The Writer's Life is Best When It's Boring, from Tayari Jones by way of SheWrites.
I think Tayari and I must have similar writing styles (by which I mean the act of writing, not necessarily our work), because a lot of this resonated with me. I'm not good at the whole starving-artist-miserable-alcoholic method of creating. I need to feel secure, well rested, and relaxed.
So a question for the readers who are also writers: What's your practical magic? What routines help you be more productive? What routines are you failing to follow, even though you know you probably should?
I need to know that I'll have time again to write. It doesn't have to be the same time of day, or the same amount of days per week, but I can't have a productive writing session unless I know that I will work again soon.
ReplyDeleteI get that, Sheena, although I would love to experiment (again) with the "I write daily during these hours" and see what happens. It would help if the rest of my life conformed to some sort of schedule, but that's only part of it. Most of it is just lacking the self-discipline and finding too many excuses to not do it. If I'm home, there's too much to do around the house. I could go to a coffee shop but I don't want to spend the money. I can go to a friend's house, but I'm so starved for social contact that the time is spent talking, not writing.
ReplyDeleteI predict that, paradoxically, I will actually start to write more once I get a job, because I will be forced to make more efficient use of my time and won't be able to say, "Well, I can always write tomorrow if I don't get to it today."
Like you, Holly, I prefer to feel secure/rested/relaxed, but irrespective of how I feel, a paycheck and a deadline are my best motivators. Failing one or both, I am a terrible procrastinator.
ReplyDeleteI guess that didn't help one bit, did it?
Ken, I'm the same way. I need a deadline to push up against. The tricky part is not procrastinating to the point that I need to pull an all-nighter to meet the deadline. I'll let you know if I figure out any good techniques.
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