Balancing act

I’ve just returned from a week away. When I went to Canada I brought along my computer, fully intending to write a chapter during my free hours. Instead I went out and about visiting or I hung out with my kids or ran errands and I didn’t write a word. “No matter,” I thought. “It’s a break from my work. Even writers should have a holiday. I’ll tackle it when I return home.”

Well, guess what. I’ve been home for four days and still haven’t written anything. Between settling back in at home, social commitments, cleaning house, preparing for Christmas, and a myriad of other things that pull at me, I’ve only just remembered that it’s Tuesday and I need to write a blog post. So in the middle of making a dish to bring to a potluck Christmas lunch today (it’s in the oven), I sat down at the computer and here I am. But alas, my character Lydia still languishes.

Life is a juggling act. It’s a challenge to balance the work with the play and the housework and the Christmas prep and everything else that makes up one’s life. Figuring out how to get everything done is a daily exercise for me. And for the past twelve days, my writing has lost out.

I hope I’ll be able to find the focus to write that chapter this week, although I have my doubts. In order to get into my character’s head, I need a quiet environment, a clean desk, and a clear mind. Not to mention several hours to sit at my computer. I guess it’s all a matter of priority and how I juggle my responsibilities and commitments. This week my calendar is full and I’m not sure where to carve out those hours.

A writer friend of mine told me that what it takes to make progress in writing is to simply glue your butt in your chair and get to work. Perhaps I should listen to her. Perhaps I need to drop all the balls I’m juggling and do just that.