It’s that time of year again when colds and flus are rife. When the season of norovirus is upon us, in the ever darkening northern hemisphere, what can we do when the spirit is willing…but the flesh is weak?

A still life snapshot of self-pity (photograph by Leilanie Stewart)
1. Rest for the body is rest for your mind
It’s a bit rich of me sitting here, writing this blog post, when I should be resting my flu-ridden body – and all the while I’m telling you to rest your body to help your writing in the longer term. Nevertheless it’s true: the brain is a physical thing and if it doesn’t rest, it can’t heal. If it can’t heal then the writing suffers. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
2. Turn fevers to your advantage
On occasion, I have taken ideas or images from fever-induced states and used them in my writing. Check out my short story, Glen Abbott and the Green Man if you don’t believe me! Of course, nightmares and sleep-deprived delirium work pretty well too…
3. Watch movies and read books in bed
After all, there’s no better way to get inspiration than to take a critical look at all those who came before us.
Happy writing… and happy resting!
Related posts:
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
Winter writing blues
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About Leilanie Stewart
Leilanie Stewart is an author and poet from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has written four novels, including award-winning ghost horror, The Blue Man, as well as three poetry collections. Her writing confronts the nature of self; her novels feature main characters on a dark psychological journey who have a crisis of identity and create a new sense of being. She began writing for publication while working as an English teacher in Japan, a career pathway that has influenced themes in her writing. Her former career as an Archaeologist has also inspired her writing and she has incorporated elements of archaeology and mythology into both her fiction and poetry.
In addition to promoting her own work, Leilanie runs Bindweed Magazine, a creative writing literary journal with her writer husband, Joseph Robert. Aside from publishing pursuits, Leilanie enjoys spending time with her husband and their lively literary lad, a voracious reader of sea monster books.
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