The Full-Time Worker and the Writer

After finishing my master’s degree and taking a year off to write, I have only just recently entered The Workforce - Amren's First Full-Time Job! And you know what? I have NO IDEA how people manage to fit in writing. If you're someone who somehow squeezes in a quick revision during lunch, or you write a new paragraph on the bus, kudos to you because I do not know how you do it. I have no idea how you compartmentalize well enough to shove aside the fact that Anna left this unsolvable problem by deleting her source code and just get into zen writer-mind. It seems nigh impossible.

I thought that starting a full-time job would be easier than grad school, since I wouldn’t have homework or group projects or research to do on my own time. I thought I'd be able to clock out at 5:00, leave my worries at the door, and saunter home to write a dozen pages. Instead, I get home and stare at my laptop, all of my creativity drained as if I'd poured it through a sieve. What I didn’t factor into this consideration was that, during grad school, I could go home during the day and make pizza dough or smash out a couple chapters. (Sometimes I could even cram a few paragraphs into the margins of my notes during class, if I was sneaky.) Working full-time is a whole other animal.

I've considered making time to write in the little moments here and there at work, but my job is too demanding to even allow me to think about what I'm going to work on after lunch. My brain is constantly "on," working out how long it'll take me to scan a dozen slides and whether I can figure out what's wrong with the lab computer while the scanner is running. At the end of the day, I constantly feel like my brain has turned to jello. And it is so frustrating. I've had my NaNoWriMo manuscript nagging at the back of my mind since the new year started, but I've barely had the energy to work on it. I have so many ideas in the tiny moments when I'm walking to lunch or running to the lab next door, but even just writing them down, they come off so boring, so clinical. It's as if work saps all the creativity from my body. It seems as though all I can do is hope that I'll eventually settle in, and all of this will be a distant memory.

How do you deal with work-writing balance? When do you find time to write? When you're feeling as if your creativity has drained away, how do you "reset?"

Dear O'Abby: I don't have time to write. Am I a writer?

Dear O'Abby,

I have always written.  Since I was a kid, and old enough to know how to hold a pencil and make it work.  But since finishing college, starting work and the demands of a young family, I just can't seem to find the time to write.  And it's driving me crazy.  I have so many story ideas squirreling around my head, but the most I can do is scribble them down in my notebook and hope they still sound good when - if - I ever have time to sit down in front of my computer and write.

Can I call myself a writer if I don't write anymore?

Yours,

Time-Challenged.

Dear Time-Challenged,

You are not alone.  I think most writers are in much the same boat.  I know I am!

I think the biggest thing to take on board is to be realistic.  Maybe before you had kids and a job you could knock out 3000 words a day without thinking too much about it.  Maybe you were even one of those people who could write an entire novel in a weekend.

Forget that.

If your time is limited, you need to make the most of what you do have.  Work out when you are at your most creative and see if you can carve out a few minutes at that time of day.  Or if that time doesn't suit, you may need to just force yourself to write at some other time.  Personally, I'm a night-owl naturally, but for many years I worked nights so I wasn't able to write at night.  I trained myself to get up at 5:30am so I could get an hour and a half of writing time in before my kids got up at 7.

And I still do that, even though I don't work nearly as many nights now.  It works for me because my day job is so crazy, I often don't have the energy or creative drive to write in the evening.  If I do, great.  I can do more.  But if I don't, I know I've had that time in the morning.
 
Maybe you're in a different situation and writing at night, after the kids go to bed, will work better for you.  Or you may be able to steal an hour or so while they're napping in the afternoon.

The point is to write.  I know writers who write on their phones while their kids are in swimming lessons.  Or who scribble in a notebook during their lunch breaks or on their commute.

You don't need a clear two hour block to write.  If you can steal a quarter hour here and a half hour there and use them productively, you will be able to write those stories.  It may take longer than before, but at least you can still call yourself a writer.

Good luck!

O'Abby.

Guest Post with Wendy Nikel

Today we have a guest post with Wendy Nikel!

WHAT AN 8-ARMED, 2-BRAINED CYBORG (AND OTHER ROBOTS) CAN TEACH WRITERS ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY

I'm a mom of two preschoolers, so often when I get up the courage to tell people that I also write speculative fiction short stories and novels, the reaction I get is usually something along these lines:

"Wow, when do you find time for that?"

or

"I have come to the conclusion that Wendy is a cyborg. She only needs a half hour to recharge and has eight arms and two brains."*

Maybe you've had that reaction as well. Oh. Maybe not? Most writers don't have the luxury of being able to sit around and write for 8+ hours a day. We're moms and dads, teachers and students, part- and full- and over-time workers. So how do we make the best use of the little time we do have? Well, some of us are 8-armed cyborgs with two brains, and that helps. For everyone else, here are a few tips and tricks to boost your productivity.

