If Writing were a Woman, I think she'd be a tough love kind a Woman. She wouldn't tolerate me going out on the town, sneaking in late at night or Golfing on the Weekends. Stick with me here...
I'm going to step out on a limb and guess that most of us wannabe Writers out there have a day job, or two. If you don't, more power to ya. I'm also going to guess that most of us don't put as much energy into our day jobs as we do our writing.
So, here's my problem...
Lately, when I'm working my day job, I'm constantly thinking about writing, and when I'm writing, I'm constantly thinking about how much time I wasted at my day job not writing! Luckily, I don't operate heavy machinery during the day, so thinking about writing all the time is not as disastrous for me as it might be for others (don't try this at home eh?). As you can imagine, if I got paid to write fulltime this wouldn't be an issue. But, unfortunately, it doesn't look like that is going to happen for me anytime soon. So what do I do in the meantime?
Endure, my friend, Endure.
I have to give just enough of myself to my day job to keep from getting fired, while making sure I save enough energy to write 1,500 to 2,000 words per night (as outlined in Stephen King's On Writing, if you believe in all that mumbo jumbo). What happened to those good old college days when one could skip class for two weeks straight and still get a C on the exam? This being an adult thing sucks!
Anyways, for those Writers out there who find themselves daydreaming about their next great scene or character while they're getting an earful from their bosses, a customer, or a coworker, I feel your pain.
Just know that when you get home, that tough love Woman, also known as "Lady Writing", is going to be there waiting for you, ready to open up your mind to a whole new world of possibilities. She'll also check your lapel for lipstick marks or the faint smell of perfume, just to make sure you weren't thinking about anything but her all day long.
Oh, and if my boss is out there reading this right now, you know I love ya!
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Comments: 10
Julie: I am like you. I never go anywhere without a notebook. There is one in my car, two in my room at the moment, and at least one next to my chair in the living room.
As for you, Id swear I smell a sci-fi writer in there somewhere. Id be interested to read one of your stories.
One of my first adult books as a child, was R is for Rocket, by Ray Bradbury. I think I still have the little hardback somewhere. Perhaps its time for me to get it out, dust it off and go back to the planets......t
Nice to meet you and your writing with this article. We do love our writing. It's something we can't get avoid, evade, or escape.
I think that perhaps many of us give energy to both our "regular" jobs and to our writing. Yet it's the passion that we reserve for writing. Or maybe, the passion is stirred when we put pen to paper.
Thought-provoking article. Thanks.
Jonathan,
I guess I'm lucky in that I LOVE my day job and don't think I'd give it up unless I published multiple books and had editors pounding on my door for the next. I do still carry that dream, but I've been writing for 15 years now with few editor bites and no sinkers. So it's no big deal if I don't get published. I don't plan on stopping writing, ever.
I do love to write. It's ingrained and a CHEAP hobby. I have killed my share of trees with paper usage. The only time I resort to writing at work is when my students are taking an exam. I sometimes work out scenes while I watch them so they don't cheat. Work is busy, busy, busy with work. No time for writing there. Home life is another matter entirely. I'm always writing and rewriting. I love the comments I get here on gather on my writing - both good and bad, it all helps. I'm a post hog. I've already posted 2 1/2 of my novels here. And even if only a half a dozen strangers read them and enjoy them - that's enough for me. I will be persuing agents again soon. I've received so much feedback that I can use to improve, I'd be a dolt not to rework, rewrite and resubmit.
So if you are new to this writing thing, just know that it will never let go of your soul. But don't get fired or you won't be able to afford paper. That would be a crisis situation.
:)
I used to really resent working and dream of always being able to write. But much of my writing appears to go on at a subconscious level. I often don't even know I'm writing until I get home and 6000 words pour out. And sometimes I'll go months where nothing is there.
I've read several different books on writing, and I'm just not sure they apply to me. If I try to force writing, it just isn't pretty. But, when it's there, it's bubbled and boiled 'til it's fully cooked, I'm generally pleased, even surprised, at the quality of what I write. My tastes are eclectic and so is my writing.
Several here have mentioned their families. On the one hand, it's a real issue. I have a toddler who just isn't happy anywhere but on my lap with my arm around him (seriously hampering writing), but my husband is my co-writer and 100% supportive. Everything I write, I read out loud to him and we work it together, or I take one of his ideas and shape it (he doesn't spell - severe dyslexia). Reading out loud, in my opinion, is one of the best editing tools a writer can have. If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't.
Wow, off on a tangent there. Anyway, that was all my long-winded way of saying, I'm with you, but the issues can be worked without compromising your job, your life, or your writing. I do agree on no more nights out drinking. You don't even want to read what you wrote then :)