How do you carry on writing when the sky falls around you?
Italian coffee and a Spanish orange
My routine (routine… ha!) has changed dramatically in the past year.
I used to sit at the computer in our living room and rattle away on the keyboard while my busy family hurtled around doing their thing. Sometimes I felt like I was in one of those cartoons, where I did everything in slow motion and everyone else wooshed by leaving vapour trails behind. And noisy? Noisy never bothered me. After raising three daughters to appreciate great music, who was I to complain when Led Zeppelin rocked the house?
But my arms and hands stopped functioning as typing tools over last winter, and in the spring I installed voice recognition software. Now I need peace and quiet around me when I’m dictating, and the family is finding it quite difficult to adjust. It’s difficult for me, too. I’ve turned into a middle-of-the-night writer and that really isn’t my brain’s most creative time of day.
So I’ve bought another piece of kit, a dictation machine that will work with the VR software. Once I get it set up I’ll be able to write in bed, in the garden, in the bath, or anywhere else I feel like talking to my sleek little gadget.
However, none of that will be happening in my near future. There’s a new kitchen a-comin’ to our house and we’re taking advantage of the wreckage/renewal to have some serious construction work done at the same time, including ripping the old electrics out and installing a new ring main. So the next two or three weeks are likely to be almost impossible as far as writing is concerned.
That’s why I’m breaking my blog-here-on-Mondays-and-Thursdays routine to share my quiet Sunday breakfast with you today. Italian coffee and a Spanish orange. Mmm.
There’s going to be precious little peace around here from tomorrow, on the outside of me anyhow. I’ll keep a peaceful place inside. I think I’ll hold on to this one from George Harrison. Thank you, George. Love you.
So, tell me, how does routine work for you? Does it work at all? Or do you grab whatever you can, whenever you can?
Can you carry on writing when the sky falls around you? How do you do that?
Rebecca Laffar-Smith said,
July 20, 2008 at 10:22 am
Sometimes all you can do is take a break and sort reality out first. Your creativity appreciates rest too and you won’t ‘lose’ it just because you’re not writing. Other times do what you did today, write your life into it. Incorporate chaos into your story, throw it at your characters, let it increase the tension in your plot. It’s a good reminder that the world isn’t meant to be sane and simple.
Have you ever considered video blogging?
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 10:31 am
Video blogging? Haven’t considered that one yet. I think podcasting is next on the list of ‘media to try’, in preparation for my vague idea of publishing a novel via assorted Social Media venues. How about you?
ozegold said,
July 20, 2008 at 12:13 pm
G’day David,
Having four daughters, and the noise that they create means that I can really empathize with you.
I have struggled with this a few times myself, though it’s not the noise, but rather the constant interruptions that get to me..
Great post, thanks.
Allan
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 12:17 pm
G’day Allan.
I think you’ve nailed it there. Steady noise is a lot easier to work through than randomly timed interruptions.
Hope Wilbanks said,
July 20, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I’m a routine kind of gal. But sometimes routines get thrown off-kilter, as you see. I think shaking it up a bit sometimes is a good thing, too. It makes us more aware of time and more productive, which is what I discovered with writing in bursts. Great post David!
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Thanks, Hope. I can cope okay with disrupted schedules. It’s when life stops me from writing for days on end that I get slightly wild-eyed.
Rhonda LaShae said,
July 20, 2008 at 1:57 pm
David,
As far as routines go, I don’t really have one. I tend to go with the flow of whatever is in creation at the time. Sounds like that might be where you are right now having to go with the flow in the creation of a new kitchen, new electric…
As far as carrying on with the writing, aren’t writers always contemplating something in their heads, plotting, forming characters, noticing nuances. You never really stop writing.
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Yep, that’s exactly where I am.
And you’re right. We never stop writing inside our heads, do we? Every morning I wake up thinking quietly about whatever I’m working on at the moment.
Merrilee Faber said,
July 20, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I used to have routine, but with a 2 month old baby in the house, that just doesn’t work. Now I basically write when he sleeps, which isn’t much! But you learn to work with the moments as they come.
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 3:38 pm
That’s the only way, isn’t it, Merrilee?
Congratulations, and welcome to you and your baby!
