1. Gareth Smith

    Gareth Smith New Member

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    Writing when should be working

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by Gareth Smith, Jan 14, 2015.

    Just wondering if you find yourself writing when you should be doing your regular paid job. I've wrote about 800 words of a chapter this morning after I got to work, then started what I should of been doing.
     
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  2. Lancie

    Lancie Senior Member

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    I sometimes write in my lunch break and then get absorbed by it. Always a mistake.
     
  3. shadowwalker

    shadowwalker Contributor Contributor

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    Some employers let employees do whatever during down time. But i don't think it's ethical to be working on personal stuff instead of what you're being paid to do.
     
  4. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    I really hope in your MS you write "should have" rather than "should of"... (sorry for being a grammar Nazi - the should have/of thing is one of my pet peeves) :whistle:

    Anyway, my friend does it all the time - she writes most of the time at work but then ends up staying late at work to make up the hours and feeling bad about it, and then goes home and writes some more till some ungodly hour, and then goes in for work some time before or after lunch and starts the cycle all over again lol.

    As for me, I teach, so there's no such opportunity unfortunately. But yes, if I had an office job (and God forbid I ever get one - hate offices), I would totally use the time to write lol.
     
  5. NewEnterprise

    NewEnterprise Member

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    Fortunately (in a way) I've never been able to write when at work, or when I should be working.
    There's always some vague stress in my mind or distraction that keeps me from actually engaging in my writing :p

    My writing time always happens on weekends, holidays or during quiet evenings :)
     
  6. DennisWillis12

    DennisWillis12 New Member

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    My work is writing, So at work time also I was writing but for company and sometimes for me also when I got my favorite topic for writing.
     
  7. Bryan Romer

    Bryan Romer Contributor Contributor

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    When I was working there was way too much on my mind most of the time to be able to write comfortably so it never even occurred to me to try.
     
  8. Commandante Lemming

    Commandante Lemming Contributor Contributor

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    Lots of people write on lunch-breaks or while working jobs that basically require them to sit and stare - I remember hearing about one guy who wrote his first novel while working the night shift as a security guard at a building or something like that. I occasionally do writing or editing at the office because my job involves a lot of video editing and there's not much I can do while my computer is tied up encoding a large video file. But whoever said not to do it INSTEAD of work hit the nail on the head.
     
  9. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    I find that after I get the students working quietly I can actually get some writing done. A lot of them are excited that I'm writing a book, and ask me how it's going.
     
  10. BoddaGetta

    BoddaGetta Active Member

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    I did this at university. Maybe I should have worked on writings for classes instead of my personal pleasure. Everything would have been much less stressful, haha.

    At my second job I can do this on downtime when there is no other side work or busy work that could be done.

    There's no possible way I could be in the mindset to write at my main work.
     
  11. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    Nah I teach grades 1-9 - so the majority of my students are under the age of 10 lol. So no, very little quiet time. And with English as a second language for them, much of it is drawing with minimal writing, so even worksheet time goes quickly. However, today I do have a class of little Czech students and all I do every lesson is have them work on their activity book - so there's a bit of time. Simply cus none of them understands a word I say - they need someone who speaks Czech, it's obvious, but I don't speak it and the parents want a native speaker, with the mistaken belief that, somehow, by virtue of being in the presence of a native speaker, their darlings will magically pick up English. Infuriating. I feel like a walking human recorder in that class. Complete waste of time.
     
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