Writing: Who has time?
Trying to keep this blog up is the equivelant of trying to write one bloody page of manuscript! Don’t get me wrong, I really like doing this blog thing. Appartently, so does alot of people. Where do you find the time to write?
What’s my problem?
Time is my biggest enemy. When I finally do have a fraction of a minute, I’m so tired, my mind can’t think straight. But I want to write.
My second biggest problem: I have this deep seated desire to write, and I start, get so far, and then it stops. Wanna know why? I love my plot ideas: all 100 of them (well it seems like a 100!) Trouble is, while I’m writing, I start to think about other characters, and plots that would be great to incorporate into what I’m working on. So then I have to stop, and try to work characters and ideas from other plots, into what I’m working on. I want to fuse plots, and characters in to my current manuscript. Then the unevetable happens. Out of all of that, a totally new idea will come for another manuscript. I then proceed to write out a bare bones story line, and characters to be filled away for sometime, who knows when. I get so frustrated that I walk away and don’t write anything for a long time. But the desire to write never leaves me. I’m constantly going over plot ideas in my head. Even driving, I’m mentally removing one character from one part of the story, and placing her/him somewhere else. But I never write it down. It’s all in my head. I can’t seem to get what’s in my head wrote down the way I picture it. There’s a broken connection there and I don’t know how to fix it.
Writer’s magazines can really mess you up!
As I’ve mentioned on one of my earliers posts, I’ve stopped reading writer’s magazines and books. I simply cannot follow all the rules (or advise). Do you realize how time consuming and frustrating that would be? Good grief! I have enough to frustrate me and consume my time when I do write. I’m certainly can’t afford my time to pile on more.
Writer’s magazines and books started out a grand thing to me. I was in awe of all the generous advice and tips of the trade from published authors. Over time, I became addicted to these magazines, and read more than I wrote. I would write down every little piece of advise, cut inspirational saying out and stick it on my monitor. Then one day I looked at my monitor, the scores of notes, and scant writing, and thought to myself, “None of this is helping me. I’m drowning in advice, rules, but none of this has helped me find my voice, or helped with the self dicipline problem I have with writing, scheduling time, and being dedicated to my craft. ” I now have only one simple short saying stuck to my monitor:”If you can stay focused, you will succeed.” Simple enough and yet I get more encouragement from this than from anything I’ve ever found in a writer’s magazine!
I have since started taking small steps to sort somethings out with my writing. I still have a ways to go, but every little step brings me closer to my goal of a writer’s self dicipline. If I can stay focused, I will manage to do that.
A full life = no time
I always wonder how these successful women authors fine time to write. How do they do it? It is my understanding that some have nannies. Grant you they can afford to do that. For the rest of us women struggling to juggle our busy lives and find time to write, it difficult, very difficult to write. What do you sacrifice, sleep, time with children, family? Families can only be so understanding, (unless your published and pulling in some $$.)
How do you women writers juggle your full lives and write? Do you feel that this lack of time adds to lack of self dicipline when it comes to writing? I’m starting to think that about myself. I know it’s a process, but geeze I’ve been at this for five years now! The only thing I have published in a book is a poem. Big deal! I won the semi-final round of a poetry contest at Poetry.com, and that’s how it got published.
Does a full life = no writing? And who has time to write?!!
Until next time
good evening,
nia
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