Writing first
As a night owl, I used to do all my writing at night. Many of my short stories were drafted in marathon sessions starting around 8 PM on a Friday or Saturday night, and finishing at 11 PM, or 1 AM, or whenever.
If I didn't have a day job, I might still be writing that way. But on nine days out of every fourteen, I go to the job that pays the bills (writing contributes, but can't support me financially). And when I come home, I do write for at least an hour, often two or three.
However, I've gotten older and busier and more tired. And when writing isn't first on the list, it often gets pushed back and put off--especially first drafting, which takes so much mental and emotional energy. So what I've started doing on non-day-job days is to write first thing in the day. After I finish breakfast, I sit down in my writing office and do my day's goal (whether it be to write for two hours, or add 1000 words, or add 2000 words, or revise ten pages, or whatever). Then I go about my other chores, knowing that whatever else I do or don't get done, at least I have written.
It's made me happier, since I'm generally happier when I'm writing regularly. And I know I'm lucky to be able to do this. I can set my own schedule on these five days. I decided to try this after hearing from other writers that the only way they could reliably get writing done--without getting sucked into the vortex of social media, email checking, etc.--was to write first.
I used to think I couldn't write in the morning. But over the years, I'm finding I can write in more different times and places, using more methods, than I would have guessed. It's never too late to try a new system.
If I didn't have a day job, I might still be writing that way. But on nine days out of every fourteen, I go to the job that pays the bills (writing contributes, but can't support me financially). And when I come home, I do write for at least an hour, often two or three.
However, I've gotten older and busier and more tired. And when writing isn't first on the list, it often gets pushed back and put off--especially first drafting, which takes so much mental and emotional energy. So what I've started doing on non-day-job days is to write first thing in the day. After I finish breakfast, I sit down in my writing office and do my day's goal (whether it be to write for two hours, or add 1000 words, or add 2000 words, or revise ten pages, or whatever). Then I go about my other chores, knowing that whatever else I do or don't get done, at least I have written.
It's made me happier, since I'm generally happier when I'm writing regularly. And I know I'm lucky to be able to do this. I can set my own schedule on these five days. I decided to try this after hearing from other writers that the only way they could reliably get writing done--without getting sucked into the vortex of social media, email checking, etc.--was to write first.
I used to think I couldn't write in the morning. But over the years, I'm finding I can write in more different times and places, using more methods, than I would have guessed. It's never too late to try a new system.
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