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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 1:50 pm 
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Lactose intolerant

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 327
Location: East Brunswick N.J.
For you folks who are married, or have a kid or whatever...We're all busy.

When do you find the time to write? When do you have the time to re-read and then write it again? It takes me months and years (OK I procrastinate sometimes) to finish something. So long in fact that when I am done, I file it away and do nothing but bask in the glow of finishing it.

Plus, I get sleepy at night. Or drunk.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:50 pm 
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
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Location: Between the thumb and the wrist.
Given my tendency towards procrastination, and the fact that I'm not married and I have no children, I'm possibly the wrong person to answer this. But that won't stop me.

The first thing is to figure out when the ideal time for you physically/mentally is to write. I've never written anything even remotely coherent before noon. Never going to happen. My ideal time to write is between 8pm and 12am, as that's when I'm the most awake and alert. Next, make the conscious decision to set aside some amount of time during that period to write. You'll be surprised at how flexible your schedule winds up being, depending on how much time we're talking about. Most people, if they make it a priority, can probably find 30-60 minutes somewhere in their day.

I've also noticed that I get a lot more writing done if I start it longhand than if I wait until I have a chance to get on my computer. The computer offers far too many distractions (like IMWAN, for example) that the notebook doesn't.

Also, once you've figured out a consistent, semi-convenient time, stick with it no matter what (barring emergencies).

Some of that is personal experience, and some of it is cribbed from the various books on writers and writing that I've read.

Hope it helps.

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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 3:54 pm 
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 35552
Location: Between the thumb and the wrist.
Oh, and to use a personal example: When I started my comic strip last year, I had about a week's lead time on the daily strip. As things picked up at work, my lead time shrank, until I was doing the entire strip (in black and white) in one day. That wasn't really a problem, as I'm actually pretty quick. Even when things got hella-busy at work I was able to keep up, because I made it absolutely clear that I needed an hour each night (I was helping my boss off the clock to get ready for an inspection), and I stuck by it. I didn't run into any problems until I decided I could let things slide a bit and get caught up later. As soon as I did that, my momentum was blown and I started falling further and further behind.

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Daily art blog Very Short Drawings
Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:31 pm 
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Lactose intolerant

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 327
Location: East Brunswick N.J.
To be honest, I do some of my writing at work, in between my other writing and editing. I'm a 9 to 5er. That's when I do my best work. At night I just seem to crash. I'm getting old.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:08 pm 
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Biker Librarian

Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 25155
Location: On the highway, looking for adventure
To be honest, I haven't been finding time to do very much writing lately, not counting the writing I do as part of my work. When I do have time, it's on evenings and weekends.

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The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls who, when he found an especially costly one, sold everything he had to buy it.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:49 pm 
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Emissary to the Prophets

Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 28198
Location: On the DEFIANT
I can find time. My problem is really WANTING to sit down and write. I would need a regimen like the one Matt mentions, and that sounds too much like work. =)


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:21 pm 
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 35552
Location: Between the thumb and the wrist.
In an effort to actually take my own advice, 11pm-12am EST will be my official "work" time. During that time I will write, edit, or work on a comic strip, and nothing else. I'm always up and at home during that time, and only occasionally get phone calls then, so it should be ideal

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Daily art blog Very Short Drawings
Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:47 am 
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Emissary to the Prophets

Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 28198
Location: On the DEFIANT
I often see you in chat during that hour. No longer?


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:19 am 
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
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Location: Between the thumb and the wrist.
Yeah, unfortunately I'll be skipping chat from 11 to 12. I'll still be there before and after, though. Looking at my schedule, that was the only block of time where I could guarantee that I wouldn't be working and would definitely be awake, even when I have to get up early the next day.

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Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:08 am 
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Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 281
Location: Illinois
I've made a habit of keeping a pocket notebook or sketchbook with me to jot down thoughts or sketches as the ideas come. While not as organized as a journal, I've found this method works better for me than does trying to set aside a large block of time and staring at blank paper.

Joe


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:02 pm 
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Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 40002
Location: Die, Marti Tracy, die
Juggling writing with a slew of other interests, activities and things to do is not easy. Not easy at all. Most of the time it comes down to deciding if you want to spend your leisure time enjoying leisure or working without pay.

For me, it runs about 50/50.

