By Pamela Moeng
Trying to find time to write in the past 24 hours has been impossible. End of month, which for me is payday on the 15th, finds the cupboards bare, the accounts in need of payment and a house full of youngsters expecting mom to fork out for whatever they've been waiting for be it fast food, the latest thingymabob or just cold cash to line their Mr Price denims.
I asked Ms D to keep pushing me for my contribution and she obliged - lucky my Blackberry let's me email even if I'm lolling in bed trying to keep warm in what I think is a premature chill in the air. Do other writing moms have the same problem - stretching the hours that seem to have shrunk in the wash? For me, the day job also takes 12 hours every day, if you count drive time, not to mention the energy drain. I'd love to get tips from other writers with similar constraints. How do you find writing time?
7 comments:
I just asked another writer this question for my blog. I don't think it is just writing parent's struggling with this - unless somebody hits the big time, nobody can afford to write like they want to anymore.
You're right Tiah. I also struggle with finding the time to write (as compared to doing other activities related to my business). Yesterday our electricity went off early evening. So I went to bed with a notebook and wrote and wrote... drafted a chapter for an ongoing story. Interesting that it took a power cut to give me time to write creatively..
Lack of electricity brings focus. :-)
So tip from Damaria is: short out the house.
When people start telling me they have no time to read / write the first thing I ask is how much the TV is on.
Alas, I wish I were lolling in front of the lobotomy box but no, I'm doing all the day job/partner/mom things, not to mention spending a good 3 to 4 hours on the road pretending I'm a Jozi taxi driver rather than a frazzled writer trying to catch up with the seconds, minutes and hours that seem to stay just out of my reach! Misery loves company though and I'm glad I'm not alone...
Pam, I wasn't directing the TV comment at you or Damaria - more just a common issue I find with people who don't write at all but say they want to but don't have the time.
You...you sound very busy.
@Tiah - You're actually not too far off with the tip comment. When I'm home alone, I do turn the TV off and read/write/garden or do something else I enjoy. I always find it interesting when someone tells me he/she wants to be a writer, and I point them in the direction of what to do, and they are not willing to do it because they're "busy."
Yeah, I took no offence, Tiah. It's a comment I've made to people too. The tv is on in my house but it's the step son, Little Ms and Little Mr who are glued to it and usually mindless reality tv. Imagine, spending your life watching someone else live his/her life? Who'd of thought so many would spend so many hours living vicariously? Give me my netbook any time.
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