But there are so many distractions. Here is what's nagging at me at this particular moment:
Beds to make
Loads of laundry to put in washer (one started)
Figure out dinner tonight and see if we have all the fixings (done, I think)
Blog posts to write (for two blogs, done, and working on it)
Checking e-mail, facebook, twitter for new links, responses, and comments. (constant)
Run to front yard to grab baby bird from clutches of my cat (bad cat)
Cut back overgrown shrubs in back garden.
Fertilize all potted and hanging plants.
Clean barn.
See what cool things they have at garage sale around the corner (done :-))
Checking the time to see how many hours until the great race horse Zenyatta runs tonight (6:15 Pacific Time -Yay!)
I'll quit right there, so I don't drive myself nuts with my things-to-do list.
So, sometimes I just have to pick a time - hopefully in the morning, when my brain is fresh, and stop everything else around me. Forget about the housework, the cooking, the yard work, the social media, because that will still be there when I'm done.Right now, for me, I have opened my manuscript, and I'm going to WRITE.
Everyone - SHHH!
Do you struggle with multi-tasking, too? Do you have a hard time carving out time to write? How do you shut off your brain?
7 comments:
I used to struggle with multi tasking but after having a baby I was kind of forced to learn LOL! Although, right now I have a TON of laundry to do and am making chicken gnocchi soup later and have four more articles to do. And what am I doing? Checking blogger haha!
My husband and I are lucky enough to both work at home though, and I try to schedule out my social Internet use in the morning, get work/chores/errands done during the day, and write and more social Interneting when Lily goes to bed. All the while entertaining the baby and rotating her from play area to play area/our laps/napping.
If I had a barn to clean, though, I think I'd be in over my head. :)
Ha - Amy - you do amazingly well with all you have on your plate. If I had a baby to tend to, can't imagine how I'd get it all done. Now, if we'd just shut down the internet for a couple months at a time, maybe we'd get our manuscripts finished, you think?
Best of luck to you, Amy, in raising your family and writing good novels!
It's like you read my mind! I'm thinking of my list of to do's and it's making me crazy. Stop, Julie. STOP!
Julie - I think women struggle with this, because while it's wonderful to work from home, everytime we rise from our seat we see things around us that need to be done. I have to give myself a good talking to, sometimes, to the effect that my work as a writer is just as important as my role as chief housekeeper/cook/tender of all things. It is difficult for me to focus, sometimes, and stop thinking about chores. But I love it when I'm able to do it.
I really really want to write. Right now, I am focusing my writing on my blog, just doing it and it is a start right?
Beth - I do agree. Writing blog posts takes a certain amount of dedication and concentration. They become like little mini-essays. I think people blog because they have a lot to say, and they want to express themselves. And those are the same qualities that writers have. Every little bit of writing that you do helps, whether it's blog entries, journals, poems, short stories, anything.
Have you seen the book "The Right to Write," by Julia Cameron? You'd like it - she talks about horses in there quite a bit. Good luck to you, wherever your writing journey takes you!
Oh, can I ever relate to this post, Linda. Lately so many things have come up that make finding time to write a challenge. If only I could cut back on sleep. . . : )
Post a Comment