OMFG this hits hard. So many thoughts,so many YESS moments. Even though I'm a teacher and I'm 'off' for the summer i still can't find the time to sit and fucking write..and if I am I'm feeling guilty about the absolute state of the house,or that i should be 'making fucking memories' with the kids. There is never a 'foot off the pedal' moment, never.
The (very) small things I do to take time for me are: 1) magic writing hour, it is quite often the only time i write; 2) read while playing guided meditation for kids to go to sleep (I have to sit in the room until they fall asleep x5); 3) try to do 20-30 mins of exercise a day that's just for my head..this involves a lot of setting up but it's worth it for me
That all looks so depressing when I look at it. Also i'm throwing money at any camp that will take my children.
Your strategies are so good tho yes as you say it's all seems pretty measly when written down lol! I agree the magic writing hour reeeeeeally helps me, it's like protected time where i dont even let in emails or admin, just prose or whatever. The exercise thing is SO important for me too. I do it in the corner of the living room while they watch tv and i stop occasionally to frisby toast at them. Tho the only reason i can do this is the ages they're at, it's SO MUCH harder when they're younger
Well I suppose I am lucky to be in the position of being wildly unsuccessful so if nothing is coming, no matter how hard I try to create something, I do indeed walk away and take a break.
I think setting a timer for writing and for any and all life tasks is an excellent idea, pretty popular with adhd people (when we can remember to lol).
I'm really enjoying your return to Substack but I think it was very cool to step away for a few months, and to talk about it, because apart from being a top self-care move, it's also a reminder to yourself and others that we do indeed have control over our own lives, and can live with agency.
That's so interesting re the timer and adhd. You;'d think having a finite time would feel pressured biut i actually find the opposite. I think 'ah sure I only have to do this for an hour and so what if it's shite lol'. And thank you so much re my 10/10 self care move . As well as feeling wrecked and under it with deadlines, I just realised that after 6 months, I wanted to kinda reevaluate what I'm creating with Death Is coming and tune in to that.
Very familiar and I agree that the timer has some magic to it. Also: lunchboxes! So many weird crevices that trap water! But back to writing. I think the reason the slow down, take a break stuff really pisses me off is that it sort of positions writing as an amusement or nice little hobby. I realise I will never make a living from writing but neither do I consider it an optional hobby. The fact is that most writers, even moderately successful ones, will have to continue in some other paid work. And it’s other work and other responsibilities that fill the space vacated by a writing break (as you noted). It’s not a break, then, is it?!
YES so much YES to this Juliana! I am actually working on a piece about the fiscal realities of my writing life. I did an interview with Sonder magazine a while back and I found myself talking quite a lot about it – even though finances is always a very vulnerable topic, I think it's really important
People need to talk more openly about advances for books, I think! They are almost never enough to pay for the work of the book, even when they seem substantial. Most of the time they are hilariously small. They set up a situation where the author (me) feels so grateful they are being published because it’s so hard that they (I) feel like they should do loads of promoting work in the hopes this will somehow make a difference to sales. I also would be interested in gender comparisons. Like there are more women writers and more book buyers are women but are women getting the highest advances? I wonder.
That is a brilliant idea I put myself under so much pressure to be creative and beat myself up constantly for not having any time for it. I think the timer idea of 30 minutes is great and will try this. I’m Working full time mum and I end up exhausted constantly.
OMFG this hits hard. So many thoughts,so many YESS moments. Even though I'm a teacher and I'm 'off' for the summer i still can't find the time to sit and fucking write..and if I am I'm feeling guilty about the absolute state of the house,or that i should be 'making fucking memories' with the kids. There is never a 'foot off the pedal' moment, never.
The (very) small things I do to take time for me are: 1) magic writing hour, it is quite often the only time i write; 2) read while playing guided meditation for kids to go to sleep (I have to sit in the room until they fall asleep x5); 3) try to do 20-30 mins of exercise a day that's just for my head..this involves a lot of setting up but it's worth it for me
That all looks so depressing when I look at it. Also i'm throwing money at any camp that will take my children.
Love the voicey..can't wait to hear more!
Your strategies are so good tho yes as you say it's all seems pretty measly when written down lol! I agree the magic writing hour reeeeeeally helps me, it's like protected time where i dont even let in emails or admin, just prose or whatever. The exercise thing is SO important for me too. I do it in the corner of the living room while they watch tv and i stop occasionally to frisby toast at them. Tho the only reason i can do this is the ages they're at, it's SO MUCH harder when they're younger
Well I suppose I am lucky to be in the position of being wildly unsuccessful so if nothing is coming, no matter how hard I try to create something, I do indeed walk away and take a break.
I think setting a timer for writing and for any and all life tasks is an excellent idea, pretty popular with adhd people (when we can remember to lol).
I'm really enjoying your return to Substack but I think it was very cool to step away for a few months, and to talk about it, because apart from being a top self-care move, it's also a reminder to yourself and others that we do indeed have control over our own lives, and can live with agency.
That's so interesting re the timer and adhd. You;'d think having a finite time would feel pressured biut i actually find the opposite. I think 'ah sure I only have to do this for an hour and so what if it's shite lol'. And thank you so much re my 10/10 self care move . As well as feeling wrecked and under it with deadlines, I just realised that after 6 months, I wanted to kinda reevaluate what I'm creating with Death Is coming and tune in to that.
My biggest takeaway from this (there were many) was the word shitemare.
Bahahahahha! Please spread the word of the Gospel of Shitemares
Very familiar and I agree that the timer has some magic to it. Also: lunchboxes! So many weird crevices that trap water! But back to writing. I think the reason the slow down, take a break stuff really pisses me off is that it sort of positions writing as an amusement or nice little hobby. I realise I will never make a living from writing but neither do I consider it an optional hobby. The fact is that most writers, even moderately successful ones, will have to continue in some other paid work. And it’s other work and other responsibilities that fill the space vacated by a writing break (as you noted). It’s not a break, then, is it?!
YES so much YES to this Juliana! I am actually working on a piece about the fiscal realities of my writing life. I did an interview with Sonder magazine a while back and I found myself talking quite a lot about it – even though finances is always a very vulnerable topic, I think it's really important
People need to talk more openly about advances for books, I think! They are almost never enough to pay for the work of the book, even when they seem substantial. Most of the time they are hilariously small. They set up a situation where the author (me) feels so grateful they are being published because it’s so hard that they (I) feel like they should do loads of promoting work in the hopes this will somehow make a difference to sales. I also would be interested in gender comparisons. Like there are more women writers and more book buyers are women but are women getting the highest advances? I wonder.
Loving the audio essay format!
Yay thank you so much! So am I!
That is a brilliant idea I put myself under so much pressure to be creative and beat myself up constantly for not having any time for it. I think the timer idea of 30 minutes is great and will try this. I’m Working full time mum and I end up exhausted constantly.