My process is very disciplined, which is good for ticking the boxes and getting my hours in…but I’m still amazed at how my days evaporate with all the other stuff that needs to get done. I keep my daily writing very short and manageable: 5 minutes (timed) of day-dreaming/staring out the window and then 20 minutes of free-writing. And oftentimes, that’s ALL I get done. It’s helpful to understand that this is still a great effort…and that magic can still happen in 20 minutes. And it still leaves me time to eat chips and watch TV. 🤓
Hi Liz -- Great question. It depends on what I'm working on. I am both a poet and a fiction writer, so sometimes my free write can be based on one of those projects. For example, I use my free write to work out a scene or a tricky character bit for my novel. Or, I use the free write to help me discover or answer a question I'm asking in a specific poem. And sometimes it's just whatever pops in my head! There are no rules, and no such thing as sh*tty writing. Anything is good, as long as it comes out of the pen and on to paper! Hope that helps! :)
I keep a writing process journal that I start with every morning. I write down: 1. what I wrote the day before, 2. why I wrote it, and 3. how I feel about it. That tends to put me in writing mode and remind me where I left off the day before. That being said, I was so glad to read your post as I'm in the middle of a family medical "crisis" that requires me to do some caretaking for several weeks and my routine has disappeared. After reading your post, I see that everything that is not writing, even "crisis" are just "life," and writing still has importance in these moments.... we have importance in our own life... if I may be so bold, we are our first priority.
We do indeed have importance in our own life, and it can be hard in the midst of crisis to put ourself first. But we still have the right to do so, and while sometimes writing can be too much, writing can also be the respite we need to get through that time. We get to choose what we say yes to and what we say no to.
Also, I love your process journal, and may have to try it out.
For a while I had trouble sleeping, so I was getting up at 5:30 AM. The best thing about early morning writing is that you don't worry about the to-do's. No one wants to hear from you at that time, nor do they want to hear you cleaning, etc. I find that journalling helps me through the chaotic times. It keeps me connected to writing and helps me process my emotions, and my to-do list.
I'm usually a daylight person, but there is something magical about the darkness--keeps treality at bay! Also, it depends on the age of your children. This worked better when mine were teenagers and sleeping in. :-)
Yes! This is something I struggle with a lot. My writing practice feels so chaotic and I really want to find a routine that works for me. I’m accepting that the perfect routine doesn’t exist, but I’d still like something general, like using the same block of time every day, but that’s also really hard with a day job.
Chaotic sounds like a good description of my own writing practice. ;)
If what you are aiming for is hard within the realities of your life, you'll have to look into why. What interrupts that time? Is that something changeable (e.g., you use that time to do household admin, so perhaps you need to schedule some routine admin time?) or not changeable? (e.g., You are exhausted from work or frequently need to stay late; rest is important.) Either way, you'll likely have to change your expectations for what is realistic in terms of regular writing in your life.
The world does not make it easy to find time to write, so the struggle to make it work, or to have to accept that it will be less than what you think you ought to do, is not your fault. It's because the world is dumb. All you can do is the best you can under the circumstances.
I got my ADHD diagnosis a couple of years ago and can relate to many of your points. The Psychiatrist who confirmed that I have ADHD, also said I'm likely an 'artist on the spectrum'. He doesn't diagnose Autism, and it is hard to find a Psychiatrist to do this for adults in Canada. If you do find someone, it costs around $3,000 🤣 Now that I know that I am likely on the spectrum as well, it explains so much, and is a relief. I am working on accepting that my routines will change fairly often, and your sharing this post has helped with that :)
I loved every word of this. Sometimes the free time we get to write in a particular season takes a weird angular shape that shifts every day, because it has to come up through the cracks of the broken system we are trapped in. That any of us write at all is a daily miracle that gives me hope. To say that it has to be a specific consistent shape or it’s not Real Writing is doing this extremely resilient and wily art itself a disservice, and discouraging the very resilient and wily people whose voices we most need to hear.
I can relate to so much of this, Sonal! I hate routines and like to work when I feel inspired. It takes me forever to get started, but once I do, I can’t stop until I’m done. I relate to so many of the symptoms of ADHD, even though my psychiatrist won’t give me an official diagnosis (because I did well in school). Thank you for validating this and offering some suggestions!
It can be very frustrating to be diagnosed for ADHD, since many professionals are working from outdated info like "It can't be because they did well in school." Not true. Plus, owing to how women are often socialized, we tend to mask out ADHD symptoms more heavily and so it doesn't always present in the same way.
Like, yes, I did well in school, but that was because deadlines would invoke enough crisis to ramp up my dopamine and I'd hyperfocus and get assignments done by staying up late the night before, plus I was smart so I could figure out concepts quickly so I didn't have to pay attention in class, and ADHD helps me quickly make connections between ideas so I'm good at thinking on my feet.
But also, I never studied, never did homework if it was just practice, spent most of my class time reading or knitting or in my head, never got to class on time, forgot stuff, eas totally disorganized, had no sense of time....
All of this sounds so familiar! Late to school, staying up all night to get work done, etc. I basically wrote down word-for-word notes during lessons because I couldn’t remember anything, then I would cram and memorize the night before the test!
My process is very disciplined, which is good for ticking the boxes and getting my hours in…but I’m still amazed at how my days evaporate with all the other stuff that needs to get done. I keep my daily writing very short and manageable: 5 minutes (timed) of day-dreaming/staring out the window and then 20 minutes of free-writing. And oftentimes, that’s ALL I get done. It’s helpful to understand that this is still a great effort…and that magic can still happen in 20 minutes. And it still leaves me time to eat chips and watch TV. 🤓
What does your free writing look like, Nicole? Is it part of a project like a book, or just whatever’s on your mind?
