When the Words Return...

...with a vengeance.

Writers often talk about words as if they’re living things. It sounds odd to non-writers, but if the characters aren’t ready to tell the story, we have to wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Our brains don’t operate on deadlines, and our creative instincts don’t exactly keep to the calendar. Writing is deeply personal, especially when you’ve been at it as long as I have. And, for the past few years, my words didn’t just take a break—they went on an extended vacation.

Since 2016, life threw me one challenge after another. With burnout and physical struggles, deadlines started slipping by like sand through my fingers. Every new book became a hard-fought battle, each sentence was something I had to drag into existence. I was also balancing an immensely stressful day job. Retirement was still a few years away, and the job demands often took precedence over creativity.

Then there was the pandemic. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

By 2021, it became clear: I needed a break. But here’s the twist. Even during that hiatus, I never fully stepped away from my craft. I read, took classes, and met up with other writers, filling my creative well on days when it felt bone-dry. I didn’t let go of my writing because, deep down, I wasn’t giving up on my stories. I guess I was letting them marinate, quietly simmering in the back of my mind, waiting for the right moment to surface.

In 2023, I finally retired, closing a demanding—and often very rewarding—chapter in my life. However, retirement didn’t come with a quick shift back to regular writing. It brought new challenges and beautiful milestones. My daughter was married in New York City to the love of her life, but my husband faced a health issue that required a lot of attention (he’s thankfully on the mend). Happily, we embarked on some long-awaited travels. It was wonderful and a little scary. I started a business—also wonderful and scary. However, the familiar rhythm I’d lived by for decades, the unending cycle of bells and schedules, was gone. I had all the time in the world to restart my life on my terms, but there was a learning curve.

The past year has been about rediscovering myself, building new routines, and getting back to basics. I met new people who inspired me, started fresh rituals, and returned to writing with no pressure, just an hour a day on my latest project. There were days when I deleted everything I’d written. But every line felt like a step towards something real.

Then, just recently, the floodgates opened. Thousands of words poured out of me, words that surprised me with their emotion and depth. My characters weren’t just talking; they were shouting, begging to be heard. The story, after years of silence, was suddenly there—alive, insistent, and pretty damn solid.

So, I guess what I want to say is this: for those of you who are struggling, feeling like their creative flow is gone, don’t give up. Not on your work, and certainly not on yourself. Even when it feels like the well is dry, know that everything you’re doing is part of the process. It’s foundation, preparation, and fuel for what’s to come. Sometimes, life demands that our creativity take a backseat, to give our minds space to rest, heal, and prepare for the stories that will come when we’re ready for them. Our stories hibernate, waiting for us to meet them at just the right time.

And when we finally do, you’ll feel it. The words that once hid in the shadows will pour out, sweeping you up in a torrent of ideas, insights, and inspiration. They’ll remind you that they never left; they were just waiting for you to find your way back to them.

So, my friend, don’t give up. You never know when the words will return, but when they do, it’ll be with a power you may have forgotten that they had.