January 18, 2009
As a part-time fiction writer with an unrelated day job, I face one eternal dilemma: how to find time for the writing. How do I squeeze it in, hitting my 1,000-word goal in addition to accomplishing all the other non-writing tasks my days bring my way? And on top of all that, how do I shoehorn in simple relaxation and enjoyment of life? How much relaxation and enjoyment is too much? When do I cross the line into laziness and unproductiveness? I’m thinking about this tonight because today was a little out of balance. I did write over 600 words, which is still good at this stage of my new novel (Day 2, after a 340-word Day 1). However, I did not hit my 1,000-word goal, and I feel guilty because of it. Part of the problem was an AFC-playoff game party at my sister-in-law’s house, which ate my entire evening, starting at 5:30PM. It was fun, especially because local favorites the Pittsburgh Steelers won…but most of the time I was there, I kept thinking about getting home to cap my 1,000 words for the day. I didn’t drink, because I wanted to crank those words as soon as I got home. In the end, though, I didn’t get home in time to write the rest of my daily grand. I should’ve just unwound and fully enjoyed myself instead of sweating the quota. But that’s how it always is when time is so tight; if you let go too often, you drop the ball productivity-wise…and writing’s a numbers game, so drops in productivity hurt your chances of making a sale. So there’s always this tension. On the one hand, I’ve committed to certain goals, and I’m determined to accomplish my dream of becoming a published novelist; on the other hand, I know I need to enjoy my life a little, because I won’t always be around. On my deathbed, will I look back and say, “Gee, I wish I’d written more pages?” Maintaining a balance is critical, yet constantly frustrating and precarious. I hope I get it right one of these days. Of course, I’m off work tomorrow for Martin Luther KIng Jr. Day, so maybe I can gain some ground then on a couple of fronts. Meanwhile, go Steelers! See you tomorrow.
