Okay, okay. I'm getting there. GEEZ!
Here it is. I have no clue what I'm doing anymore and I'm overwhelmed. Drowning doesn't cover it. Not even close.
There, happy now?
My workdays are starting to hit 9 and sometimes 10 hours a day. Of course, mommy and wifey time takes up most of the remaining hours. And then there's reading.
What's left is for writing. I mean, I am a writer after all. I'm published and everything.
But, that means less promotion time for those published babies of mine, and less time for the more fun side of talking up fellow author's books I read. (There are so many SFR and SF books I've read lately that I want to shout out to you all about on my FB fan page.)
And my geek fests! Oh, how I've missed my geek outs! There's a list a mile long with topics and science "stuff" I want to check out, look into and blog about to get your opinions.
I've made sure not to impact my family/friend time. I've done this by dedicating those peak hours to them, which means my work day splits, 7 or 8 am to 5 pm and then 8 pm to 9 or 10 pm. That there, folks, is the me time I've sacrificed, and it is time I took some of it back.
I have a plan...
(Boy, isn't that usually the thing people say before absolute disaster befalls them?)
Whatever, I'll risk it. I have a plan. It is time reclaim some of it and pull back on the work hours I've been slating.
I mean, what achievements will I be most proud of when I'm 80, after all? Will it be the hours of personal and family time I gave up on projects quickly forgotten as the next five pop up? Will those lost hours make me most proud when I look back on my life?
Or will it be the stories I wrote, characters I created and mental space journeys I took? Or the other authors and great books I read and promoted? How about the science I learned and discussed with friends?
I think those things will make for better geriatric memories, if I don't come down with Alzheimer, that is. So my plan is simple:
Workday ends at end of work day. 8 pm to 10 or 11 (or even midnight on) is my time. The time for me, my characters, and my fellow writers. The time for my science and technology wandering and musing.That is my call to action.
For my moonlighting gig as a writer. As author A. R. Norris, aka the SF geek and former marching band tuba player.
(Heehee. Betcha never read a call to action that included "former marching band tuba player" in it, have ya?)
Hear, hear, A. R. Isn't it amazing how many hours writers don't have to spend on their craft? My characters knock on the inside of my skull if I ignore them too long. You didn't mention that in your post, but I imagine they must drive you crazy trying to get out and onto your computer.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best with getting your writing time.
So true, Paisley. Those characters sometimes work up to kung fu and are so loud t's hard to focus.
Deletethanks for the wishes, I'll need them. (Maybe I'll kidnap a leprechaun or two.)
For most authors, the day job is just that. A job. Writing, on the other hand, is not only a business, but a passion. Sometimes it's really hard to juggle the two.
ReplyDeleteYes, you hit the nail on the head. Though I like my day job and the challenges, at the end of the day it is not my calling.
DeleteLOL, I'm really bad at juggling and the last couple months of attempting to has left many bruises.
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ReplyDeleteGreat plan! Those day jobs get out of control and must be caged!
Also, marching bands and Tubas ROCK!
They really do rock, don't they? Some of my greatest, most geekiest memories are on the school bus with my other marching band buddies on our way to a marching competition or parade.
Delete(Not to mention I got to befriend the hot drummer turned rock star.)
Hello from a fellow geek, A.R.,
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I think we all deal with this sort of problem, to a greater or lesser extent.
I hope your personal plan turns out to be super-successful.
(P.S. If you like scifi, you might want to check out my M/M dystopic romance Quarantine.)
Thanks Lisabet, I'll add it to my TBR list and check it out.
DeleteWell you have some good points about a writer's time--and funny, too. I laughed every other sentence. Time is a big deal to writers. We never have enough. I remember on several occasions my family asking for some of my time like they had to make an appointment. I had wrapped myself into my WIP so tight that all there was in my life was my bill paying day job and my WIP. It came to me, as it did to you, that my memories should be more than work. Good luck with your plan. I wish you all the best.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah. Hopefully I can stick with it.
DeleteYou know how these things go... they're like a big life-size yo-yo. Periodic reminders and reflection are necessary.