If you are like me you find that time is like a scared squirrel. Every time you think you have it cornered it runs up a tree and cackles at you. I have a job, ha, well not really a job but I am busy with publishing stuff and all the things that come along with that, and... (Big sigh) a family, with a Wife and three kids and Church and things to do like yard work, (Which i love but have not done much of this year) and I know this is a run on...
Did I mention I am busy?
I love writing and I need to write to get this third book out so I can move on to other things, but I find I am having a hard time getting it done. Am I alone?
I bet not. So here is some things to remember when you are giving yourself that old line of I have no time.
First, you are a liar!
You have time to do what you want to do. Example, I am really into this book I am reading, so I will stay up till midnight to read it. I am losing sleep over a dumb book! But I want to read it, therefore... I make time.
Try this, get up one hour early and go write for a hour, I find in the morning I can write more but I have to shut off the phone and force myself not to look at e-mail or Facebook or I will get sucked into the day and lose the motivation. If my brain is thinking about what i have to do or who I need to call I can't get anything done.
Next, think about writing at Nap time (Parents know what this is) or after everyone is in bed. Nothing is going on and so you will not miss anything. Really, like you might miss a status update on someones kid who just pooped on the carpet, or so in so just changed their status from 'single' to 'in a relationship.' What are we really missing?
Make a list. I find if I make a list of things I have to do I can forget about them for a little bit so I can think about the story. I also think about my story all the time, as if these made up people are real! Well, to me they are, I can see Kirk and smell his BO. I can see Mark and K as if they exist outside of my imagination. This will help you to get more done if you have a idea of what part of the story you are in.
And last of all... just get it done. I made a goal for a weekly word count and if i have to stay up till 2 AM I am going to get it done gosh darn it! If I can find the time so can you, not get to work and quit cruzing blogs!
No time? Back in 1995-1997 I was a full-time graduate student earning my MFA in writing at Vermont College. I also worked full-time as a construction project manager for my dad's business and I was a freelance writer. I'd wake up at 5 am to write over coffee. I worked on a book them that would be my creative thesis and my first big commercial novel, As Catch Can, which was published my Delacorte in 1999 in hardcover and 2000 in paperback. Like Aaron says, I "made the time" to get this stuff done and since 1997 I've been a fulltime writer and you know what? I still get up around 5 or 6 to write over coffee. It's the smartest way to go: write in the mornings before the travails of the day get in the way!!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW: StoneGate is republishing "As Catch Can" in E-Book in just 5 or 6 weeks!!!! Paper comes later.
Rock on Aaron!!!
Cheers
Vin
www.vincentzandri.com