By Wendy Lawton
January– the month after a glut of holidays and the temporary cessation of work. Anyone finding it hard to get back into the swing of things? Back to reality? I wrote about this a few years back and thought that sharing ideas of how to get back to work might not be such a bad idea.
The Reality of BIC
Nothing seems harder than actually getting down to the work of writing. Writers are constantly alternating between feeling waves of guilt for not meeting writing goals and experiencing a strange euphoria for exceeding that goal. You see the acronym BIC showing up in writers’ advice all the time. It stands for Behind-in-Chair (or something less polite), which is what the quest actually entails. The simple truth is, no writing gets done unless we put our body in our chair and engage with the keyboard. That’s reality.
The Reality of Multitasking
We often think that multitasking–not only writing but also marketing, networking, Twittering, blogging, Facebook-ing, SnapChatting, Insatagramming and, oh, yes, taking care of families, church and household duties–is a new wrinkle in the world of publishing. Listen to what writer Virginia Woolf said in her diary: “I’ve shirked two parties, and another Frenchman, and buying a hat, and going to tea with Hilda Trevelyan, for I really can’t combine all this with keeping my imaginary people going.”
The Reality of Inhabiting our Writing World
In a wonderful article in Victoria magazine (January 2009), Jan Karon says, “When I write, I dive headlong into the work as into a river, where I swim for my life, or, depending on the tenor of the story, float on my back, gazing at the clouds. I inhabit that river for five hours or two minutes, ten or thirty, whatever the day may yield. When there’s nothing more to say or conjure, I make my way to the shore, trying to separate fiction from fact, and get on with the business of living.”
Let’s talk about how we get the actual work of writing done, how we get back to reality including deadlines, interruptions, page counts and goals. So how do you do it? Have you done it for 2019?
There was no December hiatus
in this struggle more fell, day on day,
and I had to be mine own comitatus
for there was no one else guarding the way
that God bade me walk, Dolorosa of pain
that saw no respite, no Christmas Day
that gave surcease; and tomorrow, again.
But I see the truth I would rightly have feared
that in living my life, my butt’s in the chair
of veracity, pain-flickering mind’s cleared
of the rubble that kept me from writing with care.
Fame’s a chimera, wealth is a wraith;
“Per ardua ad astra”, I’m writing in faith.
If anyone’s wondering, “Dude, what’s up with the sonnets?”, the answer’s simple. The pain from pancreatic cancer and lymphoma is making it hard to focus, and even harder to be coherent.
Having to constrain word and thought in a Shakespearean structure of rhyme and meter, appropriate to the subject, is a discipline that lets me continue contribute here…I hope meaningfully.
No, I don’t think in rhyme, and it I talked thus, Barb would part my hair with a shovel.
It’s fun, though I kinda dread meeting the Bard in Heaven.
Poetic discipline. Andrew, you’re a master. We all should live out our days in poetic discipline.
Andrew,.I enjoy your use of words and your poems. I love a good rhyme.
Remembering you, Barb, and your pooches in my prayers.
This is a powerful poem. Truly.
I love the Virginia Woolf quote. So true. And that has been the biggest and best thing I’ve done for starting my new year of writing. Write first… no multitasking. Put the big stones in the jar first and somehow all the smaller ones seem to find room as well! Thanks for the words of wisdom.
I needed this visual reminder. Thanks, Lori!
A new friend who recently discovered that I’m a writer said, “Oh, I hear you have to wait until you are inspired to get much done.” We were at one of those dinners where it didn’t seem polite to argue, so I just smiled and said something a little lame while chuckling on the inside. My reality is an old fashioned spiral notebook, one page filled each week with goals, must-do’s, and hope-to-do’s. Friday is often a scramble, but most weeks everything is crossed off by week’s end. Then there’s that stack of long-term goal folders on the left side of my desk…
In the morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I write down what I want or need to accomplish for the day, which includes writing. The next morning, I check off the items achieved and make a new list. This morning was particularly encouraging because I checked six of seven items. That seventh item got moved to today’s list.
One of my list priorities is writing – diving into that river that Karon mentions. I prefer to spend the entire morning writing, but sometimes life snags me like a submerged tree stump. Usually, however, I write until noon.
Every year, I spend the final days of December assessing my progress on the goals I set at the beginning of the year. Then I create new goals. This year, I decided that my calendar is in desperate need of time blocking. I am going to make it my Sunday night chore for each following week. I’ll be able to judge results with my first quarter goal review.
I haven’t stopped by in a while, so want to say that I love the new look of the blog and website. So fresh and clean!
I took a break from writing in December, but not one that yielded rest. We had an on-going family emergency on top of finals for the boys, the Christmas preparations and travel preparations. I feel like, literally, today is the first day I’ve had to breathe since December 6th. And when I did have a little time to write my mind was distracted. I haven’t had the mental space for creativity. My first challenge is to open up that space in my heart, my mind, and my life once again.
