. Yeah same here. Can't always just curl up and hide from the world.

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  15. Kids. Husband. Kids. Doctors. Kids. Bill collectors. Kids. Husband. Kids. Doctors. Oh, and did I mention? KIDS.

    Of course, there's also the shiny, pretty, happy distraction of social media.

    Yup. External factors kick my butt. I can only imagine how productive I could be if I was chained to my desk unable to do anything else but write for 6 hours a day.

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    1. Hahaha nah I think that would just make you averse to writing anyway. :-D

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  16. I've had an "external-factor-week-from-hell"...
    The most annoying thing being the municipality telling me I paid short on my lights/water account, when I paid the account 2 weeks ago, and had the receipt to prove it! Aaarrgh!

    Writer In Transit

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    1. Ugh! Sometimes, I think municipal workers who are too lazy to think deserve a special place in hell.

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  17. I know someone who gets migraines, and I appreciate it's NOT fun. Do what you need to do, you get a free pass from the writing stuff :) Hope you feel better soon.

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  18. Life happens....especially to us writers! :)

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  19. Migraines are one of the few things I will allow where I don't feel bad about not writing. They make me sick and more often than not, I lack the injection med to get rid of them.
    Focus on feeling better and give yourself a day off

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    1. Yeah I realized that the doc's injection won't do a thing unless I chilled out for a few.

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  20. Migraines suck. I have a prescription for mine. It helps--a bit, providing I take it quickly enough. I do hope yours is short-lived.

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    1. I don't have a prescription, since I don't get such frequent headaches.

      Still, I get the feeling that I need to take it easier for a few days...

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  21. I hope you feel better soon! It must be tough to get work done when your head is bugging you.

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  22. Life goes on. Sometimes pain lasts so long you think nothing will ever change. When you're free from the grip, you're back to normal. I have difficulty walking. The pain teaches me to cope.

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    1. Now I feel like I have such a better deal. Thank you.

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  23. I'm so sorry. That's miserable! I don't get migraines, but I do get sinus infections, frequently, and they take weeks to overcome. Here's hoping it's a one day thing and you're back at 100%.

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    1. I get sinus infections too. In fact, the pain's so similar to me that I went to the doc asking for an allergy injection until he said that it's migraine and not allergy.

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  24. I hope you;re feeling better now. I feel like I'm at the constant mercy of external factors, between work and family and stuff I never saw coming. Writing always has a priority, but that priority has to have its place in the sea of external factors. Here's to a little less distractions and a little more writing. :)

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    1. Much better, thanks!

      I agree with you that writing should have a high priority.

      Too bad that sometimes it just isn't possible.

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