The Challenges of
Being a Writer and Holding down a Full-time Job
By: Anne Garcia
I
am often asked "How do you do it?" and when I respond
"What?" My colleagues and friends look at me like I'm
crazy. Loca, deranged or superwoman are just a few of the descriptors
I have heard to label me and while it sounds humorous or offensive or
even just plain weird that people think I am an oddity I think there
are a lot of writers out there who pull it together while working a
full-time jobs or raising a family. For most of us it is a luxury to
be able to just write. I'd like to say that I am one of those people
who gets up at 4:00 in the morning to write before going to work, but
that would be a flat out lie. I'm lucky if I get up in time to
shower, make lunches for the kids, throw on an outfit and get out the
door.
I
feel envious as I turn on one of the various podcasts that keep me
company on my commute to work. I shove my bag in the back seat and
balance my coffee in one hand while steering with other, then find
myself wondering what it would be like to get to write full-time. The
writing and screenplay pod casters talk of process and craft, of
publishing and finding agents, of carving out three or four hour
chunks of time to write at the same time each day, all of which are
important aspects of a writing career. However, what I'm thinking is
when I will get in a good fifteen minutes of writing before teaching
math and after teaching Language Arts. Could I record my thoughts
while folding the laundry or jot down some notes in between adding
the garlic to the spaghetti sauce and starting to boil the pasta? Not
a very regular or efficient writing schedule is it? But somehow I
keep trying and while it may take me longer to finish a project I
feel like if I just keep plugging along I in some way have been
successful.
I
gave up on romanticizing about writing a long time ago and realized
that it was just like anything else. It is hard work. For me, working
all day means it is that much more important to be organized and
persistent with my projects. When I was half way through the first
write of Las
Hechizadas
I became pregnant with my son. I knew I had to finish the first draft
before he was born because a newborn child would consume me. I pushed
through and did it. It took me eight years to get the manuscript into
a final copy and published. It was arduous and at times frustrating,
but I didn’t stop. Don’t sweat it, I kept telling myself, but the
little voice inside of me was critical. I reached a point when I knew
I had to be specific in what I wanted to work on and focus on that,
or I really would never finish. With so little time I have learned
that setting small goals every day helps. Goals can be as simple as
writing 20 minutes a day, three pages, finish a chapter, etc. I
sometimes set goals that will take a long time to accomplish, but I
know if I work it every day I will slowly make progress. It's hard
enough to keep work and life organized without adding to that chaos
so keep your writing simple and straightforward. While I may have
many story ideas floating around in my mind I try to work on one
story at a time. By doing this I don't confuse characters and their
stories. I am a very linear writer so this works for me. If an idea
pops up I write it down and put it in my "Save My Thoughts"
notebook. This notebook is like a journal of lost or undeveloped
characters and stories waiting to come alive. It’s a piece of
advice I’ve heard from many writers. It can be a notebook, a box, a
filing system, but it’s important to have something. By putting
them away I don't worry that they will be lost.
I also don't have
the time to consult with my writer's group as often as I used to, but
I have formed a close knit group of writer friends who help me
whether it be via moral support or reading and critiquing my work.
When you are not writing as a full-time job it is important to stay
connected. Listening to writing podcasts, subscribing to trade
magazines, reading other author's blogs, writing your own blog and
collaborating with other writers on a regular basis all help keep the
inspiration and motivation alive.
I like to think
of teaching as my job and writing as my passion. Perhaps for this
reason I am able to do both. When you have a passion it isn't hard to
practice it or participate in sustaining it. If you love to write
then just write. Don't let busy work schedules or soccer games or
piano lessons stop you. Allow all of these things to push you to
write. It's in the small moments that we can find our strongest voice
and the clarity we need in a normally hectic reality to create and
construct.
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