That said, I am working to organize my time so that I have a couple of hours a day (ideally) to work on my story. And I am giving myself grace for those days when life interferes with my plans. I am going to be saying no to things so I can say yes to writing. And I’m working to get more rest and eat better than I did last month…
For me this Christmas season was totally new in the things I was doing.
I have been a disabled registered nurse since late 2009. Injuries with the resulting need for surgeries put me out of the work force: an injured back, partially torn hamstring, calcifications in my shoulder from injuries and overuse, damaged vocal cords from having too many hard of hearing patients who misplaced or broke their hearing aids and the worsening of bilateral hand osteoarthritis to where I can no longer make fists, and have lost flexibility and strength. I tried going back to nursing at age 55, only to realize after one month there was no way I could do it anymore with my injuries and restrictions. It was a very crushing blow. I had been working since I was 12 and practicing nursing since 1980, over 30 years.
But, I digress. This fall my husband and I, with the guidance of God, felt it was time to get a job, just a seasonal one, to see how I would do. Enter the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet store.
I was on my way to the Ugg store to see my daughter-in-law and give her a hug. But, I felt I should pop in to Ralph Lauren first, as I have loved them since the 1970’s for his classic look and quality items.
God was on the move. I walked in wearing jeans,.leather riding boots, a sweater with a lovely scarf and a brown pleather jacket. Right inside the door facing me was the general manager of the store, and another store manager. Amy, the store manager looked at me and said, ” I love your scarf.”
I smiled and said, ” And I love Ralph Lauren.”
To which she shocked me by replying, “Why don’t you come and work seasonally with us.”
Long story, short–I was hired by October 28th, and worked ALOT during the Christmas season into the New Year. I ended up being a top salesperson. This hey loved how I was able to connect with customers. The only problem was it was so busy, and I did so many shifts I was unable to take in enough fluids or use the bathroom and it kind of was like a sick version of, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”
I was going to quit but they did not want me to go, so now as I get healthy, I will do only four hour shifts, three times a week–for now. There are some other possible options, but I have to pray about the choices, and make sure I still have enough time to write and do podcasting. Yes, with the money I earned I ordered quality Podcasting equipment. All of it will be delivered tomorrow, and the portable sound booth that can either sit on a desk or attach to a stand will arrive on Monday.
When I evaluate my weeks and days, I have plans and goals. It gives me something to break down my actions into to accomplish the goal.
Every night I write what I have to do on a whiteboard with priority items first. Some of these tasks have times attached to them.
If I get stuck getting things done, I set a timer for 20 minutes. By the time it rings, I am either done or so into it I continue. If it’s a big job, I may just do 20 minutes, maybe more, but I can also continue the next day.
If I get stuck in a story, I go out to do errands and let my mind muse over the portion I’m working on. Then I tape me saying it into my cellphone recorder. When, I get home, or the next day. I type that portion which so far has unfailingly lead me out of being stuck.
One of the main things that propels me to move forward in writing and speaking is the value words have to change lives for the better. I believe I have a gift to distribute words. That takes time to do well, so I put my BIC and work.
I don’t always feel inspired, but I can inspire others. It is the joy of my heart, and I am willing to do the work in any season; although, right now it’s difficult because of being so ill.
Blessings. Thank you for the post Wendy.
Oh, one more thing. With me, I have more trouble taking rests than working. I’m not a workaholic, but I have a good work ethic from my parents, and I enjoy getting things accomplished for the right reason.
So, even during the busy holiday season, I committed to two writing goals and carried them through even on my worst days.
First, on my personal Facebook page, all December long I was posting my, “RECLAIMING CHRISTMAS ONE HEART AT A TIME.” It wasn’t professional or big, but it was meaningful and touched hearts including my extended family and friends, giving them a view of Christmas with Christ in the center other than presents, family, a ho-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum.
Second, I continued to create material for podcasting. I do this during my daily devotions early in the morning. I’m developing the bones of my podcasts before I get my equipment up and running so I will have a great selection to pull and podcast from.
One thing I have had to learn in all of life is this:
Even if it is one small step, it is a step.A step towards any goal is still contributing to a forward momentum, and one day that one step may become two, or three, or a full out run.But, even if you can only take one step, just take it, because eventually those one steps add up.
And this for my dear friend Andrew, and should your steps become slow and faltering, or perhaps no physical steps at all, then in your heart and mind you take a step into His arms, and let Him take you where no mere man can.
I don’t know how many steps you have left dear Andrew. But, I know who is there to hold you, and who will take you to a place where you will be able to do much more than walk and run.
Blessings,
Betsy
I seem always to be working over the holidays with a deadline right around Jan 1, so I’ve never really stopped working during December, or been able to take a complete break for the holidays. I have often needed to start a new project in January, however. Patience with myself during the slow warm up, or ramp time, it takes to begin a new project is paramount. I’m prone to diving into the deep end of a novel before I have my floaties on, then thrashing around in a panic, sure I’m about to drown. There are more productive ways, methinks!
Being a writer myself at Content Writing. the things mentioned in this blog is quite real for which I agree with the writer.