Hi Liz -- Great question. It depends on what I'm working on. I am both a poet and a fiction writer, so sometimes my free write can be based on one of those projects. For example, I use my free write to work out a scene or a tricky character bit for my novel. Or, I use the free write to help me discover or answer a question I'm asking in a specific poem. And sometimes it's just whatever pops in my head! There are no rules, and no such thing as sh*tty writing. Anything is good, as long as it comes out of the pen and on to paper! Hope that helps! :)
That’s a great tip, Nicole, using free writing to work out a scene or other bit you’re stuck on. Thank you so much for sharing!
My pleasure, Liz. Thank you for your curiosity and for getting this conversation going?
Ooooppss…that was meant to be a ! not a ?
I need coffee haha
I keep a writing process journal that I start with every morning. I write down: 1. what I wrote the day before, 2. why I wrote it, and 3. how I feel about it. That tends to put me in writing mode and remind me where I left off the day before. That being said, I was so glad to read your post as I'm in the middle of a family medical "crisis" that requires me to do some caretaking for several weeks and my routine has disappeared. After reading your post, I see that everything that is not writing, even "crisis" are just "life," and writing still has importance in these moments.... we have importance in our own life... if I may be so bold, we are our first priority.
We do indeed have importance in our own life, and it can be hard in the midst of crisis to put ourself first. But we still have the right to do so, and while sometimes writing can be too much, writing can also be the respite we need to get through that time. We get to choose what we say yes to and what we say no to.
Also, I love your process journal, and may have to try it out.
For a while I had trouble sleeping, so I was getting up at 5:30 AM. The best thing about early morning writing is that you don't worry about the to-do's. No one wants to hear from you at that time, nor do they want to hear you cleaning, etc. I find that journalling helps me through the chaotic times. It keeps me connected to writing and helps me process my emotions, and my to-do list.
There's something about everyone being asleep that is magical.
I liked working very late at night for the same reason, although small children really hamper my ability to sleep in, plus I need the daylight.
I'm usually a daylight person, but there is something magical about the darkness--keeps treality at bay! Also, it depends on the age of your children. This worked better when mine were teenagers and sleeping in. :-)
Yes! This is something I struggle with a lot. My writing practice feels so chaotic and I really want to find a routine that works for me. I’m accepting that the perfect routine doesn’t exist, but I’d still like something general, like using the same block of time every day, but that’s also really hard with a day job.
Chaotic sounds like a good description of my own writing practice. ;)
If what you are aiming for is hard within the realities of your life, you'll have to look into why. What interrupts that time? Is that something changeable (e.g., you use that time to do household admin, so perhaps you need to schedule some routine admin time?) or not changeable? (e.g., You are exhausted from work or frequently need to stay late; rest is important.) Either way, you'll likely have to change your expectations for what is realistic in terms of regular writing in your life.
The world does not make it easy to find time to write, so the struggle to make it work, or to have to accept that it will be less than what you think you ought to do, is not your fault. It's because the world is dumb. All you can do is the best you can under the circumstances.
Thanks for sharing this!
I got my ADHD diagnosis a couple of years ago and can relate to many of your points. The Psychiatrist who confirmed that I have ADHD, also said I'm likely an 'artist on the spectrum'. He doesn't diagnose Autism, and it is hard to find a Psychiatrist to do this for adults in Canada. If you do find someone, it costs around $3,000 🤣 Now that I know that I am likely on the spectrum as well, it explains so much, and is a relief. I am working on accepting that my routines will change fairly often, and your sharing this post has helped with that :)
Glad it helped!
I loved every word of this. Sometimes the free time we get to write in a particular season takes a weird angular shape that shifts every day, because it has to come up through the cracks of the broken system we are trapped in. That any of us write at all is a daily miracle that gives me hope. To say that it has to be a specific consistent shape or it’s not Real Writing is doing this extremely resilient and wily art itself a disservice, and discouraging the very resilient and wily people whose voices we most need to hear.
Thank you so much!
I can relate to so much of this, Sonal! I hate routines and like to work when I feel inspired. It takes me forever to get started, but once I do, I can’t stop until I’m done. I relate to so many of the symptoms of ADHD, even though my psychiatrist won’t give me an official diagnosis (because I did well in school). Thank you for validating this and offering some suggestions!
I did well in school too. :)
It can be very frustrating to be diagnosed for ADHD, since many professionals are working from outdated info like "It can't be because they did well in school." Not true. Plus, owing to how women are often socialized, we tend to mask out ADHD symptoms more heavily and so it doesn't always present in the same way.
Like, yes, I did well in school, but that was because deadlines would invoke enough crisis to ramp up my dopamine and I'd hyperfocus and get assignments done by staying up late the night before, plus I was smart so I could figure out concepts quickly so I didn't have to pay attention in class, and ADHD helps me quickly make connections between ideas so I'm good at thinking on my feet.
But also, I never studied, never did homework if it was just practice, spent most of my class time reading or knitting or in my head, never got to class on time, forgot stuff, eas totally disorganized, had no sense of time....
All of this sounds so familiar! Late to school, staying up all night to get work done, etc. I basically wrote down word-for-word notes during lessons because I couldn’t remember anything, then I would cram and memorize the night before the test!