Worse, when you’ve been working with words all day, often the last thing you want to do when you get home is do it some more. It’s often very difficult for me to write and edit all day, then come home and do it again. Under those conditions, I’m proud to have managed to done as much writing as I have in the last year (finished a book and did somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-70 film reviews and related articles & columns, along with a few other things). It helps, I guess, that I love to write, so even when I’m tired of it I’m not THAT tired of it.

For me, though, I often need an outside motivation if work has been heavy. I need someone to be relying on me. I need deadlines. That’s part of the reason why I take on reviewing stuff I often don’t want to review. To keep my head in the keyboard in a productive way. I work well on a deadline. I love that looming deadline. The book penned in ’06 was done with a collaborator, which was GREAT because we kept one another working and on the weekly schedule we set for ourselves.

Beyond that, I don’t set aside specific times to write, I just try and ensure I get something done each week. As long as there is some degree of forward progress, I’m happy. Revise a short story or two, write a new chapter, start something new, and so on. I usually write in the evenings between 9 pm and midnight, though I’ll write longhand anytime, anywhere. I naturally tend towards the evenings AND the house is too hectic to get real work done during the day when the family is up and about.

One thing I do is to NOT write at my primary desktop computer. Too many distractions, too many other things to do. I write on a laptop, usually at the kitchen table, sometimes out back on the deck. I always listen to music when I write. Background noise of that sort doesn’t bother me. I’ve also been known to have a few beers while I write. Not very good for typo-free work, but it’s something I do.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:59 pm 
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Emissary to the Prophets

Joined: 25 Dec 2006
Posts: 28198
Location: On the DEFIANT
So THAT'S where the fuck-ups come from!

Accursed sudsy treats.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 2:40 pm 
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Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 35552
Location: Between the thumb and the wrist.
Monk wrote:
Given my tendency towards procrastination, and the fact that I'm not married and I have no children, I'm possibly the wrong person to answer this. But that won't stop me.

The first thing is to figure out when the ideal time for you physically/mentally is to write. I've never written anything even remotely coherent before noon. Never going to happen. My ideal time to write is between 8pm and 12am, as that's when I'm the most awake and alert. Next, make the conscious decision to set aside some amount of time during that period to write. You'll be surprised at how flexible your schedule winds up being, depending on how much time we're talking about. Most people, if they make it a priority, can probably find 30-60 minutes somewhere in their day.

I've also noticed that I get a lot more writing done if I start it longhand than if I wait until I have a chance to get on my computer. The computer offers far too many distractions (like IMWAN, for example) that the notebook doesn't.

Also, once you've figured out a consistent, semi-convenient time, stick with it no matter what (barring emergencies).

Some of that is personal experience, and some of it is cribbed from the various books on writers and writing that I've read.

Hope it helps.


I need to start following my own advice. :)

_________________
Daily art blog Very Short Drawings
Pay a visit to The Writers' Block, where writers, uh...write stuff!
Read my comic strip A Boy Called Monk
Read my comic book Town of Shadows


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:20 pm 
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Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 40002
Location: Die, Marti Tracy, die
See also, this thread. As I said there, King's advice is excellent. It takes a while to get into the habit, but once you forced yourself to adhere to a schedule, it will start to click. I've never been as productive as when I started doing this.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:32 pm 
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Biker Librarian

Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 25155
Location: On the highway, looking for adventure
Since this thread first ran I've done a lot of those brief pieces that I post here, but little or nothing more ambitious. With everything that has been going on in my life this past year I haven't been able to think much about doing anything more ambitious.

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The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls who, when he found an especially costly one, sold everything he had to buy it.


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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:40 pm 
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a k a LightningMan, lover of bountiful pulchritude

Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Posts: 23669
Location: Wilmington, NC USA
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That meddlin kid wrote:
Since this thread first ran I've done a lot of those brief pieces that I post here, but little or nothing more ambitious. With everything that has been going on in my life this past year I haven't been able to think much about doing anything more ambitious.

Ditto. I'd love to have a life and a routine back where I could finish drawing and inking the pages to the next IMWAN 4 book and then write the dialogue. But I'm right now just surviving every lonely day.

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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:14 pm 
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not really

Joined: 12 Jul 2007
Posts: 20188
Location: not kyoto
I write when I'm supposed to be working.

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 Post subject: Finding time
PostPosted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:18 am 
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Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 40002
Location: Die, Marti Tracy, die
I used to do most of my writing on the job. Now I do none.


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