I've had it easy the last month or so - no work and plenty of writing time. Result - lots of novel written and four stories completed and submitted (Hurrah!) and big echoing hole in my bank balance (Boo!)
I'm freelance so the work flow can be a bit up and down. Well it's suddenly shot up again. I am inundated with stuff and deadlines are looming like towerblocks on my horizon. My hungry bank balance is cheering but as the work piles up on my desk I'm losing sight of my plot lines and story ideas.
Today I decided to take action. If I'm going to work (which I have to) and write (which I want to) I'm going to have to be more disciplined with my time. This is a two part plan, involving
1) demarcating specific work and writing time, and sticking to it.
2) mopping up those odd half hours in the working day which I fill with mooching around charity shops, playing spider solitaire, stopping too long over morning coffee with friends, sorting socks into pairs (the last inspired me to start a website called Socks Reunited, but then I found it had already been done!) and generally not using my time productively.
I'm also going to try to write more in the evening (although I will have to fight over the key board with My Man who has a whole load of fell running/weather watching/ local politics forums what-not going on on the internet of an evening.)
Last part of my plan is unlikely to begin tonight however as I have on my desk a video of the brand new episode of Lost. We don't have Sky but a kind friend does and managed to tape every episode for us last time and is going to do it again this time.
Hurrah for Discipline, Plans, Lovely friends with satellite television, Lost (especially Sawyer) and Still having coffee with friends on a morning but just not hanging around for quite so long
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5 comments:
That does sound very disciplined. I get very frustrated at the way that real (ie paid) work interferes with my writing. As my main paid job ends in August, I'm supposed to be trying to think of a way to keep afloat after that. Wish I could think of one that doesn't interfere with writing!
Ooh Lost!! My brother tapes it for us as we don't have Sky either, but my mum and sister get to see it first before it's sent down to us. Boo!
Great idea to make a plan though - I find it very hard to discipline myself at home (sounds a bit rude) and I too love traipsing round charity shops. Which reminds me - we could do with some curtains for the landing....
Crumbs, you sound marvellously organised.
I must confess, I still manage to get as much writing done when I'm working as when I'm not. Not quite sure how that works; but I'd rather be writing and fannying about than writing and working.
I'm back to work next week, eep!
Helen - good luck with your attempts to float after August - if you do discover a job that doesn't interfere with writing please pass on the secret!
Karen - aaah charity shops, that lovely feel that everyones a winner - you've got a bargain and the charity has got some cash. Hope you found some curtains - all the ones in the shops here are very very flowery
Spiral - I probably sound more organised than I actually am but I thougt it was worth gining it a try (although most of this morning seems to have disappeared into blogland so I'm not doing that well!). Hope all goe swell with your rturn to work
oops yes the above comment was a deliberate attempt to see how many typos I could fit into fifty words - sorry
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