One of my greatest assets (and greatest challenges) is the number of things that interest me. I love to read, write, practice piano, exercise, participate in sports, travel, attend cultural events, cook, eat at fine restaurants, watch foreign movies, knit, garden, do research on just about anything, etc., etc. The list goes on and on. While I love having all of these interests, I also get frustrated because I have difficulty fitting them all into my life. Right now, I'm a bit frustrated that I have not progressed further with my writing.
Over the holidays, we were invited out for Christmas Eve dinner. At the end of the evening, I asked one of the guests what she likes to do for fun. To my surprise, she told me that she likes to write, has her whole book outlined, and is already on chapter five. How I wished we had started this conversation earlier in the evening! She said that she writes a couple of hours every morning. I was so inspired and returned home, trying to figure out how I could do the same.
My dilemma, however, goes beyond just finding the time. I also have difficulty focusing on one aspect of my writing at a time. As I stated in one of my earlier blogs, there are three types of writing I want to pursue
- reworking the 6 1/2 years of blogs that I wrote for Prufrock Press
- a memoir, using the format of thematic essays
- a novel
I realize that it is not an efficient use of time to want to reach out in so many different directions. I've never considered myself good at multi-tasking. Nevertheless, I have already started each of these projects. The challenge is going to be to finish at least one of them.
I would love to hear how others with busy schedules manage their time so that the writing gets done.
Posts
Like you, I have lots of writing ideas floating in my head. I call it "mulling." There is rarely a time when I am not processing ideas in the back of my mind. I really enjoy the mental planning, outlining and brainstorming process in writing. Once I have my mulling on a project figured out (which it sounds like you for your projects), it is easy enough to get the writing work done. As far as managing my time to get it done - well - it may not be that most helpful of ideas, but once I am out of the mulling stage, I just work straight through until I am over half-way done with the project. Sometimes that means 12 hours straight - 4 hours of sleep - and finish it up. The actual writing of the physical book is entering all of the ideas I have already developed mentally and goes fairly quickly. I am not someone who can write from this time to this time once a day - I have to be ready. I know others can do it that way. I also know that if I try to write or design a presentation before it has come to mulling fruition I can just forget it.
ReplyDeleteIf I do need to buckle down and get to work NOW, I develop a to-do list and divide each writing task into short manageable chunks (i.e. things that may take 10 minutes to do, so I get to check lots of things off a day) and then I find time to check off at least three items a day and I can get a lot of work done towards my goal on that writing project.
I don't think I have been very helpful with my response, but it is how I manage my time and writing.
Laurie
Thanks to the people who have personally emailed me with their time management strategies.
ReplyDeleteLaurie, I admire you for being able to write 12 hours straight. I can understand how that might happen. Sometimes I start writing and become totally oblivious to anything else that is happening. I forget to eat and I can actually forget to sleep. Balance is often difficult.
ReplyDelete