I should be working on NaNoWriMo, but instead I’m blogging. I think I might be a blog addict. There is something about the instant gratification of an audience. Plus, blogging allows me to write about the here and now, instead of the somewhere made up in my brain. Not that that place isn’t fun…
At least my students kicked some NaNoWriMo butt this year– read their stories this afternoon, amazing. Many of them wrote thousands of words. Talking dogs, romantic rendezvous, magical kingdoms…
So, here I am, typing away. I have only written half of what I wrote last year for NaNoWriMo. If I spent the time I worked on my blog writing that story, I would probably have at least double the words, if not more. But, it’s hard not to start here when I write each night. It’s like my warm-up space… Except now that I am only giving myself an hour each night to write, I don’t know how I am going to do both. My husband suggested scheduled blog nights, but I’m not sure I work like that. When I want to write, I want to write.
How do you balance your blogging versus other creative work? Do you start here, like I do? Or do you force yourself away?
Look at that, a fifteen minute post. I may actually have time for some other writing yet! Okay, I lied, now that I’ve reread it all and added pictures more like twenty-five minutes… Really leaving this time… I hope…
The upside of less writing time, I stuck to my yoga/spiritual practice goal this evening, (even though it ended up taking me almost two hours). And, here’s some proof yoga cat was not just a one-week aberration. In fact, she’s still in there right now. Didn’t take the hint when I rolled up the mat on top of her…
oliviaobryon 
Every day I say to myself. Tonight, I’m going to write for an hour before I let myself on to the internet. Today, after my latest post about not writing, I thought I was going to take a break from technology entirely. Just keep my laptop closed and try to clear my head. Maybe I might do that for a few days. Then, this song kept burning a hole in my head and I decided I needed to post about it. Well, if I’m going to open my laptop, might as well check my email and FB and a few of my favorite bloggers. Now, it’s 7:35, and I’m left with the regular conundrum. Spend a few minutes writing or just do something else like a few physical/yoga exercises, and then read and sleep. I don’t know what the answer is to your question. I’m massively un-disciplined about it these days. I wonder if it’s because there is so much time I spend doing things I don’t want to do that with the one or two hours of “free” time I have each evening I just want to veg and not … but that sounds like writing is something I don’t want to do. Which is totally wrong. Again, I don’t have the answers. Sometimes, I think I need to figure out a way that I can make myself accountable to somebody else with respect to my writing. Say, I owe you 500 words. Then you owe me 500. Or something like that. At the moment, I’m my own boss with writing and I’m turning out to have a really crap employee working for me.
Yep, I know exactly what you’re saying… Which is why my hour is almost up and instead of migrating to my Word document, I’m still responding to comments on WordPress, (as well as checking Facebook, my email, etc.). I need one of those steering wheel locks for the internet… Must write 500 words before the connection will work… Brilliant product, if you ask me 😉
Since I only blog 2x/week, it’s theoretically easier for me to fit it in and around my other stuff. Generally, I treat blogging as something secondary to writing. I’m not a huge Facebook person and I have a small friends list, so that doesn’t take up too much of my time. I do get a bit bogged down with other people’s blogs, and with places like Absolute Write.
In the end, though, it comes down to this, for me: I have stories I want to write. I want you to read them. I want you to read them in a published book, and I want to get paid for them. The only way that happens is if I sit down and write. That, for me, is enough to push the distractions away, at least a bit.
I admire your self-discipline! How many hours a day do you set aside for writing? I’m still trying to figure out what balance works best for me.
I get it! Blogging takes a lot of time! I struggle with this as well! Finding time to blog…but then doing things to actually blog about…but then not having the time to write! I also rely heavily on photography so that is even more time spent taking pictures and editing! It is a lot and after 3+ years of blogging still have not found the perfect balance! But I do have to say sometimes you have to stop what you are doing and just write when the words are there. Sounds like you function this way as well. I have intentions of jotting down notes to come back to and finish later but nothing is as good as if I sit down and write what is on my heart that right moment. Wishing you luck finding that balance…and yoga is a good start too! 😉
Exactly! You have to write while the inspiration is there, otherwise it’s just not the same. Thanks for sharing your perspective, it helps! 🙂