On a Writing Lockdown

ByDeborah Raney
16 Comments

As I near “The End” with each novel, I seem to find it necessary to go under a self-imposed “lockdown” and just “get ‘er done!” As you read this, I’ve been on lockdown for almost four days and here’s what that looks like:

First of all, I need solitude when I’m on lockdown. In the past, I’ve checked in to Airbnbs (even one in our own town!) so there were no interruptions, no distractions, and no responsibilities. Two years ago, I kicked my husband out of the house for two weeks. Ken went on a trip to places I had no interest in and even though we missed each other desperately by the end of that time, it was a win/win. I finished my book and he had a great time and met up with some friends at the Grand Canyon.

So we did that again this year. Friday morning, Ken headed to Wichita to pick up his brother for a two-week trek to Glacier National Park and all kinds of sites between here and there. I know they will have an absolute blast and I’m glad they’re together to keep an eye on each other (although, remembering some of the mischief the four Raney brothers got into as kids, I probably should be more concerned! 😉 ) But they’re off on an adventure, and meanwhile, our college-age grandson, who spent the summer in Florida, is back for another school year living in our basement apartment. He has his own life and won’t bother me while I write, but it’s also nice to know I have a big, strong, brave spider- and snake-killer on call here while Ken is away. 🙂

This might sound crazy, but I get more projects and activities done while I’m on a writing lockdown alone (key word!) than any other time. You see, when Ken is home, if I leave my desk and start a project, he thinks that means I’m not writing so he can interrupt me. Au contraire! My very best writing happens when I’m immersed in a project! While I clean or craft or bake, my mind is working overtime, solving problems in my story, figuring out the plot, etc. Home alone, I’m free to move from laptop to craft project to organizing a closet to playing the piano to baking bread without skipping a beat in my writing process.

Already since Ken drove off, I’ve decoupaged a little stool that had water-damage on top, I hung several paintings to wrap a gallery wall around a corner of our bedroom, I’m working out an arrangement of “Beauty and the Beast” on the piano, I’ve cleaned out my side of the closet and gotten rid of at least 20 items of clothing that I no longer need or wear, and I’ve baked bread that will last me the whole two weeks since I only have to share it one time (with a friend who’s coming for a 5:30 a.m. breakfast and coffee tomorrow.)

Next weekend my daughters are coming for a sleepover and I’m babysitting grandkids for a few hours one morning. Those will be nice breaks in my lockdown, but other than that, my only responsibility (besides putting out the trash and recycling and watering flowers if it doesn’t rain) is to finish my book!

It’s going really well and I’m actually having a blast! I know I’ll start being homesick for Ken long before he gets home, but I also know that, like last time, we’ll have a new appreciation for each other by the time he comes home. And hopefully, by then, I’ll have written a final THE END on Who Stirs Up the Sea.

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DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched Deb’s writing career. Forty books later, she's still creating stories that touch hearts and lives. Her novels have won RWA's RITA Award, the ACFW Carol Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She is also a four-time Christy Award finalist. Deb is on faculty for several national writers’ conferences and served on the executive board of the 2,500-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization for 18 years before retiring in 2022. She is a recent transplant to Missouri, having moved with her husband, Ken Raney, from their native Kansas to be closer to kids and grandkids. They love road trips, e-biking, Friday garage sale dates, and breakfast on the screened porch overlooking their wooded backyard.

16 Comments

  1. Praying for you as you wrap this one up! And have fun with all your other projects. Oh that bread… Delicious! 😉

  6. I just did a DIY Retreat for five days at an Airbnb in a nearby town and also wrote more each day than I usually get done. My routine was set: devotions, drive to the park and walk the loop trail through the woods, get back and eat breakfast, shower, dress and sit down to write by 9 a.m. Break for lunch, write/read/research. The solitude and routine was what I needed. Somehow my discipline when away is much stronger!
    My husband is also supportive, but if I’m out of the office for a creative change of pace or my Writer at Work sign is missing, I’m fair game as well. But he’s my number one fan.

    Praying you have happy writing and a joyful THE END!

    1. Sounds wonderful, Karen! Especially the wooded trail. I did a retreat like that once and got a great idea for a book that turned into Remember to Forget. 🙂 And I should note that Ken is the one who planned that retreat. Like your husband, he couldn’t be more supportive. It’s just hard for a non-writer to understand how important solitude and uninterrupted focus are. 🙂 But we are blessed with our husbands!

  7. The whole idea of a “lockdown” is pretty clever! We all need to “put the world out to pasture” occasionally to accomplish something creative. Hope that book gets finished and that Ken has fun off on his adventure, too!

  8. I’m impressed that you can progress your story while crafting, Deb. 🙂 I can story weave while walking or doing dishes, but my brain isn’t nimble enough to wander productively when I craft or bake. I’m too focused on instructions and details. Though, like you, I crave solitude when I write. My husband wants to get a travel trailer and take weekend excursions and tells me I can write in beautiful places. I do love to explore and hike and be out in nature, but with the day job, weekends are my writing time, and if I can’t lock myself away from the world (including the hubby), I worry I won’t be very productive. Besides, who wants to be shut away when there is beautiful nature to explore? Sigh. We’ll see how it goes. One of these days, I’ll retire from the day job and reclaim my weekends for fun.

    1. Totally get that, Karen. I do write on the road, but only while Ken is driving and I’m in the back seat (of the camper) under headphones. 🙂

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