Writing and Jobs/School

[Jewel101]

How does the job and school affect your time for writing?

[zeprosnepsid]

My job, my commute, and making dinner make it so that I don't have any time to write at all. It's incredibly frustrating really...

I find scheduling is key. I try to make schedules for my day to optimize the small amount of hours available.

[CaptMorgan]

I'm a college athlete, so not only do I have to deal with classes and homework, I have to deal with practices, games, fund raising, and dorm life. Basically, I've learned to take advantage of the five minutes breaks I occasionally have...and I can actually accomplish a lot. I plan it out while I'm 'busy' and write it when I have a moment.

[kathompson]

When I was in school, I didn't feel affected by lack of time to write. Then again, I didn't feel pressed to study as much as I should, either ;)

When I was working...that cut into time. I also had a small child to deal with so writing before or after work wasn't much of an option--and since I had a job where he could be with me, writing at lunch wasn't viable. Yet I did it, though I'm not sure how.

Honestly, I think I got more done when I had less time to dedicate to it.

[veinglory]

I work six days a week and still don't get enough done because i should also be doing some work at home--but I still squeeze in some writing time...

[tab]

I'm a law student (I'm taking a break from studying for finals now...one of many http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/EmoteShrug.gif) and in addition to being the assistant editor of our student newspaper, I write a fluff column for it. I also maintain a sporadically updated blog. I write. I just don't have time to write fiction or satire as often as I'd like. I'm looking forward to winter break, because although I have complete note for law review, I am planning to spend a lot of time reading and writing.

[Hannah]

I'm a full-time [journalism] student, a part-time freelance photographer (I have a few photoshoots a month), a reporter for the student newspaper, a staff photographer for the student newspaper, and just got a freelance gig at a neighborhood paper, and I write essays on the side.

I was doing ok, even though sometimes I don't have time to do the dishes everyday, but my husband chips in when things get stressful.

I'm married, but we don't have any children (although my hubby's a big baby :popcorn: )

[DamaNegra]

I'm a high school student, and my school is so demanding (and sometimes I get so damn lazy) I barely find time to sleep or eat, let alone write. However, the thight schedule means more vacations, so I get a lot accomplished during vacations. But on project and exam dates, forget it, every spare second I get I waste on sleeping.

Vacations however, I have all the free time in the world and manage to write 6 to 7 hours a day. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

[rbflynn]

I work 50-80 hours a week, depending on meetings and travel. I am also an insomniac, which sorta helps me find time to write, although I usually end up crashing hard every other weekend or so. Generally, I write until about 10 pm, read until I fall asleep, then write again when I wake up around 5 am or so.

So basically, I don't necessarily find time to write, time to write finds me.

[Jamesaritchie]

In college, I was a journalism and English Lit major, so I had to write the better part of every day, and working on my own fiction was part and parcel of the English Lit course.

The only time I've ever had to work and write, other than by choice, times when I took a job for a time just for the experience, was when I first started writing. I solved the problem rather easily. I wrote a short story, it sold, and I quit my job.

[Shadow_Ferret]

When I was in school it actually helped in my writing. I'd write between classes and during boring lectures.

But nowadays with two kids, a wife, a dog, internet time, reading time, exercise time, I find I have a very small window of opportunity to write and that's usually late at night when the house is quiet. But by then, I'm usually too sleepy to do any real hard writing.

[Cathy C]

I worked a very demanding day job for the first five years of my writing career (now I write full-time). But when I worked, I set my alarm for 3:30 in the morning. I was at the computer with coffee in hand at 4:00. My husband knew not to bother me during my writing time. I turned on my Outlook and set a scheduled "appointment" for 6:00, which would pop-up over WordPerfect so I could say Hi to Hubby, get showered, dressed and to work on time. I did this for three years, and put out three books. Weekends were for family, and evenings were for rest. It can certainly be done, but it takes a lot of discipline (and caffeine doesn't hurt, either... ;) ) I don't have kids, but this same schedule also worked for my co-author, who worked at the same law firm and was a single mom. She's the one who suggested it.

[Shadow_Ferret]

Unless you aren't a morning person. ;)

Thus my staying up until midnight and getting less than 5 hours sleep.

[Avalon]

I've made some hard choices, and I imagine that's true for anyone who's serious about anything.

I quit my full-time job to freelance. I make barely enough money to pay the bills, but it does give me 2-3 hours per day to write. My car is old but paid off. My shingles need replacing, and I've got a leaking pipe, but those things don't matter today. Today, all that matters is cranking out 1000-2000 words. My jeans have holes in the knees, but I'm getting my words out. I'll buy new jeans when I sell something. I'll prioritize the repairs and get to them slowly.

