My life tends to be either very calm and boring, or very exciting and chaotic. Rarely do I make it to a nice, even middle.
When is it, do you think, that I do the most writing? Of course, it's when life is calm and boring. Whenever life gets chaotic, I don't have the time or health to write. Am I alone in that horrible trait: allowing your writing to fall to the wayside?
I believe that the truly successful writers are those who don't allow their writing to ever fall by the wayside. If only I could be one of them. Somehow, I have to find a way to make do with what I was given. This time, I'm determined to finish this book and get it published. But...my writing WILL fall away into unimportance when life gets hectic again.
I'd like to take this time to thank all those who took the time to encourage me to continue writing (I still shudder when I think of that Twilight/Harry Potter crossover fan-fiction) and to tell you I have gotten some writing done. Just not as much as I would wish. But progress is progress, right?
However, I have another plea. Am I the only one who finds the act of writing easy, but the work of writing hard? Once I sit down and write, the words flow like magic. It's the sitting down and writing that I have such trouble with. Sometimes, I am not mentally able to handle the work of it. Other times, I'm not physically able to sit in the chair for long hours. More often than not, I'm distracted by other problems. Does anyone know of a way to get work done every day, no matter what? To force myself to work?
My life is out of balance. Whenever my writing is doing well, my life sucks. Whenever my life is doing well, my writing sucks. Is there ever a way to make the see-saw level out?
Thanks for listening, and for any advice you may care to offer. Here's our beautiful writing quote of the day:
"Capture your reader, let him not depart, from dull beginnings that refuse to start." -- Horace
Happy writing!
I think you should set yourself a time when you are going to sit down and write no matter what. You can call it your Writing Hour lol. That way, at least if you have a hectic day or bad health you're only spending an hour writing or planning the next chapter etc. But if you're having a calm day, then you can push on and write for more than one hour if you wished.
ReplyDeleteJust an idea :)
Hazel's got a good idea. And no, you're not alone with having the trouble combining life and writing. I have heard that most authors write something every day, but that is their sole job. I don't know your life but you've probably got school or a job to do as well as wanting to write. Maybe like Hazel said, if the writing part isn't coming, do some planning or outlining. At least you make some progress that way :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Hazel and Jay :)
ReplyDeleteIt's really tough sometimes to force yourself to write. Trust me, I have a 4000 word essay due the first day of school (with only 500 words written, because of my laziness). But I'm sure if you maybe make it easier, like by rewarding yourself when you get something done after your "Writing Hour," you might get more done! Just a thought :D
I know what you mean. I've tried forcing myself to write when my head wasn't really there, but nothing every comes very well that way. So I tend to just wait for inspiration. Unfortunately, that seems to come a lot when I am no where near my computer. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree- the hard part is sitting down, and more importantly for me- putting other stuff down- long enough to write. I've been doing not so well this summer, but I know in the winter it'll be easier to find time. however, I've been coaxing myself into writing new stories by sitting out with a drink on my patio, which I can't do in a few months!
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest that you try to not separate life from writing. They are not mutually exclusive or on opposite ends of a scale. Try merging them together and expanding your definition of what writing is. For example, on the days I may not get a lot "written," but my senses and heart are awake to the world around me, and I take in observations, then I count that as writing. If I go to the office supply store to by ink for the printer, I count that as time towards my book. If I jot down fragments of things, little impressions of the soul and they never "amount to anything," I count that as writing. If I take a nap in the hammock to regroup and to remember to breathe, I count that as writing. I have finally learned after many years, that the writer's life is a life that is written, and since I am authoring my own life, the time I take to actually put ass to chair and pen to paper (or fingers to keys)are a bonus. Lastly, I have learned to carve away the nonessentials. I no longer watch TV, for example or listen to the news. I no longer get lost for hours on facebook, twitter, or itunes. My time is my life and my life is my time and since my life is the writer's life--that life, my life, deserves to be honored and written in both the pages of a book and in the pages of the stars. The Muse wouldn't have it any other way for me. I hope that helps.
ReplyDelete