Getting Back to Writing

I have wanted to be a published author for almost as long as I can remember. I have been writing potential books for years, first during school and then a smaller amount during university. When I finished university, I said to myself that I would dedicate most of my time and energy to finishing a novel and trying to get it published. Mental health issues and work interfered. Again, I tried but I found myself feeling stressed and anxious about having to write the next day and reaching a certain word count. I tried different ways of measuring progress: word count, time spent on writing and just writing anything but nothing stuck. Then I realised: writing is meant to be fun, yes, it is hard work but I don’t want to be spending my time feeling stressed and anxious about something that I am supposed to love. So, I took a break. I ended up starting this blog which I absolutely love and I believe that it is one of the best decisions that I have ever made.

Guest Series: Writing About Mental Health and Cancer Survivorship by Sam Rose

Today's guest post is by writer Sam Rose, an amazing woman who has survived cancer and blogs about her experience. Here is her post:

Writing About Mental Health and Cancer Survivorship

While I was making notes on how I might approach writing this blog post, I jotted down “talk about writing in the context of dealing with cancer survivorship”. But the truth is, these days I find myself writing about little else. Cancer has had a huge effect on my body, my mental health, and subsequently my creative work.

I had colon cancer in 2010 when I was 22. The offending organ was whipped out but since then I have had yearly screenings and check-ups, as well as a handful of scares and other unrelated health issues to worry about – all fear-inducing, but luckily leading to nothing sinister so far. When these things happen (or even when they don’t), it can really take its toll on my emotional state. Over the last seven years I’ve dealt with varying degrees of nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and poor self-confidence.

I Have Been Nominated for The Sunshine Award 2018!

I cannot believe that I am writing this post. The wonderful Kate Carter at thetustingirl.com nominated me for the Sunshine Award 2018! Thank you so much to her for nominating me and for all of my readers for visiting and commenting on my blog. I have discovered that I love blogging and I really hope that people are finding my posts helpful.  There are 4 rules to follow for this nomination:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you for the blog post and link back to their blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions that the blogger asked you.

3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 questions.

4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or blog.

So, here are my answers to Kate’s questions:

1.       Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog because I originally had a bookstagram and then a booktube. I discovered book blogging and fell in love. I have always been passionate about writing and I had tried blogging in the past. Writing and reading are two central parts of my life and as I began writing my blog I found a passion for writing about mental health and I was encouraged to post my own creative writing too. Blogging makes me so happy and I am so grateful for all the amazing, friendly and supportive people that I have found because of it.