1. SET CLEAR DIRECTIVES The past few Novembers, I've taken part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which forces me to set a steep goal: one month, one first draft of a novel. It helps also that NaNoWriMo breaks this goal down into bite-sized daily word counts so I can track my progress. For the other eleven months of the year, I set my own goals, whether it's finishing a revision or writing some short stories or giving my critique partners feedback on their novels, or a combination. Clear, accomplishable goals can really help with making the best use of your time.

Or you might end up like this guy

2. FIND AND SECURE YOUR WRITING TIME You've probably heard it said that people find time for the things that are important to them, and it's true. When I first decided I wanted to seriously pursue writing, I knew I had little "free time" to work with and that writing was going to eat up any time I'd previously spent keeping up on all of my reality TV shows. For me, writing won out over The Bachelor and ANTM and yes, even Project Runway and Cupcake Wars. If I could afford it, I'd totally hire a maid and personal chef to take care of my housework so I could spend that time writing. Maybe someday. But for now, my most effective chunks of writing time come mostly in the evenings, after the kids are in bed.

Writing is more fun than watching TV anyway

3. MULTITASK Disclaimer: Not everything can be multitasked. The trick is to figure out which things you can multitask on and which things are going to require your full attention. You might find it useful to create a list of your common writing tasks and then determine how much of your undivided attention they require (full, high, medium, low). For instance, my "full attention" tasks are writing first drafts, doing revisions, and writing out feedback for my critique partners' work, and those have to wait for my designating writing time (see #2). But I have plenty of "medium" and "low-attention" tasks that I can do while going about my day: sending out short story submissions while I watch my kids play in the backyard, copyediting while I eat breakfast, thinking my way out of plot holes before I fall asleep at night (just make sure to have a pad of paper by the bed), and answering emails while waiting for my soy chai. ]












Multitasking FTW

4. DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF TO ONE FORMAT It also can help to have your work in multiple formats. I use my laptop for most of my writing and editing, but I'll often answer emails on my phone or read and make notes on my work on my Nook. I recently discovered that editing on a printed copy of my manuscript works well for road trips (no outlet or batteries needed!). Use dropbox or some other online file storage to ensure that you can access your work from wherever you are, so that the next time you end up with a delayed flight or a long line at the DMV you won't be stuck twiddling your thumbs. Plus, it's always good to have backup copies of your work anyway, in case the unthinkable happens and your computer crashes. 

I wouldn't wish this on any writer

5. DON'T MULTITASK Though it may seem like a contradiction to #3, it's not. As discussed above, some things can be multitasked, but when the time comes to do those things that need your full attention (writing first drafts, doing major revisions, etc), GIVE THEM your full attention. For me, that means waiting until the kids are in bed and then turning off the WiFi so I'm not tempted to go check twitter (@wendynikel) or get distracted by emails or Facebook or BuzzFeed or the Absolute Write Water Cooler. This time is precious — use it wisely! Try this: The next time you get an uninterrupted writing time, turn off the WiFi. Seriously. Do it. You'll have plenty of time for social media after completing your goals.

... after I finish this revision

6. GET ORGANIZED I have what may be an unhealthy obsession with spreadsheets. But they help keep my life orderly and they're especially helpful when querying or submitting short stories. My short story spreadsheet outlines markets with their word counts, genres, pay rates, and submission info, so that when I write something new, it's easy for me to pull up my spreadsheet, see where I already have stories out and where my current work would fit best. Other great writing tools to check out:

• The Submission Grinder (online database of short story markets)
• Query Tracker (online database of literary agents)
• Scrivener (downloadable word processing program for writers - $)

Just sending out another story...

7. RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES Everyone needs some downtime, including writers and 8-armed cyborgs. If writing is stressing you out, try recharge your creative batteries by spending time reading, taking a walk, observing nature, talking with others, or, you know, dancing or something.  
 

8. ACCEPT THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING Even 8-armed cyborgs sometimes wish they had 14 arms instead of just seven. Sometimes you're not going to be able to reach your goals. Real life may interfere and throw you off track. The important thing is to not let it discourage you. The best thing to do is pick yourself up and try again tomorrow!

*thanks, krash!