Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Trying to Find the Time

Time. There’s never enough of it. Unless you’re waiting for a plane, or a bus, or an editor/agent to call and say yes we’d love to offer you big money and represent every book you have ever written or ever will.

Oops...sorry, drifted off into my happy place again...

Anyhoo, where was I? Ah yes, extolling the virtues of time. Or lack thereof, in which case there are no virtues.

I’m a pretty structured person. I like things that way. Drives most of my fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants friends to distraction, but hey, I get things done. And I get them done because I know where I’ll find the time to do them. Structuring my time is usually not a problem. Having enough time, that’s something else entirely. I haven’t quite figured out the secret of bending the time-space continuum.

My problem with time is like everyone else’s. There’s never enough of it. I would love to find more writing time, but I can’t quite figure out where to carve it out. I could sleep less, I suppose, but then I’d be too bleary-eyed and brain dead to accomplish things anyway. Much as I discovered over the past few weeks of sleepless nights. I could quit work. But then I’d be living in a cardboard box and quite frankly there isn’t enough room for all of my furniture and my computer in there. I could stop working out, but then I’d be overweight, unhealthy and miserable. I can’t imagine what sort of romance I’d write then. Maybe I’d create a new genre. Bitter-Lit. Hmm...has a nice ring to it.

I have some time in the evenings, and I’ve tried to write then, but after an early morning of writing, a day of working, a workout, cooking supper, an hour of reading, then try to fit in some Project Linus work. After that I’m pretty much down for the count. I need an hour or two to just vegetate and recharge.

Which leaves...the weekends. Lately, I’ve been letting myself wake up when I feel like instead of setting my alarm to make sure I don’t sleep past 8 AM. I’ve surprised myself (and incurred the wrath of my dog who likes to be fed as early as possible if not sooner) by how late I can sleep. Granted I’m still up way before noon, but still...10:30 AM is like two in the afternoon to someone who is used to getting up before six.

So I started thinking...what if I get up early at least one morning on the weekend and get 2-3 hours of writing in? If I get up around 7ish, I’ll still be done by ten, which leaves plenty of time for me to sit on the couch, leaf through some magazines and drink a leisurely cup of coffee or six.

Yup. I think that’s the answer. Weekend mornings. Early.

Now that’s suffering for your art.

8 comments:

Melissa Amateis said...

Not me. Weekends are my days to sleep in - the only chance I've got and I take full advantage of it. I can't write in the early mornings anyway, but have to do it in the evenings. My solution is to get rid of any time wasters - no surfing the 'Net at night and no t.v. - not having cable really helps on that one!

Anonymous said...

yes. Finding time. Luckily I'm a morning person, so on weekends I can write early morning and still have my day to play catch up on all the things that don't get done during the work week.

Unknown said...

If you can manage 5 pgs in those three hours you can write 250 additional pages and still take two weekends off. That's an entire short contemporary or more than 1/2 a single title.

Kelly Boyce said...

I love it when someone else does the math for me.

Anonymous said...

LOL. Weekeends are so busy for us, there's hardly any time for writing. Now summers, those are GREAT for me.

Anonymous said...

I think that's an excellent idea Kelly. I used to do that but I haven't had a chance since Christmas. I need to get back on track.

Anonymous said...

I don't write on the weekends for the most part. That time belongs to my family. I carve out writing time. Like Melissa, it means sacrificing other things I enjoy: limited t.v., I don't sew or have any other hobbies anymore, I don't go out with friends. I know things will change eventually, but for now, if I want to be a writer, this is what must be done.

Anonymous said...

Well, one thing getting up closer to your normal time on weekends will do is help with insomnia. And for you, even an hour more of sleep will still feel like sleeping in :-)

I'm facing the same dilemma and I don't do work outside the home. But there's always our bookkeeping to do plus other chores/errands. And wanting to spend time with Sean when he's not working.

Hope you find a happy balance :-)