I get this question a lot, and more now that people know I've published. For many of them it has been a surprise, for one reason: I kept my writing a secret from everyone except for 3 people.So where do I find the time?
Anyone who tries discussing the latest TV shows with me could easily find out... I don't watch television anymore. Maybe once a week I'll sit down for a movie or an episode of a series that we still follow, but other than that the TV is off.
When the TV is on I find myself getting antsy and annoyed with the crap that's on. I find it hard watching TV shows or even the news. It just feels like my soul is being ripped out and kneaded and I can't find the time to bother with it anymore.
So, I write. I grow vegetables in my garden, I check the pH levels on my fish tanks, I walk my dog, I annoy the crap out of my editor, I avoid the calls from work offering overtime, I stare at the floor that needs vacuuming and the pile of mail that needs sorting. I read books: Indie books, traditionally published books, articles and newspapers. So much that the astigmatism in my left eye can't focus half the time and I've gone back to wearing glasses full-time again.
Lately, I've been really bad with pretty much ignoring all of the social media work required of an author. I find the more that I'm on the internet, interacting with writing groups and bloggers and reading book reviews, I feel like my time is being leached out of me... I also feel like I come across some of the worst of humankind. It seems people get more and more cruel with each day that passes. I find this really affects me in a negative way. I can't say I've felt this much self-doubt in a long time. Even when I first began writing (and I know those first few drafts were horrible), I still had some sense of confidence back then. Now that I've been published, even with all of the fans who approach me and talk about the books and how much they love them, I find the self-doubt monster is stronger than ever.
This week has been especially rough, I guess I'll blame it on the weeks of drowning rain, sucking the life out of me, there has been more than one occasion where I've contemplated just stopping it all.
And then I wake up in the middle of the night with a head full of ideas and conversations from characters I haven't written yet an I have to grab my iPhone and write it all down before I forget. It's those moments, and when my husband is urging me on, and when my fans are speaking excitedly with me that I think maybe this is the right thing to do.
Either way, I think I'll continue my break from the social media world. I think I will continue living life, reading great books, writing what I love, and living in my little bubble.
Thank you for taking time to write this and leave a link on AW - that is how I found your blog.
ReplyDeleteI am still struggeling with a lot of issues - time is one of them. But you are right, internet is taking too much of it.
Good writing!
I find the time to write when I'm not doing anything else. I don't like to stop doing things, so when I'm not doing anything I work on stories or write. If I wake up in the morning and I'm drinking coffee, I open up my files and work on stories. If It's late afternoon and there's half an hour before the news comes on, I write.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the experts say you need to write every day (at least 1,000 words). If you get into that habit you'll learn to not only write FASTER (so you can write more in the short time you have) and BETTER, but also to schedule it into your day.
At present, because of circumstances in my life, I'm not writing... just don't have that spark at present.
ReplyDeleteI do feel like the kitty dozing at the keyboard though....
I've found that if I take some time off when my spark is low, I wind up with better ideas and faster typing fingers after a little break :)
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