I am reading The Lightkeeper’s Wife, a novel by a Canberra author Karen Viggers. A gripping story, beautifully written. I am reading it slowly, savoring every bit of it. But the problem is that the book belongs to the public library and is due back this week. I can’t even renew it because eleven people have reserved it after me. I could have easily finished the book in four weeks had it not for the countless other distractions.
This week I came to the realisation that I am doing everything else except what I want to do. I am reading everything else except what I want to read. I am writing everything else except what I want to write.
Neil Gaiman writes in Make Good Art:
“There was a day when I looked up and realised that I had become someone who professionally replied to an email, and who wrote as a hobby. I started answering fewer emails, and was relieved to find I was writing much more.”
I can either be on top of social media or read good books. I can either write long well-researched articles or finish my novel. I can’t do both, that is for sure. For a long time, I foolishly believed that I was that superwoman who can do both. But my energy doesn’t come from kryptonite. I am a mere mortal whose eyes get extremely tired after a few hours on the computer. I need to make sure I invest those hours wisely into things that matter most.
We writers need to protect our writing time fiercely. Unless we are living alone in country property, we will struggle to find time to write.
On Monday, I spent two hours editing the first five chapters of the non-fiction book I am writing. It felt terrific. I set myself a goal of finishing the edit by Friday and sending it to a professional editor and proofreader. I am on target to do that.
Also, this week I spent “15 Radical Minutes” with another Medium writer, Matt Inman. It is great to know other writers and what is driving them. I have invited two other authors and waiting for their response.
His week, I managed to write two articles – How new writers should use Quora, and Goal Setting With WOOP. I also managed to published Three Principles of Personal Storytelling in Medium. I have been invited by two more magazines in Medium to write for them.
That is it from me this week folks.
I will write to you again next Friday.
Until then take care.