Ask the Author: Katrina Nowak
Answered Questions (1)
Katrina Nowak
Start writing and keep writing! This is a topic I discuss a lot in my blog because what sounds like such a simple notion is not actually all that simple. It is hard to carve out the time to write, particularly for most aspiring writers who probably are juggling a lot of other things in their lives. If you are an aspiring writer, it’s probably not the only game you’ve got going. Bottom line is, you’ll never know if you don’t try. You’ll never know what secret super power you might have if you don’t give it an honest go.
For anyone wanting to be a writer...toiling away in the wee hours of the morning, sharpening their pencil but never actually making any scribbles... here are five tenets I try to write by that help me to keep my writing in perspective and balanced with the rest of my life. I call them “Five Thoughts on Rocking this Writing Thing In Between Your Actual Life”. Enjoy!
(1) Make promises (and then keep them). I make manageable promises to myself– I will write this chapter, I will read this book for research, or, perhaps– I will run 20 miles this week and clear my head. Whatever it is, I make a commitment to doing it. I’m not perfect, but I work toward being better. Start small. Build. Improve. Part of the fun is watching yourself get better.
(2) Box out. The in-between moments are mine and I protect them. The rest of the day, everyone else has dibs on my time. But when I am claiming my in-between moments (even if it’s just 15 or 20 consecutive minutes), I protect them fiercely. I don’t clean, I don’t cook, I don’t look for the mustard that I TOLD YOU is on the second shelf. See? It’s right there on the second shelf! It’s the only yellow thing on that shelf! I don’t mediate arguments over crayons, I don’t answer calls, I don’t care that my socks don’t match (I’m wearing socks? Awesome!). I don’t address any of these issues during my in-between moments. So, if you need mustard, wait until I’m back on the clock. It’ll only be a few minutes.
(3) Be creative. It’s ironic that the time that we do have to ourselves is usually when we are at our worst. We are exhausted (early in the morning before the kids are up, or at the end of the day when they are finally passed out) and don’t have the mental energy to keep even the most manageable of promises. But– we know this is the case. So, find ways to utilize the time when you aren’t a zombie. One example: I use my commute to do research for my writing. I am physically incapable of reading after 9:00 pm. I just can’t do it. So, I audiobook it every day on my way to and from work. Sometimes I even dictate ideas for my writing or sections of chapters while driving. It ain’t pretty, but it’s hand-free and it’s pretty creative.
(4) Give yourself a break. Keep score, but not every day. Keep track of your progress, but don’t force progress all the time. See what your word count is on Sunday. It might be something depressing like “7”. Then don’t check it again until the following Sunday. It might be something less depressing… like “7,007”. Sure… people who write full time might do that in a few hours. But they are working with full-time moments… you are working with in-between moments. Give yourself a break.
(5) Stay Plugged In. For me, writing is an in-between-moment activity. But what about all of those other moments in the day when I am doing… life? One of the things that I catch myself doing a lot is thinking so much about what I am going to do when I can finally tackle my spare time that I don’t stay plugged in to real life. This can be stressful and very unproductive. If I am diligent about Steps 1-4 (but particularly Step 2), it is much easier to stay plugged in and enjoy the rest of the moments without stressing about fitting in my writing. After all, this is not my full-time gig. I want to enjoy the rest of the gig– the kids, the crazy. If I keep on track with Steps 1-4, Step 5 is a breeze.
For anyone wanting to be a writer...toiling away in the wee hours of the morning, sharpening their pencil but never actually making any scribbles... here are five tenets I try to write by that help me to keep my writing in perspective and balanced with the rest of my life. I call them “Five Thoughts on Rocking this Writing Thing In Between Your Actual Life”. Enjoy!
(1) Make promises (and then keep them). I make manageable promises to myself– I will write this chapter, I will read this book for research, or, perhaps– I will run 20 miles this week and clear my head. Whatever it is, I make a commitment to doing it. I’m not perfect, but I work toward being better. Start small. Build. Improve. Part of the fun is watching yourself get better.
(2) Box out. The in-between moments are mine and I protect them. The rest of the day, everyone else has dibs on my time. But when I am claiming my in-between moments (even if it’s just 15 or 20 consecutive minutes), I protect them fiercely. I don’t clean, I don’t cook, I don’t look for the mustard that I TOLD YOU is on the second shelf. See? It’s right there on the second shelf! It’s the only yellow thing on that shelf! I don’t mediate arguments over crayons, I don’t answer calls, I don’t care that my socks don’t match (I’m wearing socks? Awesome!). I don’t address any of these issues during my in-between moments. So, if you need mustard, wait until I’m back on the clock. It’ll only be a few minutes.
(3) Be creative. It’s ironic that the time that we do have to ourselves is usually when we are at our worst. We are exhausted (early in the morning before the kids are up, or at the end of the day when they are finally passed out) and don’t have the mental energy to keep even the most manageable of promises. But– we know this is the case. So, find ways to utilize the time when you aren’t a zombie. One example: I use my commute to do research for my writing. I am physically incapable of reading after 9:00 pm. I just can’t do it. So, I audiobook it every day on my way to and from work. Sometimes I even dictate ideas for my writing or sections of chapters while driving. It ain’t pretty, but it’s hand-free and it’s pretty creative.
(4) Give yourself a break. Keep score, but not every day. Keep track of your progress, but don’t force progress all the time. See what your word count is on Sunday. It might be something depressing like “7”. Then don’t check it again until the following Sunday. It might be something less depressing… like “7,007”. Sure… people who write full time might do that in a few hours. But they are working with full-time moments… you are working with in-between moments. Give yourself a break.
(5) Stay Plugged In. For me, writing is an in-between-moment activity. But what about all of those other moments in the day when I am doing… life? One of the things that I catch myself doing a lot is thinking so much about what I am going to do when I can finally tackle my spare time that I don’t stay plugged in to real life. This can be stressful and very unproductive. If I am diligent about Steps 1-4 (but particularly Step 2), it is much easier to stay plugged in and enjoy the rest of the moments without stressing about fitting in my writing. After all, this is not my full-time gig. I want to enjoy the rest of the gig– the kids, the crazy. If I keep on track with Steps 1-4, Step 5 is a breeze.
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