What happens when life makes you stop?

The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #28

This isn’t the article I originally planned, and I guess it isn’t strictly a KidLit Creator’s Chronicle, at least not the way you’ve gotten to know them! I had a more typical KidLit Creator’s Chronicle edition lined up to support you in your author journey…

… but life had other ideas.

Some of you may have noticed (or even mentioned) that there’s been no TKCC from me for a while. This is why.

As it turns out, life can be more ridiculous than fiction sometimes.

The short version is this: I injured my shoulder at the end of July, not long after the Children’s Book Mastery Summit. It started as a torn muscle, and while I did stop and rest, I wasn’t able to get proper treatment quickly enough. The injury progressed into nerve compression, causing severe pain in my arm and hand, and for a few weeks, I was on strong medication that made clear thinking nearly impossible.

Meet my recovery assistants. One read me wonderful stories, and the other took her role very seriously, mostly by stealing my blanket.

Around the same time, in early August, my husband left for an extended trip to the US, so I’ve been managing everything at home solo, including caring for my daughter. This was a big adjustment, especially while I was hobbling through life like a lopsided puppet with brain-fog.

Now buckle up, because this is where things really started to get a bit ridiculous: on 27 August, just when I started feeling like I could get back to work soon, I was in a car accident that wrote off my car and set everything back again.

Thankfully, my daughter has been wonderful throughout this process, and due to working with my amazing physio, my shoulder has fully healed now. (And I have a new ride.) So, all is well.

But for weeks, everything ground to a halt.

To be clear, I’m not sharing this to complain or to seek sympathy, but just to give you some context.

I do think it’s worth talking about, because it forced me to reflect on something that every author, especially those of us juggling family, writing, and a hundred other demands, needs to consider.

If your health slips, everything else eventually comes to a stop.

And I don’t mean that in a vague, inspirational-quote kind of way.

I mean, my emails got delayed. I had to cancel the Bootcamp I had already scheduled for August. My work ground to a halt. Even simple things like replying to messages and managing the daily tasks started slipping.

And it wasn’t because I refused to rest. I did, but I didn’t act quickly enough to get the right help. I assumed that rest and time would fix it, and in the meantime, I still had to keep the essentials running.

But your body won’t just wait quietly on the sidelines while you do life and don’t listen to it. When something needs attention, it finds a way to let you know, and if you don’t listen, it turns up the volume.

That’s exactly what happened to me. Pushing through simply wasn’t an option anymore. I had to postpone and let go of plans.

So, instead of a how-to or a book marketing strategy this week, I want to offer something else: a quick check-in you might need more than tips right now.

Is there something you’ve been ignoring (physically, mentally, emotionally) because you think you “don’t have time” to deal with it?

Maybe it’s a niggling health issue you’ve been brushing off.

Maybe your sleep has been off for a while, but you keep pushing through because the to-do list feels more urgent.

Maybe you’ve been in overdrive for so long that slowing down feels uncomfortable and a little bit scary.

Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to give it attention now, while it’s still (hopefully) a whisper and not a demand.

You might lose a little progress when you pause, but you lose a whole lot more when you collapse.

Your energy, your health, and your peace are not optional extras. They’re the foundation for everything else you’re building.

Books.
Business.
Family.
Dreams.
All of them depend on you being well enough to follow through.

I snapped this photo a few years ago. It felt like the right image to go with this message.

I know how hard it can be to step back, especially when you’re passionate, driven, and excited about what you’re working on. But pushing through isn’t always the answer. Sometimes the best way to protect your progress is to protect your well-being.

So…

Pause.
Get the check-up.
Let something go.
Say no, just for now.

It’s far better than being forced to stop entirely.

As for me, I took the time I needed to properly rest, recover, do my physio exercises, and ease back in, and I’m really glad to be back in the swing of things!

I’m also excited that you’ll be hearing from me again every week, with new editions of the KidLit Creator’s Chronicle.

You can’t do your best creative work if you’re running on empty. Looking after yourself isn’t a distraction from your author goals, it’s what makes them possible.

Now, go take your vitamins, or go for that jog you’ve been meaning to. 😉