Do You Make Time To Write?

A lot of people tell me that 'a writer just writes.' In usual circumstances, I can sit down and write whatever comes to mind, and turn it into a story.

Over the last few years, I have been forced to rethink how I am managing my writing time.

A lot has happened over time:

• My husband had to retire after having caught Covid-19 because it affected all his other disabilities which were brought on by cancer, and I became a carer.
• Housework became very difficult to manage, as I now found myself managing most of it alone.
• I found myself ill and stressed on and off, then I went to a recent concert in Leeds leaving me ill.
• I had to support a young person who was related to me with her children and her own trauma.
• The pressure of dealing with everything alone became too much; to a point where I forgot about my own needs.

All of this made me rethink myself as a writer:

Was I really spending enough time doing the one thing that I enjoy the most, writing?

I study as well as writing, and with everything crumbling around me, I gave up on that too. Hobbies and interests went out of the window because I became too obsessed with thinking about housework and other chores.

When my husband came down with Covid-19, he was very unwell. He had cancer as a toddler and the operation had already left him with mild disabilities, but they became much worse after Covid-19 struck him.

I went out of my way to look after him, which I didn't mind because he was my husband. However, on top of that, I also ended up spending my time looking after other people's problems as well as my own.

I became overwhelmed and I broke down. It felt like I wasn't allowed to look after myself or do the things I loved.

I started to feel guilty for even thinking about myself.

Someone that I thought was a friend put the last knife in when they had a go at me for trying to pursue my career in writing. They said:

"Writing is not a career goal."

(Annonymous to protect the author)

I didn't sit well with these words, especially as they weren't exactly confidence-boosting for a writer who is trying to build a career out of it.

There are many authors who have built successful careers in writing, and I'll list some of my favorites below.

Enid Blyton

Terry Pratchett

Tasha Black

Clive Cussler

My list is neverending...

One thing that I learned with writing, is that there are going to be plenty of critics, naysayers, and dogooders.

You have to ignore them if you are going to make a career out of writing.

These brilliant authors did not simply just put pen to paper and write. They spent countless hours writing, planning, and plotting their storylines; and more importantly,

They took time out of their day to write, no matter how busy they were, and they learned to say no to some everyday stresses that took them away from their work, even when it was hard.

This was an important lesson to me because sometimes life can get in the way of work.

I found a way to work around it.

Often, routines get in the way of my work because being a single-handed carer and writing don't go together very well, and housework can mount up to a point of difficulty in our house, particularly as I am doing most of it. I reflected on this recently:

If you want to achieve something, you have to put the effort in no matter what life throws at you.

Instead of setting harsh routines which never work for me anyway, I take myself away from the stresses of life,

even if I have a lot going on that day, I sit down and write. Even just for a minute, and even if it is just one line. I find that one line often leads to a story because it triggers my imagination, leading to another line that I can add to it.

I still deal with guilt, often when I have to say no to someone who needs my help, or when housework takes over.

I have realized that if you try to take on the whole world and listen to every critic out there; you're going to let that put you off building a career in writing.

• Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it, because there are plenty of authors and writers out there who have proven that it is possible.
• Say no to things that get in the way of your work-time, because you won't get anywhere by saying yes to everything.
• Take time out, even if it is one minute just to write a line. One line can trigger another, leading to a story
• Most importantly. Forget housework, just for a day. It is important to focus on your needs too.

I am hoping that my new methods and ways with writing lead to a better presence in my world as a writer and an author

After all, I enjoyed writing my story 'Cherry Tree High' here on Vocal that much I turned it into an e-book!

I obviously enjoy writing, so hopefully my reflections will lead me to write more and build my career, and I can enjoy that, despite life's stresses!