Hello writers! I'm wondering how the writing is going for everyone? This time of year seems to bring a lull in fic, as evidenced in BSG Fandom by a Wireless with one fic
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I've had the frustrating problem of knowing what happens next, but not having the time or ability to focus to keep it moving forward. I managed to write around 900 words this week, but I'm still only about halfway through chapter 2 in what I've outlined as at least 11 chapters. Whine-y, self-important rant to follow...
I know it all sounds ridiculous when I complain about it, too. I work full time in medical software development, as a programming supervisor, and that can be about as brain-draining as it sounds. I love my job, but this time of year is always deadline-y (and don't even start me on the changes we had to make for ARRA II so hospitals can get huge gov't grants for being electronic). I get home after work, sometimes 10-12 hours after I left with travel time, and I often have no brain left that isn't still half-processing code or thinking about how to solve some problem that came up.
Then, I have a 7 year old who still likes to spend time with her mother. This may change in the near future, and I know I'll miss it when it does, so I try (good Lord, it's hard sometimes) to stay as focused on her as I can when we're home. I mean, I'll still spend forever reading the internet in the afternoon, but sitting next to her at least. This, of course, leaves me the hour and half after she goes to bed, if I even get to sequester myself away to write at all. You know what my concentration is like at 8:30pm after being at work for 6am? Yeah, that's why I'm still in Chapter 2.
And then the icing is that I managed to marry my best friend and we have nearly every interest in common, sooo... Yeah. That hour and a half at night is time spent watching our TV shows or movies together, at least 5 out of 7 nights a week. And I know this absolutely SHOULD NOT fall under complaints about my awesome life, but I am a little tired of how every time I want an hour to myself, it's presented as choosing to not spend time with him (or both of them). Like now, for instance. They will not leave me alone long enough to finish typing this AND OMG IF ANYONE WITH THE LAST NAME OF BROWN DIES IN RHODE ISLAND TODAY, WILL SOMEONE COME VISIT ME IN PRISON?!
*sigh*
There. I feel better. Anyway, I have a plan to try to waste less time scrolling the internet and do a better job of making myself focus and write more often, but it remains to be seen if I'll get any changes to stick. I have half a mind to take a sick day in the near future, just so I have a few hours with no one home and no one's feelings hurt. :)
Don't feel bad about venting. Everyone has limitations on their time and energy. I stay home and most of the time I'd argue that it doesn't really give me more time just less money. *shrug*
I will say that I have learned over the last couple of months that it's ok to say, particularly to Paul, that I need time to write. Even if that means that something doesn't get done around the house or he needs to leave me alone a few nights a week. It makes me a better person.
Kids are harder, but I'm writing while we Good Luck, Charlie so keep that in mind. I'm also not getting that much done. hee.
Ugh. Good Luck, Charlie. :) Disney needs to stop with the bumbling and horrible parents on their shows, but that's another rant entirely (see also: Dog With a Blog, which might possibly be the worst TV parents not on a cartoon). I have trouble focusing when the TV is on, which puts me out of the room and puts me right back to trying not to ignore her. I will almost always choose her over my writing, and I will never regret that.
I know I need to take time for myself and I've been better about it, but then I end up right back at the first point- I'm a zombie after work some days. I know this too shall pass, since I can see all of of writing I've gotten done in previous years around February and March and beyond. I think my main problem is I see my self-imposed deadline looming this summer and it's becoming less and less likely I can find enough focused time to hit that date with a completed draft. It's not a big deal. The date can slide, sure, but not all the way to next year, which is what it's feeling like will happen at this point. If I can just get this chapter done, I'll be in the action finally, so maybe that's all it will take to keep me off Tumblr... :)
I actually kind of like Good Luck, Charlie which may not say the most positive things about my childhood. The mother reminds of my mother in a sit-com kind of way and she dances better. hee. Dog with a Blog isn't great but I'm pretty sure it's better than Two Broke Girls and the high school on Shake it Up is John Hughes High which earns it a lot of points.
Ant Farm, however, makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Like, a lot.
Meg and I have agreed that I leave the room when she watches 'tween shows that aren't Victorious. She got tired of my running commentary about what I don't like about them. :)
*hugs* It's tough to find writing time sometimes. I know how you feel and I've definitely had periods where I was too tired to write in the evening. As long as it's in the front of your mind and you try to build time for it, you'll make it.
Yeah, and I'm finding it's easier to make time when I've spent a few days commutes working out the details in my head. This time of year is always when I melt down a little, anyway. I need sunshine and fresh air, stat! Thanks!
This time of year is always when I melt down a little, anyway. I need sunshine and fresh air, stat!
The other day I was melting down about something and trying to explain to Paul why and what he could do to help. All of the sudden I looked at his and said, "The problem is it's just January. I'm always like this is January. I need the sun to come back and my toes to un freeze. So this is pretty much it until May." And then I grinned really hopeful and stupid, and he just looked at me like I might be crazy, like he always does in January. So I went to look at sandals online. :P
"The problem is it's just January. I'm always like this is January. I need the sun to come back and my toes to un freeze. So this is pretty much it until May." And then I grinned really hopeful and stupid, and he just looked at me like I might be crazy, like he always does in January. So I went to look at sandals online. :P
It's now long after this rant, but I'm so relieved to not see you dragged away in handcuffs! ;)
I know you will get EVERYTHING done, but it is very hard to focus sometimes. I definitely need HUGE amounts of writing space, let alone time to get actual writing done. I am not the best at shifting gears, particularly between work and writing, but I think it's getting better.
Good luck at carving out time to work. I am sure you will get it done!
