Friday, July 31, 2009

Sometimes Life Gets In The Way

When it comes to writing, do you let life get in the way? I often do but wish I didn't. For decades I worked in a corporate office, Monday through Friday (more about that in another post). Having to go to an office each day forced me to accomplish my work. I met my deadlines. Always. And had lots of them. The past month has been completely out of control. Family members visited for most of July. Fun, to be sure, but everything work-wise came to a standstill. On top of that, two family members were hospitalized this month--one out of town for well over a week. Like it or not, my husband and I basically put our work on hold the entire month. Sometimes I miss going to the office purely because I was forced to work for eight straight hours, and therefore, was definitely more productive. I've gotten too lax by working out of my home. Also, since I now work from home, others sometimes don't see that I actually "work" if that makes sense. I'm working even if I am in my pj's. Maybe I should think about renting an office...and wearing one of my corporate suits every day--just so we're all clear that I have work to do. Myself included. Do you let life get in the way of your writing? If not, care to share your tips?

2 comments:

  1. Definitely gets in the way! But maybe the nice thing is that because we have computers now, and they're so portable, we always need to have them with us. An hour here and there can make a huge difference.

    But you're right about treating our writing like a business. Maybe WE'RE the ones who don't consider that we're really working, so if something else comes up, we can always adjust our schedules. Something to think about.

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  2. I agree. I'm at fault as much as anyone. I love having a flexible schedule but do allow other things to always get in the way of my writing.

    And now that I've discovered social networking, that's a huge distraction, too. However, I have gotten a lot of great info from people all over the world so it's worth it. Plus, writers must have an online presence.

    I always wonder how highly successful authors who churn out a novel (or two) a year, do it?

    Discipline. Discipline. Discipline.

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