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Crisis! There just isn't time!
There simply aren't enough hours in the day!
Like many of you, I work full time. I try to write every day in my lunch break. I try to write in the evening as well but it can be very difficult due to current living arrangements. I also want to spend time with my fiance who is off work with cancer so I don't like to neglect him when I've been at work all day.
Currently I'm working on my novel. It's going well and the progress has sped up since I gave myself a kick up the butt. The thing is, I look on here at everyone sending submissions to magazines and competitions but just don't know how I will find the time!
Entering some comps etc. obviously would be a good thing for me to do but I know that at the minute, due to lack of time and other focuses, the work just isn't going to be up to scratch.
The world is just full of so many things and not enough time. Arghhh!
Sorry this is mainly a sounding off but suggestions are welcome. I know I am experiencing that which EVERY writer experiences.
Oh for the hope that some day I can do writing full time, or even just two days a week would suffice!
Like many of you, I work full time. I try to write every day in my lunch break. I try to write in the evening as well but it can be very difficult due to current living arrangements. I also want to spend time with my fiance who is off work with cancer so I don't like to neglect him when I've been at work all day.
Currently I'm working on my novel. It's going well and the progress has sped up since I gave myself a kick up the butt. The thing is, I look on here at everyone sending submissions to magazines and competitions but just don't know how I will find the time!
Entering some comps etc. obviously would be a good thing for me to do but I know that at the minute, due to lack of time and other focuses, the work just isn't going to be up to scratch.
The world is just full of so many things and not enough time. Arghhh!
Sorry this is mainly a sounding off but suggestions are welcome. I know I am experiencing that which EVERY writer experiences.
Oh for the hope that some day I can do writing full time, or even just two days a week would suffice!
Comments
Maybe they could do something to slow the rotation of the earth so we had an extra hour in the evening....
I have asked for your fiance to be put on my healing list.
Don't fret about it. Prioritize. If the novel is going well, stick with it. When/if you hit a block, then divert into a short story, until the novel unwinds itself and gets going again. Otherwise, don't worry about what the rest of us are doing, do what is right for you.
How old's you daughter?
Too much thinking about time, the lack of it and how much you would want to do can bring you to a crashing halt and stop you doing ANYTHING. Don't forget to take time just to stop and enjoy the fact that you are alive, that birds are singing, that lambs are frisking - and enjoy some time just appreciating the here and now.
Take the time to feel this virtual hug - (((((((((((((((((:D))))))))))))))))))) x
Emma, it sounds as if you're doing fine as it is. I read an article several years ago, and the writer said she'd worked out how much time and money she spent on competitions and how much income they generated - and it opened her eyes. She stopped entering them, and concentrated on other stuff.
Hope your fiance is soon well enough to return to work.
Like you I work full-time and decided late last year to concentrate on a novel rather than short stories, but when I do have difficulties with it I'll take a break, maybe do a short story competition, then go back to the novel at a later date. Don't put any pressure on yourself.
I hope your fiance is doing ok.
I can't add anything else to the wonderful advice you've been given, it is spot on. (Some of us here have more demands that can't always be juggled round- no offence to anyone else. Don't over do it, and all will be well.)
Flinging a big hug across two oceans to you and your boyfriend.
I hope your boyfriend is on the road to recovery.
As usual really good advice here from Talkbackers.
:)
No - for some people there are never enough hours in a day. For others there are many lonely hours to be filled. So be glad to be part of the first group. I have heard many people say "never retire- you'll be bored". I don't think that is true for anyone on TB. They're not going to retire from writing 'cos it's a lifelong (if not always contiguous) habit. And if they could afford to give up the day job .... well they'd certainly never be bored.
I feel like you about time - have hardly written at all for the last month with other pressing issues - currently we are finishing reorganising the office and throwing out the detritus of the last 13 years. Horrid ! But think how clean and refreshing it's going to be when it's finished. Perfect for a getting down to work.
And I have resigned myself to looking positively at interruptions (well I try !). Time spent elsewhere CAN be used positively (listening to people talk, looking around for ideas, views, inspiration, quirks ...).
If you are continuing with your novel then you're doing pretty well (well very well actually). So keep up the good work. Think about how much you're achieving - if you have more thinking time than writing time then the quality may be significantly better than rushing something off. And if you are allocating your lunch-hour etc then you're not so likely to experience writers' block - your ideas will be ahead of your word processor.
Sincerely best wishes for your fiance. Some dear friends of ours announced their best Xmas present ever when we came across them in December - she (after several years of cancer) had been declared CLEAR ! So let's hope your experience can be the same.
P
Now where were we?
Contrary to what Candy says, there are markets for short stories (not sure what a 'real' market is), but it depends on the type of stories you write and you are unlikely to make a living out of it. Mind you, that can be said for a lot of writing! So do what your heart tells you and enjoy!
And, if you are very smart and pitch the right story at the right magazine, you can get into one that does not take fiction. As in: I wrote a Christmas story set specifically on a mobile home park (where my mother lived, so I knew it well) and sold it to Mobile Home Magazine. There are many short story outlets, you just have to look for them. I have had over 50 short stories published during my writing career, outside the erotica market I used to write for all the time. Talking of which, if you write erotica, Forum are a very good short story market.
Just wishing you are yours good luck and better health.
I agree with all the comments made so far about your "time" thing (actually seems that all I am doing today is agreeing with others ideas as I not up to coming up with any of mine own at moment!) I keep getting laid up myself with health things and it's strange but when you are well and busy, you think oh if only I had time to write this, do that etc etc. When you have time to do write , ether the ideas don't come or you use delaying tactics to get going ! Or is this just me???
Best wishes anyway xx
It's all pretty much confirmed for me that I am doing the right thingh with my novel which is great.
And my other half will be better soon hopefully. I keep telling him to do some writing or something but its not really his thing. Unbelievable isn't it??!!