Writing Today, Tonight, Tomorrow...
You know, I really don't get this writing thing. I have small children, so my writing time is limited. I've got basically a two hour window in the early afternoon when one is in preschool and one is taking a nap where I can write during the day. The rest of the time my life is too crazy and noisy for me to concentrate. Most of my writing happens at night when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, but some days I'm just too tired to think straight by then. I'm not complaining. We all do what we have to do and I've made this schedule work for a long time, but no matter how much planning I do - scheduling writing time and making page goals in my head for that writing time - it's never a guarantee I'm going to get anything done.
Take yesterday as an example. I sat for two hours during that precious early-afternoon writing time and couldn't bleed out a single word. So I shelved it, went back to work after the kidlets were in bed and ended up staring at the blinking cursor until I was dog tired. And then, THEN, five minutes before I was ready to call it quits, what happens? For some insane reason the muse kicked in and I wrote furiously for almost two hours.
I just don't get it. I really don't.
Take yesterday as an example. I sat for two hours during that precious early-afternoon writing time and couldn't bleed out a single word. So I shelved it, went back to work after the kidlets were in bed and ended up staring at the blinking cursor until I was dog tired. And then, THEN, five minutes before I was ready to call it quits, what happens? For some insane reason the muse kicked in and I wrote furiously for almost two hours.
I just don't get it. I really don't.
14Comments:
Eli, congrats on the two-hour write-a-thon! lol. Okay, it wasn't an opportune time. And I so get this post. I remember those days with little ones. Well, I don't wanna scare ya, but when the big G-parent rolls around, you'll be just as involved, just as schedule crazy. I know, I know, sorry to cloud the view. There must be a way to tame the muse, make it work for us, not against us. Let me know what comes up! I'm dying to know! LOL.
Eli, don't listen to LaDonna, it gets better. Unless you spend a lot of time on blogs like "cough" some people do.
You're a better woman than I am. I forced myself to bleed out 2 pages yesterday (love that phrase, "bleed out"), then gave up and started getting ready for bed. Like you, that's when my muse kicked in. I wrote three pages and then went to bed.
The muses aren' happy unless we're suffering.
Edie, you sweetie patootie! You blew my cover. I'm just tryin to keep Eli strong, ya know? LOL. And way to go on those pages too!
I haven't written something new in months! And as much as I keep telling myself I'm anxious to get back to what I was working on... I keep finding other things to do. Editing for WRP, working on promo stuff, blogging *ahem*, anything but housework to keep me from moving on to the next projects, which actually are written and just need polished.
Hang in there, the creative juices will flow once again and in abundance. With me it's cyclic - bet yours are too!
Ugh, Ladonna. You mean it never ends???? *snicker snicker*
Edie, I could waste a whole day on blogs (and that's a whole other topic, too). Way to go on the pages!
LOL, Christine. I think you might be on to something there.
Paty, you've been busy, so don't feel bad. As for me, it's not that I'm blocked at all. In fact, I finally feel like I'm WRITING again which I wasn't doing over the summer. What throws me is sometimes it's so easy and other times I could bang my head against the wall for six hours straight and still not knock anything loose. Strange, strange profession we're in.
There's nothing worse than trying to write when the words just aren't there. Or you're so tired you keep nodding off.
I feel my best in the mornings. But will get my second wind around seven or eight.
That's true, Theresa. Of course, just as I start to nod off, that's when the second wind hits. It's so weird. Why doesn't my body get it? I'd MUCH rather write from 8-10pm than 10-12+!
We just need to smack our muse around abit, Eli--
visualize this: SMACK!! I told you 8pm-10pm. SMACK. Not 1am to 4am. Double smack.
Of course, this physical approach always runs the risk of our musing smacking back. And sometimes that SMACK can do much more damage.
sigh
LOL, Theresa. I'm afraid to get rough with the muse for fear she'll slink back into hiding like she was this summer.
I just don't get her hours though.
Writing with small children is the most difficult thing in the world. My hates off to you woman!
Teri
Elisabeth, just be grateful the muse kicked in, I say. I have limited time to write, too, and lately I've been frittering that time away on non-essential stuff. Today I eked out a page. I'm off to try write some more now. I hope my muse is inspired by what yours can do :)
Non-essential stuff. Hmm...Michelle...do I know that or what! (Blogs, loops, IM...I could go on and on.)
I hope you're productive today. I'm going to try to write again during the blessed naptime again today as well. Crossing fingers for both of us. ;)
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