This seems to be the phrase on most writers’ lips nowadays…especially once school begins in the fall. When my girls were very young, I wasn’t a writer, but an avid reader. It wasn’t until my youngest was in Kindergarten / First Grade, when I decided to try my hand at writing. Luckily, I only worked part time then so I had the time to write a lot (4-5 books per year). But when my girls got older, it seemed there was less and less time. Then I started working full time when youngest was in Junior High. I was very upset because I worried I wouldn’t find any time to write.
Does this sound familiar to any of you?
Now, both my girls are grown up, and one is moved out of the house. I still work full time. Plus…I’ve added on another task. I’m helping raise my 16-month-old grandson. My daughter is a very young single mother who is still trying to figure out how to be a mother. She has a full time job, working from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm five days a week. Which means, I have to work my full time job, get off at 5:00 pm, pick up grandson from the day care and watch him until 8-8:30 that night until time for bed. It also means I probably won’t have those wonderful weekends I have looked forward to for all these years.
I’m worried now that I won’t find time to write. How can I with a toddler? I’ve raised my kids, I should be able to do whatever I want now. Right?
But this change in my life has made me buckle down and actually WORK. Before, I would get on the Internet and play on my email loops for a while. Then I’d get to one of my books and switch back and forth between writing / editing / Internet. Now I know I have to write. Nothing but write! If I don’t, I’m never going to have time.
So for those who are in the same boat as me, you need to find a time – even if it’s a ½ hour, or 15 minutes, when you can write. Do nothing else but write!
Remember...we’re doing this because we love it. We owe it to ourselves to find time!!
2 comments:
Amen! Yep, you nailed it. The time to write is getting to be less and less. Grrr.
I hear you, Phyllis. I am so busy, even though I'm a stay-at-home mom. I take care of my house, run errands, homeschool my four kids, take them to karate class... It's crazy.
Even though I HATE writing long-hand, I've found that sometimes, I gotta do it if I want to get anything done. I've bought myself a couple of notebooks, and take them around the house or around town.
I used to resent my kids' karate class--until I began using it as a time to write. Why sit on my butt for an hour doing nothing? It got to the point where I looked forward to the class, if only to have an hour of un-interrupted writing time.
And "reading" before bedtime has pretty much died a slow death. I've taken my notebook with me to bed on occasion, as well as outside on my deck if I need a change of "scenery" than my office.
True, I have to type it in at a later date, but if I didn't have that danged notebook open while stirring my spaghetti, I wouldn't be able to entertain the masses with any of my stories...
Take a notebook with you to work and write in it at break time or lunch time. You might find another few minutes to actually be productive. :P
~~Becka
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