Today, instead of working on my blogs, or my poetry collection, my poetry chap book, my children’s picture book, my children’s chapter book, or my two novels in progress, I spent my (non-Social Media) writing time today, on my next non-fiction book.
I haven’t been keeping track on the number of words I’ve actually written of this book, but I know that today I wrote somewhere between 500-1000 words for it. I am happy with that, and I may well write some more words on it later on tonight.
This book is about some of my thoughts about various things that are important to me – family, friends, spiritual thoughts, health, Nature and other things. These are all of the things I think about, when I am simply sitting and thinking, contemplating not much at all, or everything, depending on where my thoughts take me.
This book, hmm, who would want to read this book? It won’t be funny, like my “Buster the Dog” books, and it won’t be all about anything at all, it will be about little bits of many things. Because that’s what life is, isn’t it, little bits of many things. I realise my situation is not the same as many other people, having hours of my day to sit around doing not a heck of a lot.
Having my husband as my carer, who does most of the housework, as well as yard work, makes my life simple, and easy, and I thank him very much for that, often. Him doing basically everything for me should mean that I can do all of the writing I have on the drawing board, shouldn’t it? Sadly it doesn’t work like that. I let things slide by me, and they go on not being done.
And then , with bit of luck, I get on with things, and do a big few sessions with the writing, and get it all done, and then the book is there for me to send off to be published, or printed, depending on which way I’ve gone this time. Self publishing doesn’t scare me, I have more self published books than those published by an actual publishing business.
The important thing for me is that I have a book, a particular book ‘out there’ in the world. Books, words, writing, these are all important to me. One day perhaps I will write the next big thing in literature, with a mainstream publisher, and I’ll be out there, touring the country and beyond, doing author talks and book signings.
It would be lovely if that book is one of the two novels I’m currently working with, but I don’t have a feeling that is going to be the case … This non fiction book, that’s the one I’m liking the most at the moment. But things can change. I let my muse, my head, lead me to where I can get my interest levels up and I’ll sit down here in my writing spot at home, or sometimes at a particular hotel in Gawler, the Prince Albert Hotel, where my writing group meets every Thursday afternoon.
I feel comfortable in both of those places, so the words can come, I feel creative with my pen, or my keyboard, when it’s going well, the words flow easily, and it feels exactly the thing I should be doing. One day, perhaps I’ll get organised better, and actually begin writing more often, normal working hours even, but I don’t feel that is the way it will work for me. Who knows though?
I have dreams of going away somewhere, where somebody will do everything, and all I have to do is work on my writing. Really though, I already could have that, if I really wanted it. Housework done for me, mostly, and all I have to do is let the dog out and back in again, feed her, lots of days, simple tasks. Our, help with doing the washing, sometimes, and always putting the washing away.
It embarrasses me really when I look at it like that, I should have these books written and sent out to get them published, it looks like I’ve been completely slacking off, doesn’t it? But living my life like this means I don’t feel stressed, and I know how I feel if I’m feeling stressed out, and it’s not a good thing, not at all. So I’ll keep cruising along in life, blogging, writing, engaging with my friends, my peers, my family, and books will come along in their proper time …
If you’re a writer, how do you manage your writing time?
