I’ve had a hard time focusing on writing lately.

It’s not writer’s block. I don’t believe in that. More like a week-and-a-half of dealing with a barrage of family illnesses, some temporary, and some not. I can’t speak more about that at this time.

Most mornings, I pick up my son from high school, as he does half-days in the school, and the other half virtually in my living room. Tomorrow, I’ll have a sick daughter with me as well. But at least I’ve finished grading the latest round of algebra finals. One less distraction, at least. Still a full cast of characters for me to juggle.

And then come the characters in my books, who are nearly as real to me. Writers create universes, but we don’t live in them. We can only visit when the opportunity arises, not unlike our readers.

I watched ABC News tonight, and saw multiple news stories which correlate highly to the plot of my current work in progress, Blood Game. Normally that sort of thing would amuse me. After all, I write action stories which take place in the real world, so similar things actually happening in the world is an indication that my writing is realistic. Which is validating, I guess.

The challenge is to create characters as complex as those in real life, and stories and scenes as indelible as an ordinary day.