(For the record I’ve never had a writing space as tidy as the one above. I mostly chose this picture because what’s on the screen matches what my brain likes to tell me .)
GOOD NEWS! I recently became a full-time librarian 🙂
NOT AS GREAT NEWS! My new job is more time consuming and my commute is considerably longer with ridiculously unpredictable traffic patterns.
And yet I still want/need to spend a significant amount of time every week on my novel(s) and short stories.
So, how did I adapt?
Change My Sleep Schedule
I can’t do this every workday (my wife and I are training for a marathon so I do need to get a significant amount of sleep), but I have been trying to make a point to get to bed a little after 10:00 so I can wake up at 4:30.
Yep, I know. It sucks.
In the past, I’ve woken up to watch Colbert or John Oliver. However I’ve (so far) been pretty successful in forcing myself to go for a half mile walk around the neighborhood first thing in the morning. When I get back, I make myself some tea, feed the cats and by then I’m awake enough to sit down and write. This usually gives me a solid two hours between 5:15 and 7:15 to get work done. (This is a practice I picked up when I took a vacation from media.)
I Set (Realistic) Goals
Each day I set a specific goal regarding what I want to accomplish (I reach these goals 80% of the time). Goals might be “I’m going to write this chapter before I leave for work” or “I’m going to revise the first 8 pages of this short story.” The importance of creative goals is fairly typical advice given to artists. However I’m including this piece of advice here because it seriously works. I’ve used daily goals in the past, but I’ve recently become stricter about obtaining them. If I reach a sentence or paragraph that’s giving me trouble, I spend some time on it but instead of dwelling, I move on, confident that I’ll fix things during revision. These daily mini-goals keep me focused and on track.
I Plan My To Do List
Plans are made to be disrupted, but I do what I can.
I get most of my creative work done in the mornings, but I still need to spend time researching publications and agents, not to mention research for my own work. These are the tasks I usually accomplish in the evening when I still want to get my own work done but don’t have the same creative energy I have early on.
Also, I make a point to get a solid chunk of chores I would normally save for the weekend done on weeknights (laundry, scheduling appointments etc.) so I have more time on my Saturdays and Sundays.
Audio Books
My commute recently tripled in length and is now ridiculously unpredictable. Therefore, I do much of my reading via audio book. I still sit down to read books/short stories, but these tend to be works where I want to spend time with the language. I recently finished listening to Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire and will soon listen to Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt
Conclusoin
That’s pretty much what I have so far. I’ll probably update this list as I get more used to my schedule. I love my new job, but I also love writing and it’s definitely not going to fall to the wayside.
And to all the other artists out there who wake up two hours before you have to, you’re doing an awesome job.
Maybe we should all get T-shirts together.
