I am not working at a job right now. I accepted a retirement package from work and am taking this time (and money) to write. I plan to return to work in about 6 months, and right now I write.
I have been writing since May 1. For me, every day, every morning is a new “in the beginning.” With a cup of tea or coffee I sit at my desk and plan my day. There are three themes to my plans: doing some kind of social event (otherwise I will start answering myself when I talk to me), some kind of social event for Bella, my German shepherd, because I don’t want her to go nuts either, and writing.
It’s 8 a.m. (or 7:30 a.m., if I really have my act together), and I write random thoughts. Some of those thoughts become what I will write about. I am writing a short story that has mutated into a long and longer story, so I figure out what I am going to do there, and I also spend some time writing about whatever comes into my head.
Regardless of whatever I write about, I usually remind myself in the first 10 minutes of my morning ritual how blessed I am to have the opportunity to do this.
Stephen King wrote that he writes 6 hours a day 6 days a week. When I decided to dedicate myself to writing, I thought I would do that. On my first day, I lasted 15 minutes and decided some serious time management and writing restructuring would need to be done. And, I have been restructuring my time and writing and restructuring my time and writing ever since. In other words, doing whatever it takes to get myself in the chair and write ANYTHING.
Then something happened last Sunday. Two days ago. Sunday was my day off from writing, but when walking Bella I had an idea. I wrote for about an hour, and this idea became a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. I spent some time on this story yesterday and today, while writing other things too, and this afternoon I declared it finished.
Finished. Now, you may not like the story, I don’t know. Here is what I want to say about it — it wrote itself. I was the one who sat in the chair, but the story really just happened.
And I know that it would not have happened if I and not spent the last 2 months sitting down almost every morning and writing.
Yay!
I’ve never managed to get into a write-every-day practice. Maybe it’s not my destiny. Maybe I’ll get there someday. I’m ok either way, but I love that you formed a practice of devotion that’s entirely about the doing, and not about the end result.
I’d love to hear more about your “serious time management and writing restructuring”. What worked for you and what didn’t?
Nice job. I can certainly identify with what you are saying. I find that I am writing every day now and leading to publishing my first eBook.
Keep it going. You are doing great. !!!
Dear Kathy there is a wonderful movie called Mrs Miniver , staring Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson They tell about the rescue of the. Dunkirk Beach. It’s a wonderful movie . I think the local library would have the video of it. You might like to see it. It’s a very touching story. Thank you for your complement on my story. Take care. And keep writing those lovely stories.
Sincerely Jan Petrucha