Laurie Lyons's Blog - Posts Tagged "writng-feather-gates"
Finding Time!
I just did an interview with a fandom called IFandomsCollide. In it, they asked me "What is the hardest part of writing for you" and without hesitation, I replied, "Finding time to write."
That is my biggest challenge. I have never had writers block, I have never struggled to figure out where my characters should live or what they should look like or even what their motivations are for the things they do. For that, I am eternally grateful.
But I never feel like I have enough time to write....never....ever ....ever.
I always feel left hanging, like my bus stop came too early or my PVR stopped recording 5 minutes before the end of 'Game of Thrones (do NOT get me started on that one).
I never feel like I have enough time to write what I want to write and finish a thought.
I dream of the day that I can wake up, do some yoga, drink some coffee and sit down to write until dinner time. I dream of that day like some people dream of winning the lottery. For me, that is the lottery; unbridled writing with nothing to stop me.
It doesn't help that I write every day. That's right. Every single day including Christmas, and my birthday and when I am sick. I write. I have to. I fully admit that it is an obsession but one that I think is beneficial to me. I think writing feeds my soul. I write anywhere I can. I write in the car while waiting for my kids to come out of school, I write in bed first thing in the morning, I write while dinner is cooking, and when I should be doing laundry. I write in snippets everyday. I have no idea if my writing would excel if I got more time to do it, maybe my brain works best in these little snippets of work.
Things that interrupt my writing include but are not limited to:
- eating
- sleeping
- emailing
- TWITTER (gah twitter you evil evil mistress you)
- "Mom, I need to make an igloo out of sugar cubes for school tomorrow" - that was today - variations on this theme include "snacks for the class", "an art creation made out of chicken wire" or "a lip sync routine with a costume"
- The garden
- Voting
- Working out so I don't get that weird butt thing that some writers have where they look totally normal at the shoulders but their butt looks like, well, like it has been sitting in a chair writing a novel for five years.
- 30- Second dance parties ( will NEVER give these up)
- reading other peoples work because I love that too
- working (although I like my job and work part time, it still feels like a time sucker when I have a great idea)
- having book parties (again, will NEVER give these up)
- visiting my books at Chapters to coo over them (yes I do and you would too, don't play it cool)
- the Cinderella list - dishes, laundry, sewing cub badges, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting cooking etc (this is the list that most people say I should leave but when I do, I am always worried that someone will call child protective services because this beautiful house can turn feral really quickly)
Once I get all that stuff done, I feel like I can get down to the business of writing. So it happens in bits and pieces and sometimes while I am balancing a laundry basket on my hip but it happens and I love every second of it.
Find time to write, even if it's the last thing you do.
That is my biggest challenge. I have never had writers block, I have never struggled to figure out where my characters should live or what they should look like or even what their motivations are for the things they do. For that, I am eternally grateful.
But I never feel like I have enough time to write....never....ever ....ever.
I always feel left hanging, like my bus stop came too early or my PVR stopped recording 5 minutes before the end of 'Game of Thrones (do NOT get me started on that one).
I never feel like I have enough time to write what I want to write and finish a thought.
I dream of the day that I can wake up, do some yoga, drink some coffee and sit down to write until dinner time. I dream of that day like some people dream of winning the lottery. For me, that is the lottery; unbridled writing with nothing to stop me.
It doesn't help that I write every day. That's right. Every single day including Christmas, and my birthday and when I am sick. I write. I have to. I fully admit that it is an obsession but one that I think is beneficial to me. I think writing feeds my soul. I write anywhere I can. I write in the car while waiting for my kids to come out of school, I write in bed first thing in the morning, I write while dinner is cooking, and when I should be doing laundry. I write in snippets everyday. I have no idea if my writing would excel if I got more time to do it, maybe my brain works best in these little snippets of work.
Things that interrupt my writing include but are not limited to:
- eating
- sleeping
- emailing
- TWITTER (gah twitter you evil evil mistress you)
- "Mom, I need to make an igloo out of sugar cubes for school tomorrow" - that was today - variations on this theme include "snacks for the class", "an art creation made out of chicken wire" or "a lip sync routine with a costume"
- The garden
- Voting
- Working out so I don't get that weird butt thing that some writers have where they look totally normal at the shoulders but their butt looks like, well, like it has been sitting in a chair writing a novel for five years.
- 30- Second dance parties ( will NEVER give these up)
- reading other peoples work because I love that too
- working (although I like my job and work part time, it still feels like a time sucker when I have a great idea)
- having book parties (again, will NEVER give these up)
- visiting my books at Chapters to coo over them (yes I do and you would too, don't play it cool)
- the Cinderella list - dishes, laundry, sewing cub badges, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting cooking etc (this is the list that most people say I should leave but when I do, I am always worried that someone will call child protective services because this beautiful house can turn feral really quickly)
Once I get all that stuff done, I feel like I can get down to the business of writing. So it happens in bits and pieces and sometimes while I am balancing a laundry basket on my hip but it happens and I love every second of it.
Find time to write, even if it's the last thing you do.