I used to write daily during my lunch break at my old bookstore job, no matter how many people were there, but I cannot do that anymore. I need quiet and to not let myself get distracted by the shiny internets. I wish I could have that focus back, but then again, I'm not so sure anything I wrote back then wasn't awful, sooo... :) Thanks!
Random thought: Does your husband also need time for/by himself? Could you each take your daughter for a couple of hours one weekend day each week, just to give yourselves some regular time that he won't end up resentful about?
Unfortunately, he DOES take time for himself, only not at a time I can use for MYself. On Monday evenings, he takes yoga, only most of the time he's gone, Meg's still up. He tends to get back 20-30 minutes after I get her to bed. And one other night a week, he goes to a game night with some of our friends, which is my writing night when I'm not so wrung out from work that I just can't. If I'm lucky, I can get an hour and a half of writing in.
Man, I miss the days when we were first living together when he played 60 hour video game after 60 hour video game... :) We've had THAT conversation more than once, when he tried to argue that I never needed this time to myself before. Oh, you mean back when you played Final Fantasy or regular-not-World-of Warcraft every night for hours while I did whatever the heck I wanted? Good times... :)
Thanks, though. I'm feeling incredibly supported, which helps the anxiety about making my draft date immensely!
I know it all sounds ridiculous when I complain about it, too. I work full time in medical software development, as a programming supervisor, and that can be about as brain-draining as it sounds. I love my job, but this time of year is always deadline-y (and don't even start me on the changes we had to make for ARRA II so hospitals can get huge gov't grants for being electronic). I get home after work, sometimes 10-12 hours after I left with travel time, and I often have no brain left that isn't still half-processing code or thinking about how to solve some problem that came up.
Then, I have a 7 year old who still likes to spend time with her mother. This may change in the near future, and I know I'll miss it when it does, so I try (good Lord, it's hard sometimes) to stay as focused on her as I can when we're home. I mean, I'll still spend forever reading the internet in the afternoon, but sitting next to her at least. This, of course, leaves me the hour and half after she goes to bed, if I even get to sequester myself away to write at all. You know what my concentration is like at 8:30pm after being at work for 6am? Yeah, that's why I'm still in Chapter 2.
And then the icing is that I managed to marry my best friend and we have nearly every interest in common, sooo... Yeah. That hour and a half at night is time spent watching our TV shows or movies together, at least 5 out of 7 nights a week. And I know this absolutely SHOULD NOT fall under complaints about my awesome life, but I am a little tired of how every time I want an hour to myself, it's presented as choosing to not spend time with him (or both of them). Like now, for instance. They will not leave me alone long enough to finish typing this AND OMG IF ANYONE WITH THE LAST NAME OF BROWN DIES IN RHODE ISLAND TODAY, WILL SOMEONE COME VISIT ME IN PRISON?!
*sigh*
There. I feel better. Anyway, I have a plan to try to waste less time scrolling the internet and do a better job of making myself focus and write more often, but it remains to be seen if I'll get any changes to stick. I have half a mind to take a sick day in the near future, just so I have a few hours with no one home and no one's feelings hurt. :)
End of rant. ;)
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Don't feel bad about venting. Everyone has limitations on their time and energy. I stay home and most of the time I'd argue that it doesn't really give me more time just less money. *shrug*
I will say that I have learned over the last couple of months that it's ok to say, particularly to Paul, that I need time to write. Even if that means that something doesn't get done around the house or he needs to leave me alone a few nights a week. It makes me a better person.
Kids are harder, but I'm writing while we Good Luck, Charlie so keep that in mind. I'm also not getting that much done. hee.
Reply
Ugh. Good Luck, Charlie. :) Disney needs to stop with the bumbling and horrible parents on their shows, but that's another rant entirely (see also: Dog With a Blog, which might possibly be the worst TV parents not on a cartoon). I have trouble focusing when the TV is on, which puts me out of the room and puts me right back to trying not to ignore her. I will almost always choose her over my writing, and I will never regret that.
I know I need to take time for myself and I've been better about it, but then I end up right back at the first point- I'm a zombie after work some days. I know this too shall pass, since I can see all of of writing I've gotten done in previous years around February and March and beyond. I think my main problem is I see my self-imposed deadline looming this summer and it's becoming less and less likely I can find enough focused time to hit that date with a completed draft. It's not a big deal. The date can slide, sure, but not all the way to next year, which is what it's feeling like will happen at this point. If I can just get this chapter done, I'll be in the action finally, so maybe that's all it will take to keep me off Tumblr... :)
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Ant Farm, however, makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Like, a lot.
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The other day I was melting down about something and trying to explain to Paul why and what he could do to help. All of the sudden I looked at his and said, "The problem is it's just January. I'm always like this is January. I need the sun to come back and my toes to un freeze. So this is pretty much it until May." And then I grinned really hopeful and stupid, and he just looked at me like I might be crazy, like he always does in January. So I went to look at sandals online. :P
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LOL! A page from my life. Yes, this.
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I know you will get EVERYTHING done, but it is very hard to focus sometimes. I definitely need HUGE amounts of writing space, let alone time to get actual writing done. I am not the best at shifting gears, particularly between work and writing, but I think it's getting better.
Good luck at carving out time to work. I am sure you will get it done!
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But it will get done! I have faith!
Random thought: Does your husband also need time for/by himself? Could you each take your daughter for a couple of hours one weekend day each week, just to give yourselves some regular time that he won't end up resentful about?
Reply
Man, I miss the days when we were first living together when he played 60 hour video game after 60 hour video game... :) We've had THAT conversation more than once, when he tried to argue that I never needed this time to myself before. Oh, you mean back when you played Final Fantasy or regular-not-World-of Warcraft every night for hours while I did whatever the heck I wanted? Good times... :)
Thanks, though. I'm feeling incredibly supported, which helps the anxiety about making my draft date immensely!
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