When A Wrong Turn Is a Good Thing

Life is full of interesting twists and turns. When I took what I thought was a temporary pause from blogging back in 2020, because I was annoyed with some recurring technical glitches, I had no idea how long ‘temporary’ would last. But it feels as though I have gradually let things important to me slip away over the last few years, and I am determined to get them back, one at a time. This blog today is one of those baby steps!
 
If I had to guess, I would say I am probably not the only person who has felt as though things got off track somehow. It can be a bit disconcerting to stop, really look around, and wonder how you got to… wherever it is you are. And luckily, in most cases, it is possible to turn around and get back on track.
 
Which is the point I am at now. While in some ways I did make some breakthroughs with my writing the last couple years, in other ways I have felt a bit bogged down. However, a recent epiphany is helping me to get ‘unstuck.’ You see, with the help of a good friend, I realized something about my writing. It turns out, I do not write historical romance – I write historical fiction which happens to have a touch of romance in it. (Because I still am a firm believer in stories which leave you in a good mood at the end.)
 
Surprisingly, reaching this conclusion felt like a good thing. Yes, it meant I had to go back and make some tweaks to my existing stories. But on the up side, it meant I could focus on the overall plot, without constantly thinking, “But I have to remember to add the romance, too.” (Perhaps I should have wondered a long time ago why I had to keep reminding myself that I wrote romance. Maybe this should have been some sort of indicator!)
 
However, since I did not recognize this clue in the past, my recent hiatus has proven to be a good thing. I believe this is often the case. After all, there is a reason why the adage about clouds with silver linings came to be. Slowing down after taking what appeared to be a wrong turn gave me the opportunity to see my life and my writing from a new perspective.
 
Has the same happened in your life? I would encourage each of you to look at some nagging irritation in your life with fresh eyes. Maybe there is a lesson it is trying to teach you, or some benefit you have not yet seen. Even if you do not see anything positive right away, is it ever really a bad thing to take a few moments to assess where we are at? I hope each one of you discovers you are exactly where you are meant to be, even if it is not where you thought you wanted to be.

---