Finding time to write…
[TANSTAAFL: Do you read this blog? I’m not asking if you like the posts, just whether you read them! If so, don’t be passive. React. Write a comment—chew me out if you like (no foul language, please). You can even receive a free ebook—see the bottom of the “Free Stuff and Contests” webpage; or write an honest review of one of my ebooks in exchange for the ebook. In general, buy, read, and review some of my books. Your participation motivates me and helps defray the costs of this website and my ebook releases. Be active. Help indie authors provide you with inexpensive entertainment. It’s a two-way street, folks!]
[Note from Steve: This post can be considered a continuation of my post on NaNoWriMo. That program challenges newbie writers to write a novel in thirty days. But you might not have regular periods that you can write. In that case, NaNoWriMo is a moot point. You have to steal your writing time from a busy schedule. How and when do you do this?]
Not all of us can be writers, but more of us today are. The eclectic circles of traditional publishing are now complemented by indie writers and publishers, a paradigm shift that drives the establishment crazy, tremendously benefits a dwindling number of readers, and probably hurts a larger number of writers. You might be able to write well, but the competition is ferocious. I know—I live it every day. It often seems I have more chance of winning Power Ball or Mega Millions than having one of my books become successful.
Because it’s non-productive for readers of this blog to find me spiraling down into writer’s depression (different from writer’s block, something I never have), let me make a positive detour. I refuse to pay heed to a person who wants to write when he or she says, “I just don’t have the time or energy.” If you’re really motivated to do something, you make the time. You drink a third cup of coffee and get the energy.
There’s a commercial—you’ve probably seen it—where the young man starts his bold, new American novel in a bedroom turned into a simple office. The scene changes to him holding a new baby, the room morphed into a nursery; then to him practicing dance steps with his little daughter in her bedroom; then the not-so-little daughter going out on a date; and finally the old man back into the room now morphed again into a study.
This is one of those commercials where the advertiser fails with me—I don’t even know what the hell the commercial’s for. I just think it’s sad, because that fellow, if really motivated, should have been writing all along. Years ago, it was a bit more difficult—traditional publishers with their armies of gatekeepers too often stood in the way. Even with more people reading, readers had to read what the publishers wanted them to read. As time went on, traditional publishers became more and more addicted to “the sure bet”—established authors far outnumbered the “new voices.”
But, if we think of that commercial starting in the present and moving toward the future, that father has no excuse. “I just don’t have the time or energy.” Why not? Let’s analyze the time aspect. Sales are already starting on big-screen TVs. Black Friday has morphed into Black Thanksgiving—you can buy a new TV, or maybe add another one so that the den, bedrooms, and family room all have a TV. Maybe get a tablet while you’re at it so you can watch streaming video. And what will you watch? 90% drivel—passive, mind-numbing drivel.
It’s easy to analyze the program content. Let’s face it—the so-called reality shows are so far from reality that you wonder when J. K. Rowling will be on one. Nature channels tend to focus on weird stuff like chimps acting as badly as humans. Science programs spoon feed you pseudo-scientific and technical pablum, their only positive serving as a stage for the superegos invited toi “educate the public.” Cartoons for your kids have become thirty-minute cereal commercials. Drama shows on any channel are all too often just soap operas. Quiz shows feature stupid people answering stupid questions.
You get the idea. Let’s talk adult fare. You can certainly get all the sex and violence you want on the cable channels. I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, for example—plenty of boobs and more, plus all kinds of violence. A nipple or a gunshot wound looks great on that new big-screen TV, but, if you watch too much, you become desensitized. And let’s forget about the sports addicts who watch modern gladiators kill each other in high definition.
So, let’s suppose you forego the TV. While that’s a healthy start, reading is also passive. Some reading is less passive than others. Reading People’s magazine can’t even be called reading. If you’re reading a minimalist author like me, that’s better, because that means you’re creating, with nudges from me, your own versions of the plot, characters, and settings. Maybe you’d rather do that than write. Go ahead. It’s better than TV.
But don’t tell me you don’t have the time or energy to write. Not everyone has a story in them, but many do. Put it into prose. You have the time. While your kids are hooked on TV and videogames, you can sit down and write. When you have insomnia at night, get up and write. When you’re sitting on a bench at the mall wondering when your wife or daughter will finish with their shopping, start watching people and envision them as characters. If you’re on a military base in any capacity, or overseas, you have ample opportunity to jot down some great story ideas and character portraits. Even buy one of those smart phones with a stylus so you can do that—or be old-fashioned and use a small notebook or a napkin.
All that’s writing. When you’re observing your surroundings, remember what you observed. A few seconds here, some minutes there, a few twenty-minute sessions during the week—it all starts to add up. I know. I did it for years. Yes, I was first an applied physicist, but my first love has always been writing. You “steal” time to do it from other things. I don’t consider it stealing. It’s a matter of priorities.
I’m not telling you this because I need more competition. I don’t. But I do think everyone should realize his full potential. Publishing has morphed into something where you can do this. You just need to start writing.
In libris libertas….
[Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving and Hanukkah.]
