Tips on Writing When Life Gets in the Way
Lots of things get in the way of writing but any sort of upheaval is a major killer of writing time. Upheavals can be anything, but the ones I am presently dealing with are:
1. Illness
2. Robbery
3. Shifting
4. Carer responsibilities
Illness
A lot of people have complained that 2016 has been a horrible year. It certainly has in my case. Cancer has struck loved friends and relatives and I've been to more funerals this year than I care to count. Believing I could do my paid job with virtually no resources also finally took its toll.
So, how to keep writing? Grab any time you have. There is never a 'best time'. Keep that notebook handy for new ideas or extending existing ideas. I've done a fair bit of writing in doctor's waiting rooms.
If you end up confined to bed, that is an excellent time to let your imagination roam. You can mentally try out different plot lines or engage in some role-playing, as the hero of course.
Robbery
We got cleaned out by thieves this year. My notebook went but crucially, my hard disk. This was the hard disk I never, EVER, left at home. But as I was ill, it was left when we went overseas, and it had priceless things on it that are completely useless to whoever now owns it. I had, of course, backed up to the cloud, but not latest versions. I paid for my laziness. The other problem about losing your tools of trade is that you have to wait for insurance claims to replace them.
It is a good idea not to get rid of your old computer. They are worth virtually nothing anyway. That's what I've been working on since. Not ideal, clunky and freezes, but I'm writing!
Shifting
A house two years on the market, a sale that fell through, and now leasing and finally shifting. When you have to pack up your resources, this is majorly disruptive. Decide what is crucial and leave it there until the very last moment. Hence I am surrounded by boxes, with my other WIPs in them, but my Angel Caste folders are still next to me.
Being able to sit down to write in between packing and the endless cleaning is a sanity saver.
Carer Responsibilities
I have a sibling who lives a long way away, thus care for my elderly parents is all mine. Dad died in 2014 after a long period of dementia (he was in care) and my mother does pretty well with home support. Things still need to be done, and while these things are done our of love not duty, the effect on writing time is the same.
The best way of meeting these and other responsibilities is by clumping. The more whole blocks of writing time time you can gouge out, the better, therefore think how to clump other things: the pick up of the items Aussie Post no longer delivers on the same trip as the shopping on the same trip as visiting elderly parents on the same trip as refueling the car etc
Clumping is an art form. Think not just days but times. If you go before the post is delivered you are sure to get a pick-up card on your return. When is the PO emptiest? When will the queue be shortest, the parking closest?
Small changes can reduce a 4 hour trip to a 2 hour one.
And again, have your notebook with you. Sitting watching others, while frustrating, can be very useful as an author.
1. Illness
2. Robbery
3. Shifting
4. Carer responsibilities
Illness
A lot of people have complained that 2016 has been a horrible year. It certainly has in my case. Cancer has struck loved friends and relatives and I've been to more funerals this year than I care to count. Believing I could do my paid job with virtually no resources also finally took its toll.
So, how to keep writing? Grab any time you have. There is never a 'best time'. Keep that notebook handy for new ideas or extending existing ideas. I've done a fair bit of writing in doctor's waiting rooms.
If you end up confined to bed, that is an excellent time to let your imagination roam. You can mentally try out different plot lines or engage in some role-playing, as the hero of course.
Robbery
We got cleaned out by thieves this year. My notebook went but crucially, my hard disk. This was the hard disk I never, EVER, left at home. But as I was ill, it was left when we went overseas, and it had priceless things on it that are completely useless to whoever now owns it. I had, of course, backed up to the cloud, but not latest versions. I paid for my laziness. The other problem about losing your tools of trade is that you have to wait for insurance claims to replace them.
It is a good idea not to get rid of your old computer. They are worth virtually nothing anyway. That's what I've been working on since. Not ideal, clunky and freezes, but I'm writing!
Shifting
A house two years on the market, a sale that fell through, and now leasing and finally shifting. When you have to pack up your resources, this is majorly disruptive. Decide what is crucial and leave it there until the very last moment. Hence I am surrounded by boxes, with my other WIPs in them, but my Angel Caste folders are still next to me.
Being able to sit down to write in between packing and the endless cleaning is a sanity saver.
Carer Responsibilities
I have a sibling who lives a long way away, thus care for my elderly parents is all mine. Dad died in 2014 after a long period of dementia (he was in care) and my mother does pretty well with home support. Things still need to be done, and while these things are done our of love not duty, the effect on writing time is the same.
The best way of meeting these and other responsibilities is by clumping. The more whole blocks of writing time time you can gouge out, the better, therefore think how to clump other things: the pick up of the items Aussie Post no longer delivers on the same trip as the shopping on the same trip as visiting elderly parents on the same trip as refueling the car etc
Clumping is an art form. Think not just days but times. If you go before the post is delivered you are sure to get a pick-up card on your return. When is the PO emptiest? When will the queue be shortest, the parking closest?
Small changes can reduce a 4 hour trip to a 2 hour one.
And again, have your notebook with you. Sitting watching others, while frustrating, can be very useful as an author.
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