I officially left my job on August 12 as a publicist with one of the country's busiest public libraries to devote myself fully to pursuing my writing, hopefully get better at it and get my own publicity business ImageNouveau up and operational. Let me make one thing perfectly clear... this staying home mess is more than a notion! I swear, by the time I get the kids to school, come back home, check email (of course) ignore the countless phone calls from creditors and telemarketers... it's lunchtime. Then of course, don't forget to take something out for dinner, and while you're down in the kitchen you may as well wash the floors, straighten up the dining room, take out the trash, hmmm clean the oven.
By this time I'm exhausted. So I eek out two pages, then its time to run out and pick kids up from school, then dinner, then homework, baths, yelling, bedtime, my favorite TV shows... check email again. Whew... I'm beat. And a grand total of 3 pages (on a good day) written.
I must say, while I was at work I got much more writing done. I sat at my desk and relished seeing how much I could get done before I actually had to do company work. Now, every little distraction is a real distraction.
I have more deadlines than time and the clock is ticking....
Any advice is desperately needed and welcomed!
3 comments:
Holly Lisle is mad organized and gives tons of advice on her site, http://hollylisle.com. I better go and check it out myself, ha!
Donna have you tried making a schedule specifically for your writing? Pick out a time that is best for you, no matter what time it is. Even if it's in the wee hours of the morning when everyone else is asleep. Use this time for you and your work. Once you have designed a specific time for your writing you will not only be more organized, you won't feel as bogged down and you won't be as stressed out. I think that this one little step could help you a lot. Seems to me, that like all of us writers you have too much on your plate right now. I think picking a designated time to write will help and you won't have to wonder what you should be doing or shouldn't at a specific time. You'll already have it under control. Hope this helps!
Donna:
Try reading and responding to your emails late at night when all the world is sleeping, right before you go to bed. As for the household chores, save them for when the children get home so they can help you. Dedicate a couple of hours each day to housework and cooking. Prepare simple meals and use a crock pot whenever possible. Tape your favorite shows and watch them at night when the children are in bed. Being a writer, I try to get all my writing done when my child is at school or doing her homework, that way, I can devote time to her when she is home. Gratefully, I have trained her up to be quite an independent young lady with many interests of her own. We mutually agree that we need our own space, and I don't want her bugging me too much, and she doesn't want me bugging her too much. It works out well for us. Hope everything works out well for you, too. P.S. Make sure your friends who might call often understand that although you are at home, you are still working, and they need to respect your time and committments. If you are a Christian, and prayerfully, you are, remember, you are working for the Lord, and He wants us to be diligent. If we can show Him that we are faithful over the little things, then He will make us ruler over much, so be faithful with your time. Yours Sincerely, Dr. Jacqueline Lawrence
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