I don't have much of a social life, per se. Here and there I do things, but they're the exception rather than the rule. Most nights, I'm doing my freelance work until about 8 or 9. That give me an hour or two to do my reading. I found that not sleeping made the morning writing suffer, so I've had to make choices that allow me time to get adequate sleep. The writing is the most important thing, period. I'll socialize later, when my career is moving along.

I gave up my one big hobby (martial arts), because I needed the time to write and read and sleep and work.

All in all, I think that's about it. Every minute is full of choices. I'd like to have a neater house, but I can't spare the time. (Does anyone want to come over and sweep up my dog hair?) :)

[DamaNegra]

I used to do the wake up at 4 am thing to write. And it really worked, cause if I have a good reason to get up (and trigonometry class is NOT a good reason, lol) I can get up and be quite alert at any time. However, that's only when I don't have projects or exams to turn it, cause then I usually have so much work to do I fall asleep even when standing (it's now happened three times, luckly, there's always someone there to catch me if I fall).

Anyway, in school (again, if it isn't exam or project time) I write in my spare time. I've got two free hours every tuesday and thursday and all of my friends have classes during that time, so I use it to write. I used to write on the car on my way home too, until I realized that doing so (I write in a laptop) was dangerous and I could be robbed.

[Anagram]

I think what my job and school affect is my BRAIN. I'm a math student. I find that writing [which is my #1 job] and research [my #2 job] require the same brain power as studying math. So.... last week I suddenly lost my engine, or something. The harder I tried to write, the less I wrote. I missed a deadline by a full 24 hours; even sleeping a bit and getting back to it didn't work.

I'll be so glad when this semester is OVER.

Plus, I haven't written a bit of fiction. Everything is the have-to-pay-the-bills stuff. Ugh.

[Azure Skye]

Last May I took a job out of necessity and found out, within a day, that I hated it. I ended up quitting but the manager convinced me to come back. I was miserable but I knew that I could apply for a job transfer after three months. I got lucky, really lucky. I applied for a job soon after my probation period and got it. Now I get to work in a library, part time, and I'm happy. One would think that because my brain is cleared of stress and the fact I only work 20 hours a week that I would be sitting BIC most of my off time. Nah. Ever since I started this new job I haven't had time to write. But, I'm getting ready to start. I have a few assignments to finish for my class and a final exam and then I will be all clear. I will do this, I swear.

[Inspired]

Whew! I was going to lament about my job and lack of time and energy. But, after reading some of the responses above - I'll just shut up.

[DivaNicoletta]

I am a college senior Humanities Major, I am planning on going to law school. I do find it hard sometimes especially at finals time to write, but I always make room for that, as well as having a social life. I know that even after I get married, I will always put my writing at the forefront, most guys that I date know that I don't cook, I don't clean, and and I will NEVER be a stay at home mom, but I will be a writer, and if that dosn't work a lawyer :Clap:

[DamaNegra]

lol, I can't cook or clean either, and I'm not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom either. When the time comes (hopefully not soon), I think I would actually stay at home and attempt to do those things if that means having more time to write.

[DivaNicoletta]

lol, I can't cook or clean either, and I'm not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom either. When the time comes (hopefully not soon), I think I would actually stay at home and attempt to do those things if that means having more time to write.

I will be a Stay-at-home writer, since my novels are my children. I don't think I will ever have kids, they would annoy me and distract me from my writing and I would probably end up neglecting them. I am way too selfish. Cooking ( beyond Pasta, microwavable popcorn and top ramen) and cleaning are for men or maids. I will go out to a resterant, and bring my lap top with me!! :Clap:

[WerenCole]

For me it is simple. . . over the past four months I have just decided to not really work all that much nor go to school. . .except for my one creative writing class which is probably the biggest joke of a class I have ever taken part of. . . I have been writing and submitting and working a couple days of the week. . .

It does help that as a bartender and professional caterer the days that I do work I make enough money to get by, but the fact of the matter is that I cannot keep this up for much longer. . . I will eventually have to rejoin the workforce in full, but hopefully under my own terms and with a solid half a years worth of quality writing to dabble with as I continue to submit and what not. . .

though, really, if it is to be done. . . that is, work and write, write and live, live and love. . . the devotion to the craft is something where time must be found and inspiration wrenched from the jaws of exhaustion if it is to be accomplished. . .