When life gets in the way of writing
Some thoughts on priorities, writing, and being ok that the work takes a back seat for a while
I’ve been conspicuous (or perhaps not, given my subscriber numbers) by my absence here, but life has gotten in the way of updates for this (and this, and this - goodness, there’s a lot expected of an author wanting to be published in 2025, hey?).
Despite my best intentions, my writing has suffered. In part, this is due to lack of time and not being in the right headspace, but also because I’ve moved beyond the ‘fun bit’ of a first draft and onto the hard yards of cramming 70,000 squirmy words into a coherent narrative. I’ve had an easier time trying to get my cat into a carrier ahead of a trip to the vet.
Rather than beating myself up about my progress, I’ve been trying a couple of new techniques to manage my reduced output which I thought might be useful to share.
Lowering the bar for what success looks like
Over the past few months, I’ve been aiming for 500 words a day. This was easier during the rose-tinted days of the first draft, where things like grammar and coherence didn’t matter so much. The work in draft two is harder and requires more from me. A successful session might only be one hundred or two hundred words. I’m working to be okay with that.
Keeping to the rules
Somewhat related to the above, I’ve been doing my utmost to stick to what I know works. Mainly: don’t try to write in the evening when I’m tired. It’s only taken a decade, but it’s finally sunk in. It won’t be a productive session, you’ll be grumpy to be missing out on reading, and it’ll just make me more grumpy.
Prioritising writing
Outside of gainful employment, I try to prioritise three things every day. I’ve been working to ensure that writing finds its way onto the list as often as it can and, crucially, to be okay with the things that don’t get done because I’ve chosen to write instead. This usually means something I really want or should be doing falls off the list. I’ve been trying to be okay with having a messy kitchen or a growing pile of emails that need responding to.
I suppose all this is a 350-word way of saying: sorry I haven’t had the chance to get back to your email yet.