Saturday 14 April 2012

My Writing Life.

I've read a number of blog and facebook posts from other authors this week complaining about the struggle of maintaining a balance between their writing lives and their regular lives. I have to be honest, I'm normally someone who writes obsessively. I will literally snatch every moment I can in order to get a few words down. Sometimes I managed to get a thousand words written in one sitting, sometimes it will only be a hundred. However, those words quickly add up.

This past week I've had Easter to content with, along with my two daughters' birthdays and I've had family come to stay. With so many outside distractions, I've struggled to maintain my usual daily word count. Because I'm lucky enough to be able to write full time, I think I take for granted the guaranteed time I have to write. This week, with the kids off school, birthdays and families to attend to, I've probably only managed half of what I'd normally achieve.

It is frustrating and I sometimes find I become resentful. I'm a driven person and I like to be able to get a set goal achieved each day in order to feel as though I'm moving forward. But I do need to remind myself that time spent with my family and NOT writing, isn't time wasted. It's time well spent. Next to my family, my work is without a doubt the most important thing in my life, yet I never have to remind myself to work. What I do have to remind myself to do is spend quality time with my family and focus on that time. All too often, even when I'm out somewhere with my kids, I'll be daydreaming or scribbling things down in a notepad.

So, for me, while many are struggling to find time to write, I need to make sure I spend time with my family and that I'm mentally present in that time. While my writing will always been hugely important to me, my family always needs to come first.

9 comments:

  1. You are not alone, work/life balance is something a lot of people struggle with. I always tell myself I want my son to remember the times we spent together and not the times i'm busy with something else. Take it day by day :) i wish you well!

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  2. Sometimes I forget that people from all walks of life struggle with this balancing act. I just try to make sure my time with my family is first and foremost, center stage!
    laura

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  3. Very true, ladies. I guess no matter what job you are doing, the struggle of work and life will always be an on-going one. Although I'm not religious, I was raised a Christian and my mother always said to me, 'no one ever got to the gates of Heaven and wished they'd spent more time at the office.' I think sometimes I need to remember that more. Thanks for your comments!

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  4. Speaking as one of those who discussed that balance this week that we all try to achieve, I thank you so much for stopping by and offering your advice and perspective, Marissa. I'm really hoping to get to a place where I write every day, even if only a half hour or so. Perhaps I might even have to swap things around: write every day and only blog on weekends. We'll see.
    Take care.

    -Jimmy

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    1. Yes, you were one of the people who inspired my post, Jimmy! With the number of hours you work, I'm amazed you get anything done besides sleeping!

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  5. This is an interesting juggling act and one that can sometimes be torn apart when a crisis arrives. For me, the end of last year and this year has been a complete morass. My son's health, my health, and my personal life have all taken major hits. Yet, I continue to write, and write prolifically because I must. It is my stabilizer in life. We do what we must, don't we, Marissa?

    Blaze

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    1. So sorry to hear you've been having such problems. Writing is such a great escape though, isn't it? It's the one place you can go to where you don't have to think about real life. I hope things are all on the mend for you. X

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  6. I think being driven to write and achieve some goal everyday in that respect is a fine goal to have. I can't imagine having kids as well as a husband. Even when I am with him, he knows that my far-off looks, and moments where I'm not really listening means that I'm with my writing. It is an obsession. I don't think there is a cure for it either.

    Thanks for bringing it up, Marissa. Life is a blessing and we should find moments to stop and enjoy it. (^;

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    1. Lol. I know what you mean about that 'far-off look'. I often feel like I'm in a daze because my head is somewhere completely different to my body! I'm always putting things on to cook and then completely forgetting about them because I've gotten distracted by some other idea. Thanks for stopping by Lorelei!

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