Life, Writing

When You’re Feeling Dauncy

“I’ve been feeling real dauncy.”

“Dauncy?”

“Yeah, that’s a word my grandmother made up for when you aren’t really sick but you just feel lousy.”

~ Lucy and Ethel, I Love Lucy



I’ve had a chest cough for about a week now. I’d like to blame it on staying out all night in the cold last Tuesday to be an extra in a Doritos commercial, but there are honestly any number of places I could have picked up germs. Bible study, visiting a new church, going out to lunch with my brother, Wal-Mart, meeting up with a friend from out of state, or the line at ChickFilA that was so long it went all the way out the door.

In other words, I’ve been busy. Between that and the cough and the resulting headache, the past few days I’ve just been feeling — well, dauncy.

And daunciness is a bit hard on a writer’s brain.

There’s the advice I always give to aspiring writers — I put it on all my interviews, and tell it to anyone who asks how I manage to write so much.

“Writer’s block doesn’t exist. Just keep getting words out and don’t stop until you’re finished.”

And that’s true. Just sometimes when the rubber meets the road, it’s a bit easier said than done.

Which would explain why you haven’t seen many blog posts out of me lately, and why the Firmament: Gestern progress bar hasn’t moved for a long while. As much as I would like to be, I’m not perfect, and sometimes I’m feeling dauncy and not feeling like writing, and so I don’t.

But there’s always another month, another week, another day. I could sit here and beat myself up for only writing one day in January, but I won’t. Because my energies are better served right now pushing past the daunciness and getting words on word processor. Now whether that means writing Gestern or editing Implant, I don’t know just yet. I’m still working out my publishing plan for this year. I’m still hoping to publish two books, but we’ll see.\r\n\r\nFor now, I’ve got to figure out how to write while coughing and in between studies, a job interview, church, Bible study, chores, and spending time with family and friends.

As Lucy would say, “Eeeeeewwwwww.”

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