Who has the time?

zanizh · Jan 2, 2009

So lately EVERYTHING has been put on hold. I spend my time researching agents to query now, so much so that I haven't written on my own work in days.

When you are working to find an agent, how do you have time to write? I can only allocate about two hours a day for writing when my small children are napping. Now that time has been sucked away for researching and querying, otherwise I wouldn't have time to do that! Is it okay to sacrifice one for the other for the time it's taking me searching for an agent? I feel like I'm doing something wrong, like breaking the writer's law and I will be shamed when exposed to my wrongdoing.

scarletpeaches · Jan 2, 2009

There are 24 hours in everyone's day. It's all about organisation.

Mr Flibble · Jan 2, 2009

Ooh I remember the nightmare of this when my kids were wee and I needed to do stuff.

You don't say if you have a partner. If not, then once the kids are asleep in the evening is a good time. If you do have a partner and he's not so keen on you doing stuff when it's 'your' time you've got two options. A) Get him a hobby lol. My hubby loves playing computer games. I tell him he can play all he wants, as long as I get to write

or B) Can he not say bath / read bedtime stories / put kids to bed so you get an extra hour?

It's difficult when you have a partnership to think about to make sure everyone gets 'their' time - but remember you get to have your time too. And if it's important to you, as it obviously is, then I'm sure he'll help out.

NeuroFizz · Jan 2, 2009

If you have such limited time each day, alternate days. Write one day and research the next.

Sophia · Jan 2, 2009

If someone (even if it's just you) ever tries to shame you for not acting according to some writer's law, then give them a swift kick up the backside and point out that the law is just to do what works for you. You don't have to write every day.

I wasn't sure from your post if you are researching agents because you are at the stage where you have a project ready to send out. If you still have writing to do on a work-in-progress, then it might be best to finish it and then concentrate fully on the querying process. Searching for an agent is a legitimate stage in getting your book published, and there's no need to skimp on it or feel that it sucks away time and writing prose has to be done in preference to it. Same with the writing itself - you can work on that, and leave the agent research for later (even though it might be very tempting to do it now).

Try not to feel pressured by other people (or yourself) into working in a way that isn't best for you and your life. Write in a way that makes it part of your life, not a source of stress and worry and additional pressure. You might like to do a Google search of these forums (using the search box at the bottom of the page, with the AW button selected) for threads about writing when you have kids and/or limited time. You're not alone in this, and there are a lot of hints and tips from personal experiences here. Good luck!

zanizh · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks for the kind words. I do have a completed project ready to go and I feel it is a great story. I do have, however, three other novels that need rewriting, and I have an idea for another two novels that I've had to just write down the ideas and stash away. I want to be able to get these freakin' ideas out of my head and onto the screen! Ahhhhh! But anywho, I've been doing heavy research and querying, but since I've been neglecting my writing, I feel guilty.

I like Neuro's advice... short and sweet but very relevant. I simply don't know why I didn't think to do that. I guess I thought if I was going to do something, I needed to throw myself into it full force and exhaust myself of it before moving on.

Thanks everyone.

alias octavia · Jan 2, 2009

zanizh said:
Thanks for the kind words. I do have a completed project ready to go and I feel it is a great story. I do have, however, three other novels that need rewriting, and I have an idea for another two novels that I've had to just write down the ideas and stash away. I want to be able to get these freakin' ideas out of my head and onto the screen! Ahhhhh! But anywho, I've been doing heavy research and querying, but since I've been neglecting my writing, I feel guilty.

I like Neuro's advice... short and sweet but very relevant. I simply don't know why I didn't think to do that. I guess I thought if I was going to do something, I needed to throw myself into it full force and exhaust myself of it before moving on.

Thanks everyone.

I am also a "throw myself into it full force" kind of gal. Right now I am also researching agents and polishing the query letter to send out next week. It is an exhausting, time consuming process particularly when you have small ones running around. Okay, mine is still crawling right now, but FAST.

I had also been feeling like I had neglected my writing with all of this research. What I found that works for me is to set a timer for 10 minutes and just free write everyday. I usually use a prompt of some kind ( I have a coffee mug full of scraps of paper with prompts on them) Even 10 minutes of writing a day is helpful, and this works great for me when I am still playing around with new ideas. Even if this is the only writing I get done all day I still find it satisfying that I did something.

Best of luck to you in querying!

Who has the time?

zanizh

Lost in Revision Hell

scarletpeaches

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

Sophia

zanizh

Lost in Revision Hell

alias octavia

smooshed