What Wednesday: Writer’s Don’t Always Have to Write

Moncrieff wrote an article about the need to stop shaming writers who can’t write all the time. I am one of those writers. I haven’t been able to write recently because it’s been crunch time with studying for my huge exam coming this Friday. Plus, it’s great this article came around NaNoWriMo, because I’ve never been able to participate in NaNo–mostly because I was usually working on a book for publication.

I’m glad Moncrieff decried the notion that writers must always write. Sometimes on my Facebook feed I’ll see other writers posting that if they can find the time to write, then so can you. Or if they can find the time to market, then so can you. And I’m tired of it. Really tired of it. I have to prioritize other things in my life, and, unfortunately, When Stars Die hasn’t been a top priority for me, even though its release is this Saturday. I’ll admit that sucks considering it was a huge priority for me with its initial release, but work has drained me in the past, and even though I’m barely working this week, I’ve still got to use this time to study, to ensure that I do know all of what I need to know.

In the past it was easy for me to write all the time. I wasn’t working as many hours, and I wasn’t studying to be certified as a personal trainer. Work also wasn’t a source of stress, and stress can be abysmally draining. It’s so easy for writers and authors to say that we should write and market all the time if they’re doing jobs that are related in these fields. But for those of us who aren’t, it’s not as easy. Not at all.

I don’t want to force myself to write when I’m drained because it’s all going to come out super crappy anyway. Then I’m going to feel inclined to delete everything and start all over. I’m not a perfectionist with drafts, but I do want some degree of being able to make sense of what’s going on.

I also have to have at least 9 hours of sleep, and since I generally work the mornings, going to bed late is not an option. I have bipolar disorder, so it’s a detriment to me to not get that much-needed sleep. And since I also want to be a great model for fitness and health, sleep is a very important part of that lifestyle. If I don’t get the sleep that I need, I’m incredibly crabby and short-tempered.

Let’s also not forget the fact that I always take a few hours out of my day to spend with my fiance since we don’t yet live together. I think once we do, I might find that I will be able to use those hours to write since we’ll be around one another a lot anyway.

But right now, writing is unfortunately not a priority.

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My Writer Confessions

I have several confessions I need to make. About seven of them. Really these confessions are so you can get to know me better–and know that I’m not the author most people dream to be, you know, the one sitting on a beach and sipping chardonnay (which I don’t even like), or buying ten million books at a bookstore, or sipping tea while typing away on a well-groomed desk with lots of inspirational trinkets.

I’m far from someone you want to idolize. At least I think so, anyway.

1. I don’t consider myself a poet. Despite having a poetic writing style and having some poetry published in the future, I just can’t bring myself to attach the “poet” label to my author resume. I guess I can’t do it because I don’t regularly write poetry. I still don’t fully understand poetry, even though my writing style is poetic. The poems that I did write and am having published were only written because poetry was therapeutic for me during my eating disorder struggle. Other than that, I didn’t actively seek publication for them. The only reason they’re even being published is because some people pointed out the places I could submit to, and I subbed to them, because, why not? And, yes, I did manage to get lucky to be accepted by both places, the only places I subbed to.
2. I’m a slow writer. I can do a draft in about a month, and I can even think I can revise in three months, but it’s more like over a year–unless you’re the sequel to When Stars Die. Then it’s half a year.
3. I prefer amusement parks to libraries. I saw this article circulating around my Facebook feed about how libraries are more fun than amusement parks. I’m going to have to shyly raise my hand and admit that I’m an amusement park junkie, and the only time I’m ever going to love a library more than Six Flags is if that library turns into an amusement park with literature-themed rides. Plus, I’d rather own my books–and not have due dates. But I will fight for the continual funding of libraries.
4. I haven’t written a book in a year. You see, I wrote this one book last summer in two weeks, and I seriously thought I’d have it subbed by December of last year. Well, life gets atrociously busy, and I’ve had to put it on hold. I am slowly, SLOWLY trying to copy edit it.
5. I’m not really doing anything with my lit degree. The only useful thing I see my degree doing is getting me paid more when I start out as a personal trainer. Besides being a writer, I don’t really have any desire to do anything else in the writerly/English field. I just want to be an author.
6. I prefer my e-reader. I don’t get the romanticization of books. They’re lovely and all. I did buy a paperback today. But e-readers, for me, are much more convenient. E-books are cheaper. I can read in whatever position I want. I can read on any device where you can download a Kindle app (like reading on my phone at work so that I don’t get caught doing so). My e-reader has a rocking battery life. I can read in the dark without having to turn on a lamp. I can carry an infinite amount of books around with me. And you can adjust the size of the font.
7. I sometimes spend more money on make-up than books. Well, at least lately I’ve been spending more money on make-up than books–particularly nail polish and lipsticks. But, hey, I did buy a book today! And I still have plenty of books on my Kindle to read.

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