Time enough, at last….
It’s not the writing that’s the problem. It’s finding the time to write. Oh, I know a lot of people have troubles with writer’s block, but not me. Not most of the time. There are always a few exceptions, of course.
I know I’ve probably gone over this before. Hey, what can you expect? It’s one of the things that I believe is important, so I’m going to cover it repeatedly for as long as I’m writing these articles.
There are tools for any trade and that includes writing. Obviously you need something to write on, be it a computer or a pad of paper with a number 2 pencil. You need the basic comprehensive skills that allow you to read and write in the English language (or choose the tongue of your choice) and you need the drive.
But all of that is useless without the time to write. I’ve met a lot of would-be writers who lamented that they never had the time. Most of them were either exaggerating their daily grind or simply lacked the actual desire to make the necessary sacrifices. Meet up with me in person sometime and I’ll go into details. Understand me, I’m not talking about every writer here. I’m not referring to the occasional short story author or book reviewer. I’m talking about writers. The ones who live and breathe this stuff and who can’t get a decent night’s sleep because the damned ideas are bouncing around in their heads and want to be out on paper NOW and not later. I’m talking about the ones who’ve decided that this insanity isn’t just a hobby, but what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Because, and I mean this with absolute sincerity, anyone can find the time to write a short story. Anyone can scrounge enough minutes to do a casual examination of his or her latest movie or book. Not everyone can dedicate the weeks, months or years it requires to write a novel. (Side note: Yes, I said years. Apparently there are a lot of people who take years to write a novel. The longest I’ve ever taken was one year and that was a novel that was later broken into a trilogy and I was working on other projects along the way. But that’s me. I accept that some people might actually need years.)
It’s November. That means it’s also the time of year when a substantial number of people decide to write an entire novel in a month. There’re contests for this. I think the minimum is something along the lines of 45-50,000 words in a one-month span. I also think it’s a great concept. I might actually participate if I had to prove to myself that I could do it, but I have already written a 127,000-word novel in three weeks before. Not because I wanted to test myself, but basically because it had to be written that fast. That’s what I mean when I say there isn’t always enough time. There’s never enough time, because for me and most full time writers (yes, I acknowledge there are exceptions) it isn’t about writing one novel a year. It’s about writing three or four novels worth of words in that span of time. Those words may not all go into novels, but they have to be put down anyway, and getting behind on one project means getting behind on all of the work that’s expected. As I write this column, I am also working on two short stories, a novel proposal (collaborative), a novel outline (solo) and a novel that, in a perfect world, I’ll have done by the end of November. No way in Hell is that happening, but that’s what I’d like to see. Because I also have to get to work on an anthology that has finally been green lighted after two years of hurry-up-and-wait sales pitches. The anthology, by the way, is what I consider a “fun” project. It’ll eat away my time, and that of my coeditors, and we will probably hate ourselves for coming up with the idea and then deciding to actually act on it. It will pay us roughly nothing when you consider the editing time that will go into it and when it’s all said and done, we’ll remember it fondly and remember that it was fun to do. But it won’t pay any bills. Okay, it might pay for me and the missus to go to the local cinema and maybe even pick up a large popcorn and a cola to wash down the preposterous salt content. It will not, however, do much more than that.
While I’m working on all of that, I’m in negotiations with a few publishers for other projects that are either finished, or are finished proposals (Side note, again: See, a LOT of writers are smarter than me and prefer to write outlines and a few sample chapters before finishing a novel. I’m a moron and usually finish a novel before I think about selling it. Not because it’s smarter, but because that’s the way I’m wired. I’m currently trying to UN-wire myself or get reprogrammed, because their way makes much more sense.) I’m also doing edits, line edits and rewrites on several projects, talking with publishes about what extras they might need, signing signature sheets for the limited editions of my stuff, working as an associate editor for a publisher, dealing with an agent (Side note: Yes, I know, I said I’d never deal with an agent again, and this is a trial run. If all goes well, I’ll have officially changed my mind in the near future, which will give me more free time.) and doing my best to keep up with the market.
Oh, and I still have a day job. And a family. And there are health issues for a few loved ones that are taking more of my time than I like to think about.
People, I’m hardly unusual in that respect. Life can, does and WILL get in the way of your writing time. You can either deal with it or let it knock you down and keep you down. I’ll deal with it. I’m still not designed to sit on my butt and do nothing. If I’m sitting on my derriere, it’s normally because I’m either writing or getting ready to handle the business of writing. Now and then it’s because I’m gabbing with another writer, but mostly it’s the first two.
As busy as I am, I could easily point out a dozen writers who stay just as busy or even busier and some of them who are actually successful enough to only work as a writer. Most of the professionals I know also have another job or enough other responsibilities (parenthood, family or health issues, etc.) to qualify as second jobs.
I’ve pointed out before that I know a lot of writers. I’m willing to bet that at least eighty percent of them know a dozen stories about would-be writers who complain about not having enough time.
There’s never enough time. You have to make up the difference where you can. I haven’t played a video game in over ten years. I would love to. I don’t have the time. I’m not complaining, I’m just explaining. I could make the time for the latest Playstation system and game, but if I did, I’d lose writing time. Or I’d lose sleep time. Both are really far too precious to me. So, video games go to the wayside. If I suddenly find gaming companies asking me to write for them, then I’ll make the time, do the research and get my butt in gear. Until then, I’ll have to experience Halo vicariously.
Recently I pointed out to a writer on a bulletin board that I don’t post much because I have more substantial writing to do. He took that as a veiled barb. I guess that’s fair, because it was to a certain extent. His response was to applaud my wit and explain that he considered ALL of his writing, including what he does on bulletin boards, etc. as part of his career goal.
More power to him. Me? I still have a novel to finish before the end of the year. I’m getting paid for it. I don’t get paid to post my opinions on who was a better Superman, Christopher or George Reeves. (Side note: Nope, just an example and nothing to do with the subject that was being discussed. For the record, though, Christopher Reeves was the one I’d have picked as the better Superman.)
There are a thousand distractions out there. I find myself falling victim to a few of them almost every day. That doesn’t change the fact that I have deadlines. The distractions aren’t allowed to win, because they don’t pay my bills. And yes, as I’ve stated before, this is a business. It’s also my passion, which is a wonderful combination and I’m damned grateful to be able to make a living with it, but I wouldn’t be making that living if the distractions were allowed to take over.
I don’t have high-speed Internet access at home. I know myself. There are a trillion movie trailers, music downloads and pictures of cute cats in silly positions with amusing slogans out there just waiting to chew up my writing time and spit it out. And I’m just exactly stupid enough to let them. So, no DSL or Wi-Fi at my house, thanks just the same.
You want to write? Write. Don’t let excuses get in the way. Regardless of how crappy my day has been how much my feet hurt from being on them at the day job or how strained my eyes are from reading and dealing with computer screens, I still have deadlines and I take care of those before I take care of sleep. There are a lot of writers on this board (go figure) and I bet most of them would agree with me about how to make the time for writing.
Remember how I always say get paid for the work you’re doing? That’s why. Because you’re working. You’re giving up free time and video games or that concert you really, really wanted to go to. You have to sacrifice bowling night with your buddies, or you decided you could wait to see the latest James Bond movie. You made the time. You worked it out and busted your rear end to get it done and that means you deserve to be paid for your hard work (With the standard provisos: It doesn’t suck, you managed to get a publisher who wants it, you are fulfilling a contractual agreement, etc.).
All work and no play may make me a dull boy, but it also puts bread on the table. Later. I can relax later. Right now, there are deadlines.
And I couldn’t be happier about it.
James A. Moore
