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Writing is a solitary task.
Writing needs concentration and quiet. Writing requires
absolute commitment.
Are all there scary
statements true?
What is more, is it
possible to balance your writing career and family without
turning yourself into a zombie?
Everything is feasible; I
am the living example of it.
There is only one secret:
TIME PLAN. This is step one for the aspiring writer's
success. Without it, nothing can be achieved. How can you
do it?
Simply make a rough plan of
the time allowed to your writing project every day. It is
highly important for the writer to know exactly WHEN he
/she is going to settle down and write, feeling free of
all the other responsibilities that he has.
I have made a simple
schedule. You can work out yours according to your family
needs. Every morning just after breakfast, and as soon as
the family have gone, I allow myself to work on my PC for
one to two hours, depending on the workload of the day.
Then I go on with the house chores and all the rest of the
family tasks till noon. At 2 o' clock everybody is back so
I serve lunch, but after that I have 2-3 hours free to
work on my morning assignment. Thus, there is plenty of
time to care for the family , while in the afternoons I
still have time to go to my part time job in time ,
feeling satisfied I have worked at home on my project.
In the evening I sometimes
find an hour or so , when the family watch TV . This time
I sit with them in the living room , having pre arranged
to do the easiest tasks for my writing job, such as note
taking or layout planning of new stories or articles. I
use pen to paper and I don't bother if I make mistakes.
Next morning, there is plenty of time to revise them and
complete them.
If this plan has been
working perfectly for me, why not for you as well? You
only have to calculate when and how long you need to write
every day. Of course , you must stick to your plan and
never give it up , apart from very urgent cases. Remember
that your work is also urgent, so never skip it.
If you respect your writing
job, the others will do so too. What is more, they won't
feel neglected as you will give them your care and
attention at the time they are around. Furthermore, your
house chores will be done in time and you won't feel
overworked. Many a times I used to end up with half burned
meals and I felt extremely stressed trying to catch up
with all the house chores before the family was back home.
So, telling yourself ‘I’ll do it later’, it’s not
the solution. ‘Later’ will come in no time and you
will find yourself in a very difficult situation. Yet, no
one will believe your excuses as you have been in the
house the whole morning , and you will feel inefficient
for no reason at all! " A little every day" is
my motto, and, in the long run, everything is done and
everybody is happy. Keeping your writing and family under
control will make you feel satisfied and everyone,
including you, will be happy.
Also, keep in mind that
there is nothing odd if you work in unconventional places.
I sometimes find it stimulating to work in the living room
with all the family around. Noise does not bother me ,on
the contrary, it brings me more ideas. This article was
outlined last evening while we were all watching a
football match. Well, the truth is I did not watch much of
it! I was absorbed in my new article, but that's how this
idea sprang out. I can perfectly work in a chatty setting.
Have you tried it? You may come up with fresh ideas and
great articles.
Finally, who says that
writing can turn you into a zombie? Shatter the myth! It's
up to you to enjoy both your family and your writing
career. Simply make a time plan!
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