At a recent SCBWI meeting, people mentioned one of the big challenges is finding the time to write, even when it's what you want to do most. That inspired me to reprint this article (originally from Children’s Writer).
Writing
In No Time
So many things demand our time – job, spouse,
children, volunteer work, housework. It’s tempting to say, “I’ll write during
vacation, or when the kids are back in school, or when the kids leave home, or
when I retire ….”
Yet if you want to be a writer, you must find
time to write.
Becoming a writer requires commitment. If you
don’t take your work seriously, your family and friends certainly won’t either.
Let them know how important writing is to you. Insist that writing time is your
time, and you must not be disturbed. Carve out a few hours each week. Then close
the door and ignore your phone and e-mail, or take your laptop to the library.
Finding even a few hours may seem hopeless
when you have young children. Louise Spiegler ,
author of The Amethyst Road and The Jewel and the Key, said at
that time, “It is impossible for me to write with my kids awake and active. I
either tried to get both kids to nap at the same time or I spent my non-existent
savings on two hours of babysitting.”
Try trading babysitting with other writing
parents. Or start a play group/writers group: the kids play, the parents write
or critique.
Molly Blaisdell, author of Rembrandt and the Boy Who Drew Dogs and dozens of other books
and mother of four, found another creative way to keep her kids busy when they
were little. “I kept all the special toys in my office. When I wanted to work
on a scene, I’d pull down that box and say, ‘This is quiet time for special
toys.’ It would always be good for about half an hour and sometime would go for
two hours.”
Involve older children in your writing
activities. Brainstorm story ideas together. Have them draw pictures for your
manuscripts. You’ll get more done, and they’ll learn to respect your work.
Plus, your time together is research. Claudia Harrington liked driving the
carpool for her daughter in middle school, because “the ride home is great for eavesdropping.”
No
Use for a Muse
When your writing time is limited, you can’t
afford to waste a moment. After having a baby, freelance writer Michele Corriel, author of Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery, said, “I still managed to get up before my daughter and cram in even half an
hour. The problem with a shorter amount of time is you really have to ‘switch’
it on.”
Successful writers agree: no waiting for the
right mood. Spiegler says, “As soon as the kids were asleep or safely dropped
off, I would sit down and start working – no waiting for inspiration.”
The most productive writers work anywhere and
everywhere. Jean Daigenau said, “I take advantage of the few minutes of
downtime I have at school or home – while I’m eating lunch or supervising the
homework group at our after-school latchkey program or soaking in the bathtub.”
If you can’t do serious writing in
five-minute bursts, use the time in other ways. Daigenau suggests, “Get it
written on the computer and then use those few minutes here and there to
revise.”
Christine Liu Perkins, author of At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, commented, “When I’m
constantly being interrupted, chauffeuring, or sitting in waiting rooms, I brainstorm
and prewrite. Wherever I am, I focus on a specific problem for that short
session. What points do I want to include in this article? What happens next in
the story?”
Compromise
The best organized life can sometimes just
get too full. Spiegler, who also teaches college now, cautioned against buying
into the super-woman myth. “It is almost impossible for me to work at a
demanding job and take care of kids and write regularly. The only way I can
write is to be teaching something familiar that I can spend less prep time on.”
You can’t do it all, so decide what’s most important.
Then look for areas to cut back. Reduce your work hours, or cut commute time
with a job closer to home. Commute by bus and write as you ride. Arrange car
pools or play dates for your kids. Dictate into a tape recorder as you walk for
exercise. Let the housework slide, and make quick meals. Cut back on email, web
surfing or TV.
Put your family to work as well. Train your
kids to do housework and cook one dinner per week – they’ll learn important
skills while you get free time!
When a real crisis intrudes – sick kids,
ailing parents, a job change or divorce – you may need to take time off from
writing. Just don’t let it drag on forever. Plan how you’ll handle the crisis,
and schedule a time to return to writing. In the meantime, read writing
magazines or books for a few minutes each week to keep your focus. Spending
even five minutes a day thinking about your writing can make it easier to
transition back into writing more, without feeling like you’re starting from
scratch.
How about your time? Where does writing fit
in your life?
Decide, and make a commitment to your work.
Then repeat this mantra: I am a writer, and writers write. And if physical discomfort is interfering with your writing, be sure to see the recent posts on "Writer and Reader Comfort" in the ergonomics category.Chris’s writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and
Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced
Plotting. Learn more at www.chriseboch.com
or her Amazon page,
or check out her writing tips at her Write
Like a Pro! blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment