It’s been a long summer, although in many ways it feels like it’s still March. Here in Indiana we’re in stage 4.5 of our governor’s reopening plans, which means remote work continues, social gatherings are limited, and parents in our community have been challenged to decide between virtual learning for their children or face-to-face instruction. There are no easy answers for anyone at this time. Every day life can feel like a challenge. How can you possibly work on your book, and is it selfish to do so?

First, anything that puts you in touch with your best self will help you be more available to others. On an airplane, if you are traveling with a young child, they advise you that if there is a change in cabin pressure to put your own mask on before tending to a minor.

Writing is similar. Once you establish a writing routine, you may feel off balance when you do not write. And yet you want to write—how can you make this happen? Start SMALL.

This week, my daughter organized my books by color. This sounds like such a tiny act, but just seeing my very much loved books arranged in a new fashion made me want to jump up, gather a stack of them in my arms and start reading. What follows? The motivation to keep writing my own.