This is a feeling I'm sure many of you can relate to, so let's rant about it together, shall we?
I feel like I have too many interests, and not enough time to pursue them, and it's depressing the crap out of me. I'm feeling it more than ever now that I'm participating in my first NanoWriMo.
I want to be a full-time, career writer someday. Crazy pipe-dream, I know, but it's not like I have much else going for me, so why not try? I didn't graduate from a good school, and I'm not exactly a people person, so I don't imagine I'll ever be one of those guys who winds up managing a store just because they've worked there for a long time and schmoozed their way to the top.
Anyway, I think I'm generally a happy person, but when depression does hit me, it's almost always caused by the same thing--a lack of time.
Reading and writing are my passion, but they both take a lot of time. Work takes time, too. I find myself leaving other things by the wayside. Things that I enjoy, and that are enriching to the soul.
For instance, I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger. My interest in them has definitely waned a great deal since then, but there's still a small handful of new games every year that I wish I could play, but usually wind up passing up. After all, there's not even enough time to read all the books I want to read!
The same goes for TV shows. I have a huge backlist that I will probably never get around to now. Video games and TV were a huge part of my childhood, and they've played a huge part in shaping my taste and, ultimately, my writing. It seems wrong to abandon them, but I have to, out of necessity.
There's just so much fiction out there, in various forms, and I can't help but feel like a lot of it can teach me something, and that I'm constantly missing out on something wonderful.
There are so many prolific authors who have written tons of novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and all manner of things and I wonder how they do it. How can they output so many ideas and take in so few? How do they keep their well from running dry? If I didn't read every day I don't think I would be able to write every day, either.
So, what are you guys sacrificing for your writing? How do you balance your interests, your dreams, and the necessities of the day-to-day?
I feel like I have too many interests, and not enough time to pursue them, and it's depressing the crap out of me. I'm feeling it more than ever now that I'm participating in my first NanoWriMo.
I want to be a full-time, career writer someday. Crazy pipe-dream, I know, but it's not like I have much else going for me, so why not try? I didn't graduate from a good school, and I'm not exactly a people person, so I don't imagine I'll ever be one of those guys who winds up managing a store just because they've worked there for a long time and schmoozed their way to the top.
Anyway, I think I'm generally a happy person, but when depression does hit me, it's almost always caused by the same thing--a lack of time.
Reading and writing are my passion, but they both take a lot of time. Work takes time, too. I find myself leaving other things by the wayside. Things that I enjoy, and that are enriching to the soul.
For instance, I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger. My interest in them has definitely waned a great deal since then, but there's still a small handful of new games every year that I wish I could play, but usually wind up passing up. After all, there's not even enough time to read all the books I want to read!
The same goes for TV shows. I have a huge backlist that I will probably never get around to now. Video games and TV were a huge part of my childhood, and they've played a huge part in shaping my taste and, ultimately, my writing. It seems wrong to abandon them, but I have to, out of necessity.
There's just so much fiction out there, in various forms, and I can't help but feel like a lot of it can teach me something, and that I'm constantly missing out on something wonderful.
There are so many prolific authors who have written tons of novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and all manner of things and I wonder how they do it. How can they output so many ideas and take in so few? How do they keep their well from running dry? If I didn't read every day I don't think I would be able to write every day, either.
So, what are you guys sacrificing for your writing? How do you balance your interests, your dreams, and the necessities of the day-to-day?