Guidelines to Lazing About by Marsha Diane Arnold

My birthday was yesterday - July 7th, 7-7. So on my birthday week, I’m giving myself a little treat by writing a little blog.
 
Treating myself when I should be spending hours perfecting a blog? Where is my work ethic? Still intact, I assure you, yet today I speak to you about the importance of lazing around, lollygagging, whiling away the day.
 
Lazing about is one of my favorite things to do to treat myself. Here are a few of the things that come my way when I’m lazing.
 
The treat of time in nature. Lately, I’ve been treating myself to guided walks in nature preserves in Lee County, Florida, where I recently moved. Nature is healing, so if you’ve been overworking or feel overwhelmed, it’s a balm. 

​Nature can also give us story ideas. My guide tells me that during fires, animals that are usually, shall we say “at odds,” run to the gopher tortoise hole for protection. Enemies accepting each other in dire times. This information needs more research, but don’t you dare think about doing it while you’re lazing around.

The treat of reading outside your genre. I’m currently reading Cat Shout For Joy by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, which called to me from a bookshelf at my library. It’s a murder mystery with cats as the heroes, not my usual fare.  When we read outside our genre, we find ourselves truly enjoying a book, not dissecting it, as we so often do when reading within our genre.
 

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The treat of unplanned and unexpected pleasures.  Lazing about on the lanai, two pileated woodpeckers arrived in the tree above me, as if to say, “It’s a beautiful world...and check out my 29 inch wingspan.” Stories may come from these moments or they may not. No matter. The most important story is in the moment.
 

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Whatever you call it, taking a break, lazing about, or treating ourselves, these moments gives our brain time for new thoughts to spring forth or for ideas that have long been buried by our busyness to rise up again. These thoughts and ideas might bring us joy or inspiration or even lead us down a new path.
 
And after a goodly time of lollygagging, it’s time for the best treat of all. Time to write that story that thousands of children and parents will enjoy. Time to create something beautiful.
 
Please share your favorite ways to lollygag and dilly-dally. Who knows what wonders will come forth if we make this a way of life...for at least part of our life?

Marsha Diane Arnold is the award-winning author of twelve books that have sold over a million copies.  Her most recent, A Welcome Song for Baby, portrays a young girl sharing the sounds of the seasons with the baby in her mother's womb. It's available in the UK and at http://amzn.to/1VVbVOt 
Marsha's popular Character-Driven online Course is at http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/writing-character-driven-stories. 
Please don't bother her this weekend. She'll be busy lazing about.
 

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