…But I’m Tired

I find myself in a conundrum. I want to write, but I don’t have the mental energy required to do so. The story I posted earlier today was written sometime around Thanksgiving last year. If I could even just get started I might be able to keep it going and pick up some momentum. But after weeks of the day job and consistent nights of web development, I just don’t have the energy. Usually web development work is spotty and only a few nights a week. Lately it’s been every night for at least a few hours and it isn’t over yet. Every time I finish a project a new one magically appears on my plate. The extra money is nice. The lack of time and energy is anything but.

Add to the mix one high energy one year old between the two jobs and it’s easy to see why I’m exhausted by the end of most evenings. I love the kid to death but holy bejeepers does she wear her daddy out! Yes, I just said bejeepers. My daughter is learning to talk and I’d rather she not pick up any swear words so I say weird words instead. Usually the only curse words I use occur in my stories. But I even try to keep that to a minimum, unless the characters refuse to abide by my rules.

Lately, if I have the occasional free evening, rather than writing or even reading, I find myself vegging out and doing basically nothing. Maybe watching a little TV or maintaining my hockey gear, but otherwise just relaxing. I know I need to relax, but I also need to write. Every writer can attest to that. There’s always a nagging urge to write and I have plenty of tales to tell. I just don’t have the energy to get my fingers clicking away at the keyboard.

I need to find a way to reenergize my overtaxed brain so I can get back to writing. As time goes on it’s getting harder and harder to jump into the fabled writing zone. Damn real world getting in the way of dreams and goals and whatnot.

The good news is that tonight is a slow night for web design so maybe I’ll have a chance to find my groove again. I’m going to try anyway.

Anybody have any ideas/suggestions I could put to use? What works to relax you and put you in a writing mood? I’m willing to try (almost) anything at this point!