Navigating Life’s Ambush Predators: When the Swamp Swallows Your Plans
Just when you think things are going well… bam. The water splashes, the boat rocks, and you’re suddenly scrambling to figure out what to do next.
That is what writing a novel is like. Honestly, it is what life is like, too.
We all love a good schedule. But today’s reflection is about what happens when your carefully laid plans get swallowed whole, and how a disruption might just be the exact pivot you need.
Let’s Talk About Gators
One thing that isn’t talked about enough in the creative world is how much your work is tied to your daily life. When you have a good day, the words flow. When you have a chaotic day, the blank page feels a lot heavier.
One summer, I had the opportunity to take on a teaching job. I prepped well in advance and cleared my schedule, knowing my time would be heavily booked. That first week went by like a warm, Southern breeze. I helped the kids, found a great rhythm, and even squeezed in some productive writing time in the margins.
Then, the end of the week arrived.
If you live down here in South Carolina, you know about alligators. As the apex predators of the swamp, they command a rightful sense of awe and fear from nature explorers.
They are ambush predators. They hide just beneath the surface, waiting for the exact right conditions to strike. One minute you could be taking a peaceful stroll along the water’s edge, and the next, you’re fighting the current.
It is terrifying, really—and a surprisingly apt comparison to how my summer teaching gig came to an abrupt end.
After helping several students successfully complete their work—meaning they got to start their summer vacation early—I was informed that attendance had dropped. There simply weren’t enough kids left to justify my position, and my services were no longer needed.
Bam. The gator struck, and suddenly, my meticulously planned summer was thrown entirely out the window.
The Gator Reality
I’m not going to lie; it isn’t fun having something you were counting on pulled out from beneath your feet. I had specifically avoided making other plans because those weeks were booked. Suddenly, I found myself with entirely too much time on my hands and zero direction.
But here is the reality about alligators: they are dangerous, but the likelihood of a random, unprovoked attack causing serious injury is roughly one in 2.4 million. The danger is mostly in our heads.
The same is true for a disrupted schedule.
I realized I needed a mindset pivot. Losing my teaching gig wasn’t an “attack” on my summer; it was simply a shift in the current. Where one door closes, the swamp opens up a new path.
In a funny way, that experience mirrored the exact plot of Echo Island: The Fall of the Clans, a story entirely centered around what happens when the systems you rely on collapse, and you have to use your wits to survive.
So, I got back to work. I set new goals, mapped out a new writing schedule, and used that unexpected free time to dive deeper into the world of Echo Island. I might have gotten splashed, but I learned how to navigate the swamp.
Facing Down the Gators
Before I wrap this up, I want to share one more quick story about the biggest “gator” I faced when I was in middle school, and how it ended positively. I recorded a quick, unedited video from my couch talking about it. You can watch it right here:
Have you ever had a sudden “gator” jump out and ruin your carefully made plans? How did you pivot and recover? I’d love to hear how you navigate the swamp in the comments below.
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