The less you have to do, the harder it is to get things done

[rivendellrose]

I'm not working right now. I'm not in classes, either. And yet I seem hard-pressed to find time for the things I keep saying I ought to be doing. I practiced the guitar more often during the schoolyear than I have over the summer (simply pathetic, that), and have done almost no original writing.

I wrote a 50,000 word novel in the month of November last year, and yet I probably haven't written half that much during a summer where I worked, at most, 5 hours a day. This leads me to the conclusion that I need deadlines of some sort in order to work. And not just "I will work on my original writing for an hour (later downgraded to half an hour) every day." That doesn't seem to cut it.

I know what the real problem is, of course--I'm not truly satisfied with what I'm writing. I'm not excited about it. While that makes it exceedingly difficult to work on writing, I also recognize that it's no excuse. The same is true of my guitar practice--I was absolutely devoted while I was still trying to learn Greensleeves. Now that there's no song immediately upcoming in the book that I'm really excited to learn, I'm slacking off.

I trimmed my nails again tonight (my nails are a perfect indicator of how much I'm practicing the guitar--the length is in inverse proportion to the amount of interest in my practicing), and practiced. I even worked on my chords.

I am now going to write. For half an hour. Sleep be damned--if I'm ever going to get better, I need to work every day. I know, I say this all the time, but it's true, damn it. I'm not a bad writer--I just need *practice* and discipline.

Comments

[spazzychic.livejournal.com]

I notice having way too much free time wreaks havoc on getting anything done because that always leaves the infamous "later". I'll do it later. I'll write later. I'll practice later. It also gives you too much time to stare at your work. If the ink's not dry before you need to do something else, no time to be critical!!!

NaNoWriMo

[(Anonymous)]

For those not in the know, November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org). During November, people try to write 50,000 words. Is it for fame? Is it for prizes? No, it's because these people are a masochistic lot. I've thought about doing it before, and now that i know somebody who has, maybe I will. In the meantime, it looks like they have some of the previous novels online... Wonder if I can find yours...

Re: NaNoWriMo

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful experience--several of my friends from my writing group did it last year. Masochistic definitely describes the experience, it's true, but it's also a huge rush, especially if you manage to make it to the 'finish line.'

Unless my school/work schedule is truly awful, I'll be doing it again. If I do, I'll post my username and a link to my progress here on the LJ.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yup. Also, my inner muse seems to appreciate moments where it can say "Hey, look! She's way too busy with schoolwork and other stuff right now to reasonably write--I shall now attack her with ideas and make her so passionately devoted to carrying them out that she'll be tempted to sacrifice all else in the pursuit of her art!"

It hasn't made me fail anything yet......