Somewhere for a day off…
As beginners, writers are always told ‘Write every day’ and this is good advice. Forming a habit of adding to your work-in-progress – whatever that is – on a regular basis is a good idea and one I would suggest new writers should stick to. So why don’t I do that myself, I hear you ask.
Firstly, I have a day job. This takes up a lot of energy and most of my day, leaving me very little spare time. This day job requires a lot of writing and working on a computer and I have to admit my eyes and hands would never forgive me if I didn’t give myself some time off in the evenings.
Secondly, I have a nasty habit of throwing myself into a project and working at it with little regard for anything else. At the weekend I was discussing my writing with a non-writing friend and gave her a run-down of what I was trying to do at the moment. Her eyes widened as my list went on and her response was ‘So not taking too much on then’ with a sarcastic tilt to her eyebrows.
As I have a medical condition – albeit controlled at the moment – I have to be responsible about the way I run my life. I have to build in time for resting and relaxing, otherwise I burn out very quickly. I always find it difficult hearing from other writers what they’re doing at the moment, because I immediately turn green with envy at the amount of work they’re managing to achieve. I’m pleased for them, but I then put myself under a lot of pressure to keep up. Really, what I should do, is remind myself that I’m doing well at what I’m doing, regardless of what anyone else is up to.
I know that if I try to do too much, then my body will make me pay for it. I should know by now – I’ve overdone it so many times and ended up ill. So one of my new resolutions is to try and take it a bit easier on myself. My friend’s reaction made me realise that once again I’d set too hard a schedule for myself, so it’s back to the drawing board with my six-month timeline to see if I can’t make it a bit more manageable!
Wish me luck!
January 22, 2014 at 9:49 AM
I wish you so much luck. I fully understand trying to do everything within the constraints of an unforgiving body. Rest is important. One of the things I do when I’m resting is read. So as a writer I’m still getting one of those important things done, but – usually horizontally 🙂
I also put Dragon voice to text software on my phone in case I desperately needed to do something while laid down. I’ve used it once. I think rest now, includes resting my tired brain not just my body.
It doesn’t mean we can’t do it, just that we’re going to be so incredibly proud when we do! 🙂 xx