Ok, not a photo but an intro. I have been a lurker on here for some time, getting snippets of advice from many, many posts. The community here seems great. I have always loved writing, was known as a kid for writing epics, far longer than homework required. Never had chance to write that book due to kids, work, family etc despite the fact that once every few months i get an idea. Well, and i guess there are many who say this and many who don't deliver, this time i want it to be different. I want to write that book! I have always used my creativity in work - i am a lawyer and spend hours drafting complex and creative arguments - tiring my brain out! I am now 42 and whilst loving my job want that something extra. So getting that book on paper (or hardrive) is the next step. How do you guys find time to write? Late at night and at lunch i have pulled together a chart creating my new world (I want to write sci fi set in the near future) so i have a fairly clear idea of how it looks, have some characters and both a short term plot and a longer term concept of a wider plot. I have put down some early chapters and need to get this done. Looking forward to engaging with some of you on my journey Paul
Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum. Working full time and writing on the side is certainly not easy. I can't say I'm myself sleeping too much during the week because I want to get writing done in the evening and sometimes find myself sitting in front of the screen at 3 am in the morning, painfully aware of having to get to work in just a few hours. But I guess that's how it goes sometimes. I'd also make use of the time when you're, say, working out or driving the car, e.g. you can plan what you're gonna be writing next. I'm lucky to be able to collaborate with my husband (we write together), so I don't have to worry about neglecting my family because of writing. Here's our New Member Quick Start to get you started. See you around! -Kat
Assuming your pre-writing life was reasonably full, you're going to have to give something up in order to find time to write. In my case, I gave up most household chores (what a hardship, I know!) - paying someone else to look after the house and gardens gave me quite a bit of extra time. I can't say that will work for you, but if you have the money, maybe you can hire out some of your existing chores? Alternatively--I also stopped watching TV, and that freed up at least as much time as giving up chores. And it saves me money rather than costing me money! Yay! Good luck with it, and welcome to the forums.
I find it's not really a matter of having time, but when motivation and inspiration happen to occur at the same time.
Thanks for the replies, yes I'm having to teach myself that the half hour I may spend in bed watching tv or on Twitter could be spent rattling off 500 words. Prioritising in his modern age of media and distractions is a nightmare! I can't give up chores (wife says I don't do enough!) and work full time so to squeeze writing in I think I need to get time early in the morning or late at night with an occasional lunch break thrown in. Not easy
Well I'm still going. I'm loving this site- such great content and thoughts. I read a lot of threads but don't feel worthy to reply ! My work has got going - 17,000 words written and lots of ideas down on paper. Time is the issue - been working so hard that when I do get time at night I'm just too tired and only end up tinkering or writing 100 words!
Wow, doesn't time fly quickly? I'm now at 22000 words but I've mentally filled in so many gaps in my idea and come up with cool strands and fleshed out the characters. Still having the same problem of not finding sufficient time to actually write. Not at the stage of telling family I'm doing it or it'll be mocked as a whim rather than something I really want to do
37,000 words but in many ways I'm beyond that. So many scenes are set in my head and I've dozens of pages of notes. To think at Xmas I wanted to be at 100,000 words by now. Really need real life to buzz off! Only good tool I've discovered is that using apple pages I can type on Mac, iPad and my iPhone and it all syncs !
63,000 in and I'm enjoying writing. Definitely feat my 100,000 target won't be enough to finish the job. I'm probably only 45% of the way through what's in my head .
73000 words passed. Feels like I've achieved something even tho it's nowhere near finished. And that's my prime motivator. Work has been 'fun', my team being sold so it's stressful- has actually encouraged me to write more as working later seems pointless at times
Two weeks on from work stresses starting and I've increased my output from theoretically 500 words a day (more like 1000 per week) to consistently approx 2000 a day. In some ways the quality of the writing has dipped but I'm ploughing though the story and it's all falling into place. Lots of notes left that I need to rephrase something or find a better word. No chance of writing meaning I don't need to stress about work but it's definitely distracting me somewhat
Should also have added that I lost time transferring material from Pages to Scrivener. It was worth every lost minute though.
Pace has slipped slightly due to the kids being off school and staying up later but I'm now passing 85,000 words. Feels really good. I might actually finish this thing.... It's amazing how ideas are now coming thick and fast, how I'm finding planned ideas for the last quarter are now telling me how they can join up to early scenes.
I see @Medazza has illuded the orderlies. Fret not for I am sure they will put him back in his straight-jacket in short order. 10k or a 100+k words written matters little, as long as you enjoy what you are doing. (Yes I know you have been here for a spell.) On the cereal. You either find the time or you make it. Unless you are like me, where time is all you have to devote to writing (and what not). Good Luck and have fun.
Well tonight is the night I'll pass 100,000 words. By the time I copy text out of lots of emails sent to myself with sections of text I'll be over. It's been a challenge. Harder in some ways because real life gets in the way and harder because I know in places the text is dumbed down just so I can get through it. Will need enhancing on edit. It's still a great feeling though I'll need another 20,000 I bet to get there I need to!
108,000 passed. Pace has ebbed and flowed and I hit a bit of a hurdle. Knew where I wanted to end up but (still) missing a set piece scene to get me there. This has happened a few times now. Am going to skip ahead and fill the gaps later.
A lurker, does hydros know about this. might want to keep it down. Nah, welcome. This, plus the countless distractions, though some of those maybe because of my lack of motivation.
Hit 115,000 words. Feel within touching distance of the end now. A handful of scenes left before what will be a horrific process of re writing and editing !
126,000 words but made a mistake of revisiting some earlier sections. My goodness there is a lot of work to do. Reckon I’ll end up at 115,000-120,000 once I’ve edited out the rubbish and a hole strand I no longer need. I’ve also seen a request for submissions for short stories. I had an idea floating round my head for ages so I’ve given myself a week to get it done and submitted. Part of me thinks it’s a bad ideas as the inevitable rejection may derail me generally
Parked my novel for a week or two. Have written 6000 words in a week- incredible pace for me- for a short story to submit to a publication this year. Likely to be my first rejection!! I think it’s a decent idea and could actually be an idea I revisit.
Still awaiting rejection of the short story. Back on the main WIP I’m at 137,000 words. Nearing the end. Then the big work starts fixing it’s problems and editing
Passed 150,000 words tonight. Am so close to finishing draft one. Then the real work editing begins. A couple of threads need scrapping and two characters are to be merged
Well, I did it! I wrote draft one of a novel!! 162,000 words. Far too many. Figure it needs to be nearer 120,000. Have edited 2 chapters out of 16 and then broke my elbow! So that’s slowed me down a bit
So the editing and rewriting is well under way. A false start due to breaking my elbow slowed me down but my edit is down to 136,000 words. Feels like I’m moving in the right direction but a long way to go. I’ve deleted a whole strand I didn’t need, merged another and am considering deleting that too if I can save words without creating any continuity problems