The juggling act
You have to drop little Tammy off at kindy on the way to getting the twins to school before 8:30. Don’t forget to pack Danny’s googles. Not the blue ones, the yellow ones. And Sammy has his show and share today. Did he want to take the shell from your Magnetic Island beach trip or the Rhinoceros beetle from Pop’s garden? And then you need to call the plumber because that damn toilet is leaking again and now the bathroom smells like a men’s loo in a nightclub. He’ll probably want to come sometime between 9am and 4pm. Maybe see if Dave can work from home today. Also, make sure you get the slow cooker going before you leave this morning and don’t forget to pick up the Woollies order on the way home. Must also reschedule that dentist appointment for next month and book in a breast check. Need to phone Sarah and see if she knows what we can get great aunt May for her 83rd birthday. Is tequila inappropriate for an octogenarian? And for god’s sake, respond to that WhatsApp group message about Friday night drinks with the girls – let them know I can be there by eight after picking Danny up from swim club and dropping Sammy off at a sleepover, and can I just throw in fifty bucks for Bec’s present?
Oh, and write that bloody book!
Okay, so not everyone’s life is that crazy (but I’m betting it is for a lot of you out there). But, either way, there’s no denying that day-to-day life is hectic. And as a writer you still only have twenty-four hours in the day. So when the hell do you actually write?
It’s all too easy to use the lack-of-time excuse as to why you haven’t yet written that book you’ve been talking about for the better part of a decade. But it’s time to cut the crap, stop procrastinating and just do it.
The trick is to accept that you’re never going to have the ideal opportunity in life to sit down and write your novel. All the other responsibilities aren’t going to disappear for six blessed months while you get your creative zen on (god damn it!). So the only solution is to prioritise your writing and to make time.
And no I’m not suggesting that you let your little ones go all feral like some twenty-first century Lord of the Flies scenario (though I’m not one to judge if that’s your jam). But have a look at your day and see where you can fit in getting the words down on the page.
So what does that look like for authors? Well, it’s different for everyone. For some, it’s setting the alarm an hour earlier each morning (not me though, I don’t get out of bed until some little person has stuck their foot in my face). Others are night owls and stay up after the family has gone to bed. If you can’t sacrifice your sleep (waving my hand over here), then consider other options. For me, I gave up TV in the evenings to write. So once my three kids are tucked away for the night and hubby has settled onto the couch, I throw myself behind my laptop and meet my word count for that day. And sure, it means that I still haven’t watched White Lotus (nor have any idea what it’s actually about), but last year I managed to write a novel in a matter of months with three kids under five (and that’s with the newborn and toddler at home with me all the live long day – and what long, long days they were!).
When it comes to writing, if you have a burning desire that just won’t leave you alone, then the time has come to carve out some one-on-one time with your computer/typewriter/quill and get those words down on the page at last. Make the time and make a date that you just don’t break. Because, honestly, the only person who really cares if you write that book or not is, well, you.
Good luck and happy writing.
Photo credit: Nick Morrison via Unsplash
