On Being a Writer – Arrange

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The question this chapter asks us is this: How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you?   It also asks, how does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

How does writing spill out of you and are you comfortable with how it does so?

For instance, do you like writing long hand? Or does a computer work for you?  Maybe a typewriter is where it is at.  Do you need to play around with the different methods until you find what works best for you?

Do you write at a desk?  A table?  Sitting in a comfortable lazy boy?  Maybe you have a roll top desk that sets the mood for you?

Is silence golden or do you like the sound of your family about you or a radio/tv on for background noise?

Does clutter annoy or does it add to the creative process?  Is cleanliness the key to unlocking your creativity?

You know what the thing is right?   EVERYONE is different.  My hubby works best with noise around him, he can watch TV well and write and research all the time.   Me on the other hand… prefer silence when I write but I have learned during the course of our marriage, to tolerate noise, but I often miss what is happening in the TV show if I am really concentrating as I write.  BUT one thing I do love is writing and chatting with a friend online.  For some reason that brings out my creativity and SPEED.  Go figure eh?   🙂   Can I sustain that though?  No.  Works for about a half hour and then one or the other has to stop.   Hubby, if the house gets too messy, gets stressed and tense.  Me.. I just ignore it and move forward until I can’t find something and then suddenly it’s too horrible for words and the house gets cleaned top to bottom (or honestly until I get distracted by something).  🙂

How do you arrange your life to show that writing is important to you?

Admittedly, this can be a hard one.  One has to make a living right?  One has to school their children, raise them, keep the house in order, keep up friendships, indulge their hobbies, spend time with family, and all that other daily living stuff.  So how in the midst of all that good stuff….do you find time to write?  It’s hard!  

Sometimes it’s a real balancing act, as you work through real life needs and real writing needs. It is work to try to figure out what type of job you can do that will also allow you to be creative in your writing.  It’s a struggle to understand how to care for the needs of your family and still grab writing moments.  

Solutions that writers come up with: Grab 15 minutes here and there throughout the day.  Find a job that doesn’t use up your creative energy.  Book time away, a weekend if you must, an afternoon that is just yours to enjoy. Get up earlier in the day or go to bed later at night.  Forgo movie night with the kids so they can chill with dad as you write in your favourite spot.   What solution fits you? 

What it all comes down to.

Take the time to see what works best for you, learn what you need, help your family see it’s importance, get friends who will understand when you need to write instead of go to the latest movie.   The key is this, work to understand the following: What time works best for you to write?  Where do you write best?  What space is important to your creativity?  What do you need to do to spur on the creativity of your mind?  Do you have special tools that make the process go easiest?  

I made up a printable to help you work through these questions.  Click here or on the image below. 

Other posts on writing that you may find helpful.

Organizing how you put your words to bring emphasis.
Your Identity. 
Begin Sentences with Subjects and Verbs.

Liking to give credit where it is due, the original photo I used came from Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash.