Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Writing Structure

Ha! You thought this post was going to be about plotting or outlining or something else story-structure related. But it is not. Today I'm talking about structuring your writing... life.

One of the most surprising discoveries I had about living my dream of working from home is that it is very difficult for me to actually... work. Despite having a home office and plenty of time to dedicate to writing, I tend to find myself doing all sorts of other things when I should in fact be writing. It's strange really. I love to write. And it's not really that hard for me to hammer out 1k a day, and yet... frequently I find myself turning on the laptop and then... sorting clothes for a load of laundry, organizing my bookshelf, running to the store, reading the news, all with the thought in the back of my mind that I have ALL DAY to get my writing done, but these other things really should be done NOW.

Right. I am definitely one of those people who, the busier I am, the more I get done. If I can only squeeze in 30 minutes of writing in a day, I will write during that time. I work best with deadlines or when someone is waiting for something from me. I like having a list of things to do (okay, I like lists in general, if I'm being honest) but when the things I need to do are only for myself, I tend to falter. And then my dream life becomes, not quite a nightmare, but like one of those dreams where all you have to do is walk down the hall to the next room, but the hall keeps getting longer and you just keep walking and walking, but not reaching that room.

So. I'm going to try coming up with a strict schedule for myself. Something that has a lot on it, and a little time for writing. (I'm also going to finally start using Mac Freedom. I think.) I'm interested in knowing how those of you that have more "free" time available to write manage to actually write and not do something else. What are your tricks to staying focused?

4 comments:

  1. Usually when I'm in the throws of writing a novel, I'm this crazy work-a-holic machine armed with coffee and a laptop. And sometimes my side-kick, a little white fluffy dog named Squeakers.

    But it's actually getting into the throws that I have an issue with. I play online WAY too much! Mostly blogs and writing sites. And I do it in the name of research, but we all know trolling agents' pages and query tracker isn't always research. ;)

    So on the days that I know I'll have plenty of time to crack out on writing, I won't let myself play online. And if I do, it's only while I'm drinking my first cup of coffee and then it's time for work.

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  2. I try that only during coffee trick too! Unfortunately, I tend to savor three large cups... which makes for far too much time on the internet.

    I agree, when I'm in the zone, I'm only thinking about writing, but it's the getting there that's tough. I'm going to have to start using Mac Freedom on a regular basis, and maybe block the net first thing in the morning! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I'm like you also...It feels like there should be plenty of time, but life...with all its demands...so easily gets in the way.

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  4. I feel like you're writing my life! For me to write in earnest, I have to turn off my e-mail, but in the midst of querying, that's almost impossible to do. I hadn't heard of Mac Freedom, so thanks for the tip.

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