Life Is So Busy...
Dang! It's been a busy week! I've barely had time to put six sentences together, let alone write six paragraphs, or six pages, or six chapters of anything! Yes, yes, that's an overstatement. I wrote a little. But not nearly enough to satisfy me. And I'm upset with myself for not finding more time. But, this was a difficult week with the loss of a dear family member, and every day tasks that I've let pile up on my shoulders, because, last week I made the time to write and ignored some other things, and what not. I'm certain, you will agree with me when I say, life is just, busy. And everyone is dealing with nearly the same issues. Work demands, household demands, time to spend with family, and friends, and taking care of little furry ones, running errands, paying bills, correspondence, and taking a few minutes for personal grooming... Lol. You get my point, yes? But, what time does that leave for writing?
Well to be honest, it got me to thinking!
"Uh-oh", you say. "She's thinking!" (shutters.)
"Yes," I say, "I'm thinking." (giggles.)
I realized something of great value during this extremely busy week. I came to the understanding, that if I'm not writing, then I'M NOT WRITING!
"Huh? Well, duh!"
So true. And I always knew this to be the truth, but it never fully materialized in my brain until this past week of busy, busy, busy. I fully understand that if I'm too busy to write, then I'm not truly writing, am I? And, I realized something else of value too. No one else is going to do it for me! No one else really can, now can they? No. So, if I'm not doing the act of writing, then my book... MY BOOK, is not getting written, is it? Damn, that's a bitter pill for me to swallow!
I came to an understanding in my teeny, wittle head, that if I were a server in a restaurant, or an airplane pilot, or a retail clerk, or almost anything at all; if I'm busy, or sick, or whatever, there's someone else who can take my place and do my job for me, isn't there? But, if I, or you, are a lone Writer, we are, a lone Writer. Period. No one else can jump in my head and write my words for me. I can dictate, sure, and someone can write it down for me, but that voice still isn't going to sound like me, is it? Un-uh. If I'm not writing, I'M not writing! End of story.
In truth, and to be perfectly frank, I think about my writing every second of every single day, whether I'm actually doing it or not! My book is always in my thoughts. I'm always thinking of how the story will advance? Who will say what, what will that character do next, and where do I want to go to in the next chapter? Even as I bathe my lil' Westie, I'm thinking of story plots and twists. When I'm on the phone, be it personal, or business, I'm thinking of new characters to develop, and the conversations they'll have, and who they'll have them with. When I'm grocery shopping, I think of, well, to be honest, all I can think of then, is how much I'm going to regret shopping when I get to the register to check out! Usually though, all that's on my mind, all day, every day, and night, is my book! I don't get a day off in my head, even if I'm not actually physically writing. But then, that's the problem, isn't it? I'm not physically writing. Just because I'm thinking about it, doesn't mean I'm writing about it. And therein lies the issue with my epiphany!
So then, what's to do? What's the answer? Here's the simple version. Forgive myself for taking the necessary time spent on people who are important to me, my beautiful pets, and tasks, and tomorrow? Just write. Not think. Write. Well, yes, thinking too, (giggling again,) but do the physical act of writing. Yes, true. Today I took time to write this post, and I know I could have been writing in my book instead, but, because I have to mull everything over and talk about it before it sinks in, this is important for me to do too. Let's call it what it is, therapy. (nervous giggle.) At least I wrote something this week! (I can feel you rolling your eyes in your head, aren't you?) So that's it for now. And tomorrow? You know where I'll be, just writing. Because, that's what I do, and after all, I'm Just Me!
Well to be honest, it got me to thinking!
"Uh-oh", you say. "She's thinking!" (shutters.)
"Yes," I say, "I'm thinking." (giggles.)
I realized something of great value during this extremely busy week. I came to the understanding, that if I'm not writing, then I'M NOT WRITING!
"Huh? Well, duh!"
So true. And I always knew this to be the truth, but it never fully materialized in my brain until this past week of busy, busy, busy. I fully understand that if I'm too busy to write, then I'm not truly writing, am I? And, I realized something else of value too. No one else is going to do it for me! No one else really can, now can they? No. So, if I'm not doing the act of writing, then my book... MY BOOK, is not getting written, is it? Damn, that's a bitter pill for me to swallow!
I came to an understanding in my teeny, wittle head, that if I were a server in a restaurant, or an airplane pilot, or a retail clerk, or almost anything at all; if I'm busy, or sick, or whatever, there's someone else who can take my place and do my job for me, isn't there? But, if I, or you, are a lone Writer, we are, a lone Writer. Period. No one else can jump in my head and write my words for me. I can dictate, sure, and someone can write it down for me, but that voice still isn't going to sound like me, is it? Un-uh. If I'm not writing, I'M not writing! End of story.
In truth, and to be perfectly frank, I think about my writing every second of every single day, whether I'm actually doing it or not! My book is always in my thoughts. I'm always thinking of how the story will advance? Who will say what, what will that character do next, and where do I want to go to in the next chapter? Even as I bathe my lil' Westie, I'm thinking of story plots and twists. When I'm on the phone, be it personal, or business, I'm thinking of new characters to develop, and the conversations they'll have, and who they'll have them with. When I'm grocery shopping, I think of, well, to be honest, all I can think of then, is how much I'm going to regret shopping when I get to the register to check out! Usually though, all that's on my mind, all day, every day, and night, is my book! I don't get a day off in my head, even if I'm not actually physically writing. But then, that's the problem, isn't it? I'm not physically writing. Just because I'm thinking about it, doesn't mean I'm writing about it. And therein lies the issue with my epiphany!
So then, what's to do? What's the answer? Here's the simple version. Forgive myself for taking the necessary time spent on people who are important to me, my beautiful pets, and tasks, and tomorrow? Just write. Not think. Write. Well, yes, thinking too, (giggling again,) but do the physical act of writing. Yes, true. Today I took time to write this post, and I know I could have been writing in my book instead, but, because I have to mull everything over and talk about it before it sinks in, this is important for me to do too. Let's call it what it is, therapy. (nervous giggle.) At least I wrote something this week! (I can feel you rolling your eyes in your head, aren't you?) So that's it for now. And tomorrow? You know where I'll be, just writing. Because, that's what I do, and after all, I'm Just Me!
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