This blog was intended for the first weekend in December. However, my work schedule has prevented me from spending much time at my writing desk. My duties as a nurse have seen me working split shifts, swing shifts, weekends, all which makes for good pay, but robs me of productive time through exhaustion, etc.
But here it is, and it seems very apropos for the season.
Most writers of today don’t have the luxury of planning their day around a writing schedule. They have full-time jobs. They have families to care for. And, when those responsibilities and demands are met, there are other mundane tasks of life that seek a slice of time. But there are effective strategies to cope with a busy life.
The first is the decision to write something every day. This is a promise the writer makes to themselves. It requires a commitment of precious free time that is often in short supply. It is the get up a half hour early, put off that chore until tomorrow, skip the news and sit at a writing desk mindset.
Sometimes it’s a matter of finding the time.
Dale Brown made the decision to write “Flight of the Old Dog” in 1987. An officer in the USAF, he used snippets of time while he sat standby. He wrote his manuscript in longhand on legal pads while fellow officers read or watched the news. Similarly, J.K. Rowling wrote her first book in long hand and in small snippets.
Sometimes it’s a matter or organizing the time.
The problem here is that there are far more distractions than there have ever been. And now, with the holidays in full swing, there are a bounty of distractions. Time slips away, unless the writer has set a plan in motion. For example, “Today, in a free moment, I am going to write a scene that takes place in the woods, just outside the old cottage.”
Always be prepared for the next idea.
Ideas come at inconvenient times. Most writers keep a pen and pad at their bedside. Many travel with a voice recorder. Many use their phones to send themselves notes. Ideas come while driving, while in a meeting, while doing the daily rote. There’s no guarantee the idea will hang out, waiting for a convenient time.
Never freak out.
There are going to be days, possibly even weeks, when you won’t get much done. My normal day starts at 5:45 a.m. My normal time to arrive home is between 4:45 and 5:00 p.m. That’s my M-F schedule with weekends off. But weekends aren’t a given. Some work weeks are between 60-70 hours. But that’s how it is in nursing, and in teaching, and in so many other professions that involve direct and active interaction with the public.
There are days I’m simply too exhausted to write. The pundits speak on the necessity of the daily write. I mentioned it myself early in this blog. But, all too often, that isn’t reality.
The only fix I can give is: Make[mm1] the plan, execute the plan as able; revise the plan as necessary, execute the plan as able; streamline the plan as warranted, execute the plan as able. Nobody said it would be easy.
RwriterN, the name attached to this site, has a two-fold meaning. The obvious is “The writer inside the nurse”. R-writer-N. It seemed a catchy name and led to the primary purpose for this site and blog.
It’s my hope that the ideas and information I share are beneficial to others. If I can help new writers find their niche and can assist them to improve the quality of their writing, I count myself a success.
Thanks for reading, and, as always, keep writing.