by Maureen L. Bonatch
How much time do you spend writing?
Initially my generic answer was, “A lot.”
This didn’t seem
to pacify the person or answer the question.
I pondered this and found it difficult to identify an exact amount of time
that I could say I spent writing.
So she went on to ask for further clarification by asking,
“Where do you find the time?”
This I could answer, because despite my greatest wish, I’ve
yet to discover a way to find more hours in the day or to clone myself.
Therefore, as a write, I’ve had to make do with what I had.
Here is where I’ve managed to carve writing time out of each day:
- The time I would’ve spent with that extra hour of sleep every morning, I drag myself out of bed to sit in front of the computer at 4:45 a.m. (Or an extra hour in the evening when I should be in bed---hello, caffeine addiction!)
- The time that I should be spending on finishing the laundry, cleaning the house more often instead of operating on ‘clutter control’ or trying to fool people who enter like the Febreeze commercials by spraying a cloud from room to room.
- The time I should be exercising instead of sitting in a chair for hours…and hours, without realizing how much time has flown by.
- The time I should be spending shopping for some of the newer fashions rather than wearing the same old sweatpants. See above bullet…explains need for sweatpants…(I think they should be changed to ‘inspiration wear’…cause I can get a lot done in them and it just sounds more attractive than sweats…)
- The time most people spend on the newest television shows when I don’t have the foggiest idea of what they’re talking about. I park myself on the couch with my family and the television may be on, but my laptop is with me like some extra mechanical arm I’ve grown and can’t be without. (As my family may have mentioned once or twice…not the mechanical arm part, I added that to make it sound cool. They just say, “Why are you always on the computer?” Which in turn makes me want to clutch it to my chest and say, “My precious..”)
- When I do spend the time watching a movie, or reading, (because I can’t resist either and can consider it kind of research for writing)…I pick the movie apart, often unable to stop myself from throwing terms at my husband like, “There’s the black moment.” Or “See they’re trying to make you feel empathy for the character.” Or “They didn’t put enough red herrings in the story.” (He, bless his heart, has learned to tolerate me.)
- The time most people spend socializing at a ‘day job’ lunch break, I close myself in my office with my sandwich and laptop. (Don't worry, I'm not lonely, my characters keep me company.)
- The time I spend waiting on my twins evening activities, I’m sitting in the car with my laptop. (This has probably become entertaining to the other parents during this long winter as I’m wrapped up with a huge jacket, hat and sometimes a blanket in the car like a homeless person who has claimed the vehicle as their new abode.)
I could go on, but I’ve only got
the same twenty-four hours a day as the rest of the world.
