Okay, I know it's Thursday. I really do. And it is my day to post. So here I am planning a birthday, funeral, the babysitter for the wedding. Oh, and I have to make cookies for the writer's group. I have one hour to peel and freeze two bushels of peaches. To top that off, I think I just saw something move in my dirty clothes (
please be a mutated old sock...) Oh man, jury duty is tomorrow.
But no need to worry, that's just today...and a little bit of tomorrow.
So here's my question for you. When do you find time to write? Morning, evening, afternoon-
midnight with a flashlight in the bathroom with the door locked tight with a box of Twinkies by your side? I really need some help here. ..
Oh, and Thanks for the help! =)
8 comments:
I'm doing peaches too! And why are you planning a funeral and a birthday party all in the same day? I'm not writing much right now, so asking me is probably not the smartest thing to do. I used to get up at 5 a.m.
Carolyn, I feel your pain! I've been wondering the same thing myself.
I write in the car as I wait at stoplights, at the soccer field at halftime, at night when I should be sleeping...and yes, in the bathroom with a flashlight. Whenever I can get in a sentence or two, that's when I do it.
Good luck.
Shari, It's my son's b-day (I did not forget...I thought it was tomorrow), Our neighbor past away and I am the C.S. leader (w/o a committee yet)-the funeral is tomorrow-, and a good friend is getting married tomorrow. Plus the jury duty. It's just a little crazy. I haven't written in a while either.
Nichole, What a great idea! I think I may do that too. I want to write, but find too many excuses not to. Thanks for the idea!
I heard some male full-time writers discuss how they needed "at least" a 4-hour block to get any real writing done. I about laughed up a lung. If I waited for a four-hour block, I'd never have written anything, let alone published anything.
You write in snatches. You MAKE time. You get creative. I actually wrote an article about finding time. (Do I have your e-mail address? I don't remember--if so, I'll e-mail it to you.)
Basic concepts: 1) You'll need to sacrifice something. Can you give up TV? A hobby? 2) Can you use "brainless" times to think ahead (Driving, showering, folding laundry are great times to be thinking about your next scene. Then when you get 20 minutes, you're cranking out the next scene rather than wasting time trying to come up with one). 3) Get thee an AlphaSmart Neo to use on the fly at soccer practices, in doctor's waiting room, at the dance class lobby, wherever. 4) Make a crock pot dinner once a week and write instead of making dinner.
You can really get creative if it's important to you.
You sound like me, and I'm working full-time on top of that! :) I just have to think sometimes, 'What is my priority?' That makes me not feel so bad when I put laundry off for another few days, and the dishes... :)
I write late at night after everyone's gone to bed. Occassionally when the kids are at school but rarely since that's the time I need to take care of the rest of my life. It means less sleep but that's the best I can do.
I'm sorry about the busyness. I hope things chill out for you. *hugs* Love ya, Carolyn.
How do you find time to write? Is that a trick question?
It's mostly about choices. I gave up canning peaches, and lots of other things that suck up my time.
Another idea is to use those odd minutes. Having big blocks of time is great, but those odd moments can add up too. Carry a little notebook in your car or purse. Keep one by the phone. Then when you have a spare minute, maybe you can write something. Love, LG
When do I find time to write...I just posted on that subject a few days ago on my blog. I write while going through the car wash, in between running errands, and in every other free second of the day. Maybe that's why I keep on returning to write essays and poetry...they are shorter than tackling my WIP (novel).
Post a Comment