Time and the frustrations of the writer's life

At times, the creative energy needed for writing can feel like more of a drain than anything else, especially when the time to actually sit down and put your ideas to paper gets eaten up by things like jobs, family and whatnot.

These problems only multiply against a deadline. One of the hardest thing for any creative writer to do is not only find the time to put pen to paper, but also to make sure they complete something of quality within the time frame needed.

I find myself fighting deadlines more now than I ever have in my life and strangely most of them are for projects I am writing for my own Metahuman Press. I have three stories that must be completed before the end of October and almost no time to do so past a 40 hour a week job, hours spent at home with my three year old, the need to edit four other titles all sitting in the MHP pipeline and the occasional need to get some sleep.

I don’t really have any good solutions for the problems of time management other than find the time where you can find it.

At times, it seems easier just to say “STOP” and just do something else. But anyone with the itch to create knows that path only leads to more frustration.

So how do you make time to write and create? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

One down, many more to go

I finished one story today, but of course have about five more to write before I am actually caught up on all my projects. Still it felt good to finish those final 2500 words or so, to let those words flow out across the page.

One more review to write tonight and after that I move on to some editing and a special secret project tomorrow.

In the groove...

Writing is always a strange experience. Sometimes it is an incredibly hard experience, but then there is what I call ‘the groove’.

The groove is a strange spot that I—and I’m sure a lot of other writers—have where the words just start to flow. A slow steady novel suddenly becomes something you can barely type fast enough to get out. It’s an amazing experience and a wondrous thing, at least if the words that flow out of the groove are good.

I experienced a bit of that groove today and it was the first time in a good while. I haven’t been as prolific as I would like to be as of late, but I think I might finally be turning the corner and getting some words out. And the more time I can spend in the groove, the more likely that is to happen.