Is it block or boredom? ~ @AuthorKristina Knight

I've been in a weird place lately. I'm writing, but it's almost forced. And I'm meeting my goals but no matter how well the writing is going, when I hit that sprinting goal, it's like the words just evaporate. Can I get back into the words? Yes. Do I feel driven to do it? Not especially. 

I would blame this mood on the dog days of summer, but it's been going on longer than summer. I can't get into novels, I'm finding myself bored with favorite TV shows, and I've had a list of movies in my to-watch area on Netflix all summer but I just can't get up the motivation to actually press play. It's a tiny, freaking button on my remote. It's not like I have to lift 100 pound weights to do it. 

I'm not unhappy. I'm not especially stressed out. I'm just...bored, I suppose. The thing is, I think this book I'm working on is good. I've found myself laughing out loud at the characters a couple of times. I've cried with the heroine. I've been perplexing like the hero. And a little bit annoyed by (and in defense of) both of them. Those are all very good things, in Writer Kristina Land. But still, I'm just not ... something enough.

I would say I'm unhappy except I'm not. I would say that I have writers block except I'm writing. I'd say that I'm stressed out about the pandemic except I've come to terms with bebe not going back to school in a couple of weeks...and we're all healthy. I just feel ... blah. And I don't like it. 

To see if it would help, I went on a social media hiatus for a few days last week. Didn't post, didn't even log in. It was nice and it did help a little, but never going on social media again? That's just not going to work for me long term. I may, though, give myself specific time limits. 15 minutes in the morning, 15 in the afternoon and black it out for the rest of the day. 

While I was social media hiatus-ing I read some comfort read authors (Nora Roberts/Undercurrents, Nicole Helm/Homecoming for the Cowboy, started Nan's Meant to Be). I finished a new series (and now I'm bummed because it ended on a cliff hanger and hasn't been renewed). I did watch one of those movies on my list and enjoyed it a lot. I've probably watched a few too many re-runs of The Golden Girls. Done a little too much online shopping, although I haven't purchased anything. Window-shopping online is still fun, though. 

Maybe I am stressed out and just don't realize it. Maybe this is a new-to-me kind of writer's block that I'm pushing through. Maybe it is just a bit of a summer slump. A pandemic summer slump, maybe. Or maybe I'm being too hard on myself and looking for trouble where there really isn't any. 

Whatever it is, I do think I'm going to limiting my time on social media, especially as the election stuff starts amping up because that will stress me out and distract me and take me down a rabbit hole of nonsense. Nonsense that I really don't have time for. Actually, scratch that, nonsense that I would make time for, thereby taking time away from something more important - like school-at-home stuff for bebe or a night out with RadioMan or getting those words on the page and instead of stuck in my head. 

Tell me about your summer - are you making progress on your goals? Or are you in a bit of a slump - or whatever this is - like me?