Can you believe we’re up to week four of the ‘Write Time’ series? Today we have another quality guest blogger, award winning author and professional editor, Lynne Stringer. Lynne has loved to write since she was small, and as a published YA author, magazine and newspaper editor and screenwriter, she’s been able to explore that dream across numerous genres. Today Lynne broaches a topic most writers will relate to – that wrestle to achieving a workable balance between crafting a new writing project and the demands of ‘real life’. Just days before we launch into the New Year, this is timely wisdom. Over to you, Lynne. 🙂
Is there a right time to write? It’s an interesting question and one I’m pondering a lot of late.
One of the problems with being an unknown author is that you have to have a day job or else you starve. You’ve also usually got a family and so you need to spend time with them, not to mention doing things like feeding them, cleaning the house, etc.
Also, once you’ve had some books published, you really need to spend some time promoting yourself and your books.
The dilemma then becomes—when do you find time to write something new?
I recently started a new job, and although we’re closed over Christmas, I’m still trying to catch up on fifty million (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration!) other things I have to do. This is causing a little ball of pressure to build up in me because I’ve got an idea for a new story. Am I going to find the time to write it or even start it? I hope so. It’s not quite at the point where it’s knocking on the inside of my head, demanding to be released (yes, authors are weird!) but I don’t think it will be long before it is. I’ve just got to work out the resolution (that’s the bit at the end where everything is tied up) but I think I’ve got it, so soon the little voice of my story will become a loud scream, as it decides it’s time to come out!
One of the best things about this story is that I already know what it’s going to be called. That’s rare for me. I usually find it hard to think of titles. And I’m reasonably confident it’s a title that is useable, although I’ve been wrong about that before, so I’ll have to see if that’s the case.
But still, will I find the time to write it? What I need to do, of course, is make time. While that’s easier said than done, especially at this time of the year, I’m hopeful that soon will come that exciting moment when I sit down and write the first line. The only thing better than writing the first line of a story is writing the last.
Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her primary school days. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels. Lynne currently works as a professional editor and proofreader. Her debut novel, The Heir, the first book in the Verindon trilogy, received the Literary Classics’ sliver award in young adult science fiction in 2014. You can connect with Lynne on Pintrest, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter @TheHeirNovel.
I think most of us can relate to that Lynne. One of my problems is that I write in a range of different genres – fiction, poetry, devotionals, non-fiction. I’m trying to finish the draft of a novel, but I can’t stop those other voices that are thinking of ideas for poems, magazine articles, short stories and more. One thing that’s been helpful for me is that I have a separate ideas book that I keep handy. Then if I’m working on one project but an idea for another pops up, I just jot it down and try to forget about it until I’ve got time to come back to it. I have a tendency to start lots of projects and then have them all half completed, so I’m trying to train myself to finish things in terms of priority. Not always easy, and as you say, there’s this thing called life that often gets in the way. But if we can make use of the little moments that crop up through the day, it’s amazing what we can achieve. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I never start writing a story unless I know how it ends, or I’m definitely not going to complete it! Sometimes the journey on the way to that ending can take me by surprise, though.
That’s such a difficult balance to manage, Lynne. I’ve had a similar challenge over the past few months to find time, not only for writing, but developing other writing related resources, supporting fellow writers, and getting organised for next year’s commitments. (Of course, doing so around all those other responsibilities you’ve mentioned.) It’s been like a release valve to finally nail down some solid writing related stints in the past couple of weeks, especially as the ms I’m currently working on is so close to completion. I’m not sure we writers will ever find an easy tension for managing the many balls we juggle, but it’s a nice feeling when (if) we can find a workable rhythm.
At the moment I’m so close to burn out I don’t want to schedule anything for next year at all.
Hi Lynne
It is tough juggling our the different demands on our time. Hoping that you find that time and looking forward to another book. Is it science fiction or contemporary drama? All the best.
The next one due out (hopefully) is contemporary drama. But the one doing the rounds in my head at the moment is futuristic earth.
Yay – actually I like the premise of your contemporary drama but looking forward to one set on a futuristic earth too 🙂