I'm happy to start: I've been doing Morning Pages most days for about eight years now. They have become a key practice for my mental and emotional well-being and a prerequisite for "proper" writing most days. Morning Pages keep my writing muscles limber and "floss my brain" so that the writing that's intended for publication can flow better. But in my mind, because they're not meant to be edited, or seen by anyone but myself, MPs don't "count" as writing. I don't include the word count for those in my tracking. They're written, for sure, and they ARE writing in that I feel "off" if I don't do them several days in a row, (I'm a writer, after all), but in my mind, they're kind of their own thing. And I'm really curious about how others here feel about their practices.

@Sara El-Sayeh Oh my, hard relate on the venting! Hang in there! I found that parenting *did* get easier when mine got older. Different needs, sure, new learning, but they don't need me as 24/7 anymore as they used to.

A few days ago, at the tender age of nearly 49, I *finally* realised that worrying is entirely optional, 100% of the time, and I'm still reeling from the realisation. Worrying doesn't solve things, doesn't improve outcomes, creates harmful stress in my nervous system, and makes me less effective at tackling the problems my mind keeps worrying about. The thought that I literally never had to or have to worry about anything in my life ever again blows my mind. That will free up so much mental and emotional (and hence also phyisical physical) energy! I don't mean I won't think about things again, or try to anticipate and solve problems. But there's literally zero benefit to *worrying* about how much writing I'm doing, how much rest I need to recover from health issues, or what I'm doing with my time in the meantime. Zero. So... that's a HUGE win for me.

I like to start with an idea / thought / sentence / phrase that's bumping around in my head and going from there. Sometimes, starting each sentence or paragraph with that phrase until I've run out of ideas what else to say about it, can be a fruitful start. Asking "what if..." questions is my favourite start for exploring ideas through fiction.

@Molly Dunn I relate hard to this. The first time I wanted to write the book I'm currently writing was about 18 years ago, when it would have been about living a good life despite and with chronic pain. But living with chronic pain took the oomph right out of this writer... so despite my best intentions, that book didn't get past the very detailed table of contents stage. When I got the correct diagnosis and treatment and was living without pain and with more energy, I couldn't bear to go near the subject again, and I felt unqualified to write authentically about it, because I wasn't "in it" anymore. Fast forward to 2024, I'm now working on the third incarnation of that book, and it's going slow, because chronic fatigue doesn't lend itself to huge writing sprints and productivity, either, but... I'm persevering. My point is: None of what you've written was wasted time or effort. It all contributes to the memoir or book you're going to write, even if it doesn't look like it right now. (Or 7 weeks ago, when you posted this.)

My main struggle is finding and constantly regaining some sort of balance between necessary self-care, being a good-enough mum, writing time, and learning about how to be a writer.

Dear Unexpected Writers, I'm Rebecca (she/they) and live in New Zealand. I joined here because a space where I can be both my writer and disabled self (ME/CFS, AuDHD) at the same time sounds fantastic! I mainly write non-fiction and romance (currently: steamy queer contemporary). I don't have a single favourite book... but some that I love re-reading time and again are: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman In the Shelter by Páidraig Ó'Tuama The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley (and anything Darkover) Der Blaue Kammerherr by Wolf von Niebelschütz Recent writing book crushes are: Several Short Sentences About Writing and A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.

@Dejan Perez Hi Dejan, setting that intention is strong magic by itself, and doubly so to put it visibly out into the world... like, here!