Life Gets In The Way Of Living (23/11)
“Time marches on, time stands still,
Time on my hands, time to kill.”
Wise words from a wise songsmith, who whilst usually more preoccupied with the more visceral parts of life, was instead commenting on how life will just continue going, no matter what you are or are not doing. This is a recurring theme in my thoughts, day in and day out. Sometimes it’s to do with when I’ll be able to write next, and other times it’s trying to figure out something simple and straightforward, like what I’m going to be doing in five years time (You know, the little things).
Today it’s definitely about the writing, or lack thereof. I don’t know how professional writers do it – it must take a psyche that can handle a regime of flexibility, coupled with a simultaneous ability to focus in a disciplined manner at the drop of a hat. I’m sure that this is best done via a pattern (ie: drop everything and start writing at 10am every morning), but at the same time…life doesn’t care for your plans. Life will throw an emergency or complication at you whenever it wants. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. Life is that inconsiderate work colleague who sends you emails and then comes over to your desk to tell you so.
And thus, the flexibility is required. A writer will need to bend and flex with Life’s demands, and then sit down and power through thousands of words when Life has been temporarily sated. I have not got this skill, and so I have burnt two days and not written a single word. This is a very bad pattern to be falling into, and if I go tomorrow without having done any writing, I may have to seriously reconsider what I’m attempting.
I’m trying, but Life is not playing fair.
Thoughts In The Key Of N 