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“I'm livin' in a world that won't stop pullin' on meI'm not complaining but it's true
It's like I owe my time to everyone else'Cause that's all I seem to do…”
Keith Urban, WHAT ABOUT ME?
There are times that no matter what you do there just
aren’t enough minutes in the day to get everything done. There are things you
must do, a list of things that should be done (but aren’t set in stone), and
then there is that list of things you want to do. Guess which list gets balled
up, more times than not, and tossed across the room?
I think juggling life is one hardest things a writer has
to do.
I know it is for me.
Carving out time to write isn’t always easy. There is
always something tugging on me and demanding my time. Then there are the
characters in my head doing the same. I’ve tried to set aside small sections of
time to write and overall I’ve managed to add small chunks of words to my
manuscript. The hard thing is having a workable amount of energy remaining when
I’m finished with my MUST DO list. I don’t have the luxury of burning the
candle at both ends if I want to remain healthy and that’s a juggling act in
itself.
The past few weeks my early mornings, the time I do my
best writing, has be stolen by college stuff for the kid—people to meet with or
contact and a cazillion forms. I hate forms! Then there is the reviving of my
online presence after being ill, books to read and reviews to write, correspondence
to handle and promotion.
If I have outside appointments, as I have recently, by
the time I get home from those appointments, I’m usually wiped out—remember, I
live in the middle of nowhere. Other than the local grocery or feed store
everything else is at least thirty-five to fifty miles away. So you’re looking
at travel time, which is a minimum of an hour, but most of the time, it’s more
like two hours. The cost of gas being what it is I tend to maximize my errands.
That usually takes up the whole morning and when I get home my brain is already
mush and all I want is peace and quiet, no people, something to eat, and
somewhere to slither for a short nap. Then it’s onto the list of things that
have to be done here on the ranch and then dinner and socializing with the
family. I’m fortunate in that I can write nonfiction in the evening but even
there, if I’m up too late, which seems to be the pattern recently, it cuts into
that early morning creative writing time. A bit of a vicious circle at times.
I’ve been thinking about that. My conclusion is I need to
get better organized and a better schedule. I have a window of time that I do
my best creative writing. I’ve determined that I need to apply some tough
discipline and set that as the focus first. Let the dog out, grab my coffee,
open my word document, and spend that hour or two in the morning and write. The
housework will still be there when I’m done, ditto with correspondence,
Internet, reading blogs, and appointments. I need to be firm with those things.
The later part of last week I implemented part of that.
This week will be the kicker. Nose to the grindstone and do it. At least I feel
better knowing what I have to do. I’ll let you know how it goes.
- So, how is your writing going?
- How do you juggle life to accommodate your writing, job, and family?
What About Me-on Youtube
Keith Urban
13 comments:
I was thinking, as I read this, that you should wear a head mike and a dictaphone of some kind so you can dictate your ideas as you feed the horses, or dust the furniture.
I don't know how you do it all, and good for you for making your dream a priority! I am my own worst enemy. I have tons of time and few demands, but my muse has ADHD and keeps wandering off. I'm a night writer, but I just can't make myself sit down and do it. Le sigh.
I'm struggling with some very similar issues, Sia. I wrote about letting go of to-do lists yesterday. I need to get back to my writing somehow. This week hopefully, that will happen.
Karen
That commute sounds awful.
I just set aside a couple hours a night and wrote no matter what, even if it was for less than an hour.
The juggling act is tough! And writing is tough, and solitary, so it's often the first to go, at least with me it is. When I can't put it off any longer I set the timer for 30 minutes and say "I'll write just that long then quit." What happens of course is after a few days of that, I'm writing longer and longer until the timer is no longer necessary.
I think the key to it is creating a habit and sticking to it. I think someone once told me it takes three weeks to create a habit. Good luck!!
I'm starting to feel that time crunch now, myself. Between WRiTE CLUB and being 1/2 through with my current WIP, I'm getting a bit stressed. I'm managing though. :)
Jo, I used to do that. I haven't thought about it recently. I can just see transcribing away and come to Dammit Doc, would you stand still. Or Magic, you come over that fence and I swear I'll neuter you!
Actually I tend to be in my thoughts and and mentally writing. When I get inside I write it down the notes.
There are times mind has ADHD, too, Kat. But I do look for ways to make her sit still and work, even if it's short term. :-)
Karen, I need the list so I don't forget something. If I don't write it down it's lost sometimes but making time to get to the writing I want to do is important.
Hope you get back on track, soon!
Alex, it is awful. I live for many years in a centrally located area so dashing out wasn't as onerous or time consuming.
Setting aside time and then sticking with it, even a short time is good. I do seem to have that part mostly down again. I've been steadily adding chunks of words.
Karen, that's a great idea and believe it or not, I have been utilizing that practice lately. It partly assuages the guilty feeling of I should be doing x y and z and turns it around to, "surely, I can take 30 minutes and do some writing. I'm amazed how quickly that piece of time goes by. So far that has been very effective.
Johanna, Sounds about right. I think that's the secret. Getting the habit down daily. Of course, things will get in the way, but if it's a habit then it will gnaw on you because you didn't do it.
DON, I hear you. It's hard to juggle and I'm the first to admit it. You do have a hefty time drain with Write Club. Which reminds me, I need to get over there and read the entries. I've neglected you, and the hard working writers.
I'm also involved with some promotion work for a new book coming out next year and some other rep work--which I get paid for. Surprisingly, when I'm also working for money I tend to get my act together and I'm more productive. Would seem like the opposite would happen, wouldn't it?
I'm trying to reorganize my schedule, too. Kids go back to school in six days, and instead of cleaning and such, I've told husband I'm doing all that when the kids get home from school. We'll manage.
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