The Great Flying Machine
October 27, 1999
4:36 a.m.
I work best when my life is in a structured loop. I get up in the morning, write, go to work, do the family thing, go to bed, then do it all over again. My body gets used to that rhythm.  I was at lunch some time ago with several co-workers who were talking about my writing. All but one of them had difficulty believing me when I said that I can "command" creativity, that my body knows it is to be creative from 4:30-7:00 every morning. I guess they were in the "inspiration must strike" camp. Why is it not surprising that the one who nodded her head and understood was the one that had a solid reputation for getting a lot accomplished? But to keep this rhythm going, I really need to be consistent. It IS hard to to get up at 4:30 every morning when your bedtime swings a couple hours on a routine basis. The past couple months have been really difficult ones in this fashion. The culprit is, of course, real life. Brigid's trip, WotF, birthday travels to Louisville, Disney World, (and soon to come a pair of conventions--WFC and something for work). It seems like there's always something on the horizon to change our schedule for. I've seen a few journals recently that bemoan lack of time as a reason not to write. (maybe that's putting it a little harshly--I don't mean it that way, though, okay?) And I understand. Believe me, I understand. Time never stands still, and things seem to move at such an incredible pace anymore. I envy those of you who can totally put writing away for awhile. It would be so much easier if I could do that and still feel good about myself. But I can't--at least not right now. By that, I don't mean that I'm a "can't NOT write" type of person. I don't believe in that, actually. Anyone can NOT write. Believe me--I've quit thousands of times! But what I mean is that I've set this as one of my goals. It is what I want to do in the very long run, and it's what helps me remain sane in the short run. When I don't write, I feel like I'm letting myself down. If I've set this as a goal, goes my mind, then I really ought to be doing something with it. So despite the trips, and despite the daily road bumps, I find the time. An hour here, two hours there, a half hour in between. Yeah, I would like to have it happen differently. Yes, I would like to spend my entire day working on stories. My work would probably be better if I were able to do that--then again, maybe not. I work this way because it's the only way I can achieve my goal. If I no longer want to write, I'll change my goal. But until then, I'll not bemoan the lack of time I have to give it. Instead, I'll duck my head down, and use what I have to the best of my ability.   So I looked back yesterday. At the end of July I created a plan, and I wanted to see how I had done in following it. Bottom line: I'm a week behind. I've gotten one extra short story finished, but am only half-way done with a novella I had planned. No too bad considering that "Gazebo"--a story I started in LA--has turned into a Novellette rather than a short story. I figure I'll press ahead and finish "Gazebo" (which needs about one more day on the major draft, then lots of nitty junk), spend a couple days putting on my marketing hat and sending out manuscripts that have somehow piled up over the past week and a half, then turn my attention to a couple longer works I've been planning. I think after Thanksgiving, I'll probably step back and revise my overall plan. But until then, it's head down and legs churning. Have a good one.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
|
"Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
BACK TO 
|