The first Wednesday of every month’s post is part of the IWSG
During our two weeks of vacation in June, I did get a bit accomplished on my WIP. July and August are shaping up to be somewhat more quiet on the work front, so I’m hopeful I will have more time to retreat into myself and crank out some major effort.
Everyday life distracts me from hunkering down in my writer’s lair. Is that an excuse? Perhaps. I’m not sure. I could just force myself to sit here every evening or on a rigid schedule, but that seems too regimented to me, and I’m afraid what I would write would not be my best effort, not my true effort . . . not my Truth, and putting down my Truth is what it’s all about.
My writing starts in my head; I’ll have entire paragraphs thought out before they hit the keyboard. Frankly, the past two weeks since vacation have been so busy with Life that I have hardly had two thoughts I could call my own.
I’m certainly not stressing about it; I’ll find the time when . . . it’s time!
Thanks for stopping by! Now go write!
I'm constantly distracted by something....except when I drive. (Scary thought, I know) That's when I write my paragraphs in my head. Good luck in the next several weeks! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful vacation!
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people who does have the time to sit down and write. Of course, then I read what I wrote and go through spasms of insecurity wondering how I convinced myself giving up a solid career for writing was a good idea. That's when I take the distraction breaks, let my head, heart and body breath (hike the mountains) and let the thoughts flow without the juggernut of writer's block to scare me half to death.
ReplyDeleteI saw your posting on Anna Soliveres' site and stopped by. Glad I did.
Julie
It's interesting - I find when I set a day for writing, I end up cleaning the house - I procrastinate. Sometimes I think 'If life was not in the way, if had more time, I could finish my WIP' but I think about my episodes of procrastination and see that my motivation is lacking.
ReplyDeleteI really admire the people that can bunker down and do 1250 words a day. But like you, I am not disciplined enough yet. I often feel like I have to be in my 'writers mood' to write good work. I know exactly what you mean with 'putting down truth' - if the writing is too forced, it shows and its painful to write.
So yes, I think its healthy to let the time come. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Cheers
I'm breaking down and getting a small (13") refurbished laptop dedicated to writing. I get so fragmented with Twitter, Facebook, blogs and more. I also know I need to write first thing in the morning before interruptions. If I can also write in the evening, great. That said, weeks can go by quickly without working on my novel. Right now I have 12 pages of handwritten stuff that needs to get entered into Scrivener. Blach....hate that (I love writing by hand, just not the typing it in)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the laptop! You know that's the route I have gone, using an old laptop dedicated to writing - uncluttered except for writing-related bookmarks, one that I can take outdoors, etc. Hope it works for you. I'm also doing much the same as you, transcribing into Scrivener parts of my WIP that was in another software program. We can nudge each other, eh? :)
DeleteA dedicated laptop? What a great idea!
DeleteYou have to write in a manner that's productive for you. Don't stress you can't do it every night.
ReplyDeleteI understand you perfectly. I need days, sometimes weeks to figure a chapter out before I begin to write it. And then the writing itself takes time ... But I've generally worked out all the bumps in my head so revising is much easier in the long run. Good luck on your WIP! :-)
ReplyDelete