What’s Got You Blocked?

Image by Fabien on Pixabay

I’ll be honest. I’m a goal-oriented fiend, but I was blocked for half of 2024 and just bailed myself out of it. Why was I blocked? First and foremost, becoming a published author is exciting. No doubt about it. But the learning curve is huge, it keeps growing, and the implementation of it is overwhelming and exhausting. There are only so many things you can do in a day.

The second reason? My second book came out in August, and it was time to get started on the third one. I knew the beginning and the end, but how to tie them together eluded me. I’d write and get a good way in and then stop. This went on for months. But at the end of December, the cloud lifted and now the book is half finished with a solid plan for completion.

What unblocked me?

My good friend and fellow author, Joyce, will be surprised to learn that she played a big role in it. She knew I was stuck. We talked about it more than once, but she never pushed. All she did was listen, and during one of our conversations, she shared some exciting news. She set a huge goal and already started implementing it. I was over-the-top happy for her, and over the next few days, it made me see that I needed to get off the pot and get moving. What happened to my plans? Where were my goals? Where was my to-do list? Like Cher in Moonstruck, Joyce’s news made my inner voice say, “Snap out of it!” Life was passing by.

Here’s a little bit about the third novel

The result? Well, to whet your appetite, here’s a little bit about the third novel. It has the same characters, but because the subject matter is vastly different, I dare not call it part of a trilogy. This book is a deep dive into the mother, Carol, who was estranged from her family, but we were kept in the dark as to why. Now it is revealed and here’s the question:

If you suffered enormous emotional cruelty and managed to escape the grip of those who inflicted it, would you go back decades later to help them? What if it was your family? Carol is faced with such a decision and is torn between going back to help even though she feels nothing for them or staying away and risking the guilt she might feel if someone dies. Before her family cries for help, Carol discovers what she believes is the reason why she became a target, and her decision is based on her need for answers and desire to heal.

Until next time,

Jean

AKA The Strategic Chicken – Making life’s journey one strategic step at a time.