By Susan A J Lyttek
Life’s busy. I get that. But a writer without time
to write is not a writer.
I say that as much to myself as to anyone who might
read this post. If we let ourselves, we can get pulled six ways to Sunday and
never get a word on paper. There are so many good, necessary, fun and
worthwhile things to do in life. Most of them don’t involve writing.
Unless we pull out the hermit card and isolate
ourselves from the world, we will be subject to other demands on our time and
energy. If we don’t feel like writing, these other demands give us handy
excuses not to write.
Excuse #1 I don’t have time to write.
OK, this does actually happen. The big events in
life: birth, death, marriage, divorce and so on can use up all our time for a
season. But more often than not, we let time get filled up and stolen away from
us. If we say ‘yes’ too often to good things to help others or allow ourselves
to become vital and essential to some non-writing activity, it will use up our time.
Our culture, too, gives us myriad ways to entertain ourselves and waste time
that way. I’ve recently started setting a timer when I play a game on my
Kindle. They can become addictive!
Excuse #2 I don’t have the energy to write.
Again, this can occur. Illness or a season of high
demands at your ‘real’ job can leave you zapped and unable to put words on
paper. However, we tend to say this on a routine basis and the more often it
gets said, the more the attitude and the tiredness confirm the feeling. To
reignite your enthusiasm, read something you wrote that you’re proud of. Then
remember to pay your writing muse first. If at all possible, start the day by
writing something, anything. Ten minutes of writing regularly works better than
two hours of cramming once a year.
Excuse #3 I don’t have anything to write.
Really? Did you open your eyes this morning? What
did you see? Did you have a dream last night? What was it about? When I say
this, what I mean is that I’m overwhelmed by fear. If I undertake a new idea,
if I work on a project I love, there’s always the chance that it will fail. As
we live and breathe in the human world, writers will naturally get ideas. If
fear stymies you, take a deep breath. Then take up your pen or your laptop and
write something. Most of what we write exercises our writer muscles and either
will never see print or will take massive editing to get there. So don’t take
yourself so seriously. Relax and follow the muse that speaks to you now.
Today, I wrote this among other things.
Tomorrow, I
will need to fight the excuses and challenge myself again.
What have you
written today?
___________________________________________________________________
Susan A. J. Lyttek,
author of newly released kids’ comedy, Guzzy Goofball and the Homeschool Play from Outer Space and the cozy mysteryHomeschooling Can Be Murder by Harbourlight Books, wife and homeschool mother of two
teenage sons, writes early mornings in the shadow of our nation’s capital. She
also enjoys training up the next generation of writers online through Write At
Home, and by teaching middle and high school co-op classes. The mystery sequel Killer Field Trip released August 2014. You can find out more about her
at sajlyttek.com.
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