Home   |   LCS Prints Store   |   About Me   |   FAQ   

Monday, February 25, 2013

Time Crunch



As I write this, it’s a rainy Sunday.  I haven’t posted here in over a week.  I’ve had to pick up extra hours at work as a result of the office being short staffed.  I hope this is temporary, but have braced myself in case it is not, since it eliminates the availability of the time I dedicate each morning to writing endeavors.  For the most part, I’ve been diligent with my Morning Pages, but this weekend, suffered a lapse.  Writing three longhand pages first thing every morning has helped me maintain a word flow but having missed both days this weekend, I feel guilty. 

Due to the lack of available time, I’ve returned to the schedule I kept when I used to work full time, back when my daughter was a high school student.  But, instead of getting up to prepare breakfast and lunches, I lean over to grab my notebook, put on my glasses, wrap myself in a shawl and pick up a pen.  On the positive side I’ve learned, at 5:30 a.m. it is more pleasant to write than to make sandwiches.  There’s an owl that hoots from one of the remaining trees in our side yard…though from the distance of his call I can tell the loss of six trees there recently has altered his location.   

While I’m writing, a grey wash lightens the sky in the west.  The yard out the picture window comes up like an old photograph floating in bin of developer.  My handwriting loops and scrolls.  On some days, I purge myself of anxiety, on other days I add to my current work in progress, on the best days, I do both.  Regardless, each morning, when I finish, I’m relieved when I review the neat, consistent cursive filling those pages.

I’ve read over and over, that if I want to bad enough, I can always find the time to write.  For now, it appears that predawn is my time. 

18 comments:

Old Kitty said...

I think it's lovely you write longhand! Good for you!

p.s. my writing time will have to be in the evening. I'm a zombie first thing in the morning! Take care
x

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Like Old Kitty, I find night time to be a better time to write new words than early morning -- although I can revise at any time of the day.

Or blog. :)

Glad you carved out some time for it rather than let it get lost during this busy time.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm a morning zombie as well, but if it;s working for you, stick with it.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Mornings work best for me too. I think it would be delightful to write to the hoot of an owl.

Stina said...

I love getting up at 5 am to write. Unfortunately my body has decided 5 am isn't soon enough. Now I'm waking up at 4 am!!!!!

We don't get owls hooting where I live. :(

mshatch said...

I am so not a morning person. I can hardly form words to speak that early in the morning nevermind write anything. But they say we are all either owls or songbirds. You are obviously a songbird :)

Bish Denham said...

Mornings are always the best time for me, too. And since I'm usually up between 4:30 and 5 I have some quality time.

Anonymous said...

I used to love working late at night but things have changed. I'm an early riser and like to get my writing in early...at a computer. I don't think I could do longhand anymore, it's too slow for me.

J.B. Chicoine said...

I don't know when the last time I got up pre-dawn! When I envision myself as a serious writer--as a grownup--I see myself getting up at 5:30, but somehow I haven't embraced that yet. I'm missing out, as your words aptly show!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

That is a beautiful time of day. I enjoy it in the summer but not in the cold months.

'Yellow Rose' Jasmine said...

I'm a night owl myself, but glad someone is enjoying the wee hours on the other side of my own wee hours. It is a beautiful time and sometimes I wish I could do it. My own circadian rhythm just won't let me, so I find my own way.
It is tough to find time with extra work hours. I feel you there. I try to be grateful as it is feast or famine for my work around here.

Elsie Amata said...

Morning is a beautiful time to write and it's one of my favorite times to write and to blog too.

Sue said...

I too am having trouble finding (or making) time to write, although I know I feel so much better when I do.

I was thinking of you this morning as my daughter set off on a voyage (onboard a research vessel) and thought of your posts prior to your daughter heading off to college and all the emotions involved. Parenting can be a challenge!
Sue

Searching for the Story said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Searching for the Story said...

Your willpower is commendable. The discipline that gets you out of bed to write at 5:30 in the morning well serve you will when it comes time to perfect your manuscript.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Oh man, I wish I could be so disciplined! I actually really love being awake in the mornings, and I enjoy writing before anyone else is up, taking in the sunrise. It's beautiful and peaceful. But I can't seem to wake myself up, probably because I was up late working the night before. One of these days...

Also, this line really cracked me up: "On the positive side I’ve learned, at 5:30 a.m. it is more pleasant to write than to make sandwiches."

It's perfect. I hope you have one of your characters say it someday.

Jan Morrison said...

I like writing in the morning too. Not at five but close to. As the weather warms up it will get even better though we've lost our nice views in the last move - we'll get them back in a year. ah well.

Anne Gallagher said...

I've always written in the morning. It's the best time for my "creativity".