So here I am at the end of January, and very little writing to show for the month. I’m finding the only thing more frustrating than hitting a block or plateau is wanting to write and feeling like circumstances conspire against you. (And the Flyers just lost, in the shoot out; pffft.)
I don’t know why, but for the last year or so, writing time has been very difficult to find. I’m sure it is for any of you who write, or whatever it is you do, when you try to balance home, family and everything else. I admit I’m kind of flummoxed, because prior to that year, it seemed like time was much easier to come by. I’m likely remembering wrong, but that’s how it feels.
I had such plans for last year, for writing, and almost none of it happened. I can’t tell you how jealous I get when I check my Facebook page or various forums and see people mention stories in progress, or finished, or anything else. I feel like I’m running to keep up and hurdles keep popping up.
So far this year, I’ve posted chapter eight of Rhythm and the Blue Line, and that’s it. I am working on the rest — it’s looking like another three chapters, perhaps — but there’s that time issue again. I write a Valentine’s Day story, but my beta reader pointed out some pretty basic issues, and I’ve pushed that back for now. I have ideas for it, and I think it can be salvaged, but it’ll have to wait.
I have to give lots of hugs to my husband, who does try to help, but sometimes events conspire even then. I find it’s a bit like being on vacation — by the time you relax enough to really get into it, you’re past the halfway point and you’re already looking at coming home. It’s like that with writing. When you’re faced with a two- or even three-hour window, sometimes it takes a good half an hour or more to relax so that you can get into the flow and then you feel like you’re under the gun to finish. I’m reminded of Rita Rudner, who commented when taking questions at the end of one of her shows, that this part was where she had to be funny all of a sudden (and, of course, she was).
Sometimes it feels like that with writing. “Okay, here’s some time — get creative. Three, two, one, now!” I actually tried to make a habit of getting up around 6:30am to try to get some writing done before everyone else got up. That lasted about a whole day, since my littlest one got up at 6:45am. I think that’s not for me anyway, as I’m simply not awake then. It’s not a matter of inhibitions being down and being able to think outside the box (I wish it was); it’s a matter of my synapses not firing and not really being able to think at all.
So much for morning creativity.
However, I am working to make some time. Some nights, I will simply have to resist the pull of watching movies in HD. (I can’t resist the hockey games, sorry. 🙂 ) Some other changes should, I hope, gain me some time during the week.
I’m still writing, I promise. It just takes a while.