Stepping back from Publishing - Update.

So, it's probably about time I catch up on blogging. And, a good way to do that is to catch up on what we got up to this summer.
Back in May I wrote about why I felt I needed to take a break from publishing. Things were slightly different on the home front this summer. For one thing, stepping back from the pressure I was putting myself under for publishing turned out to be the right decision and I now feel ready to start dipping my toes back in.
I never planned to stop writing, but initially felt I needed a little break to recharge. As any writer knows, taking a break isn't as easy as it would first appear. In the beginning, I promised myself no new projects, but it was very difficult to let go of the habit of carrying a notebook and pen. I didn't exactly manage it. Even when I wasn't writing on paper, I found my mind was still whirling with ideas. I was still processing what my next moves would be in this great adventure of publishing. I was still drawn to places that inspire my writing.
What was a girl to do? Okay, so I gave in a little. More on that in upcoming blog posts. I also took out my crochet and knitting needles.

After years of scribbling in notebooks every time I sat down for a coffee, or on a train, or bus, I couldn't stop writing. Not even for a week, never mind the summer months! Knitting and crochet turned out to be a way to keep my hands busy and following patterns kept my mind from wandering, prompting a barman in a hotel we stayed in to asked if I was a smoker trying to quit. I chuckled and explained smoking wasn't my particular addiction.

I also baked - A lot.

If anything, taking a break has reaffirmed to me that even though I love all this other creative stuff I get up to, my first love is writing and that I want to share my writing by throwing my hand back into publishing soon.

Another big change this summer was my son settling into his autism adult service. However, we still managed a bit of exploring. On my next blog post I'll be talking about our trip to Donegal and the connection to The Tuatha Dé Danann from Shades of Atlantis.