Michele said,
July 20, 2008 at 5:20 pm
David,
I know people fling words like inspiration around too often, but this post of yours is just that: an inspiration. If you can write inspite of your disadvantages, I can write. My problem is I’m spoiled. Sure, I worry about how to pay the mortgage and getting the car to the mechanic and taking the dog to the vet, but I piddle away the time I do have.
But time is not limitless, is it?
I’m linking you to my site so I can come over hear whenever I need to remember how there are writers like you who simply write inspite of how difficult it may be.
Thank you!!
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Oh, Michele, you’re too kind. I’m blushing like a big daft blushing thing.
No, time isn’t limitless. But life is worth living too. All the mortgage-paying, car-fixing, dog-vetting stuff is life, and it’s wonderful!
Thank you!
Joan Kremer said,
July 20, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Good post, David. Makes me remember how much routine does help my writing. I’m constitutionally opposed to routines/schedules, but whenever I keep a routine writing schedule, I’m so much more productive.
It doesn’t matter how much noise is around me (raised 2 kids, now adults but still living at home, and a herd of critters!), but the interruptions drive me nuts!! I kinda liked the middle-high-school years when the kids wanted nothing to do with me! Now they’re constantly interrupting. Aarrrghh… (But maybe if I stuck to a routine, it would work a lot better – LOL).
David Bridger said,
July 20, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Thank you. Joan.
I find the same thing myself, whenever a routine is possible. And we have the adult kids still at home thing, too. Our oldest daughter moved into her own place with her partner three years ago, but a severe whiplash injury brought her (and him) back home last year, so we have all three plus one here now! As well as the boyfriends of the other two for a couple of days most weeks. Noise and disruption? We haz it.
j3black said,
July 21, 2008 at 5:35 am
I like having a routine, but if some outside force doesn’t intervene, I’ll change something about the routine myself. I suppose I like routine with a twist. Instead of planning to write every day at the same time, I’m more comfortable with committing to a certain amount of time or number of pages or set of goals. Although I don’t have a great track record with this approach, I’ve been making more effective use of it lately.
Oh, but with sky debris falling all around, I have trouble getting writing done. The best I can do is to make sure I keep my pocket-size Moleskine handy. And a pen–I definitely need a pen.
James
David Bridger said,
July 21, 2008 at 8:13 am
That’s how I work best, too. While writing this first draft, I like to aim for 1k words per day, 5 days per week. With the mental effort required to use voice recognition software (three months of use and still a learner at it) I find 5k per week is a challenge, but doable – in the absence of sky debris. And 5k per week is good, steady progress.
But it’s asking too much of my family at dedicate a specific period for me to write at the same time every day. There are simply too many of them and the interactions of activity are complicated.
I’ve bought a mini dictation machine that will record for about 4 hours, depending on a variety of things I haven’t yet had time to read up on. Once I get that installed and talking to the Dragon (that’s my VR software), it will perform a similar function to your Moleskin.
Spiritwealth said,
July 21, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Start with the small things that you can appreciate like the taste of that coffee and orange, then write about it. I started a gratitude journal and it is really firing up my writing too…Hope it works for you.
David Bridger said,
July 21, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Thank you, Spiritwealth!
sideon said,
July 21, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Timely post – thank you for this and for asking others what they do in times of peace or crisis (and how many of us have ever felt peace for more than moments at a time?).
I like the words on your other site: “I have stories for you.”
As others have more eloquently stated – you are inspiring.
David Bridger said,
July 21, 2008 at 7:17 pm
What a delightful thing to say! Thank you, sideon!
hookedoncoffee said,
July 23, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Hi David,
I haven’t yet figured out what to do while the sky is falling down around me, not literally but figuratively. When depression gets the better of me and my meds aren’t working, I don’t find work a balm as others might but tend to shy away from it because I know I won’t be at my best.
When I recently quit smoking I didn’t know what to do with myself, since I was so used to writing while smoking and that put a whole new spin on things. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to get back into the swing of it. It takes me a while to adjust, but I suppose adjust I do. It’s either that or perish of thirst.
I’m putting this site on my blog so I can come back to it when I feel lonely and out of sorts. I feel like I can relate to you a little, although you manage life’s troubles so much better than I ever will!
Chris
David Bridger said,
July 23, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Chris,
I admire you so much! No matter what life throws at you, you get through it and still manage to write. Maybe not while you’re going through the worst of whatever’s hitting you, but eventually you get back to it. You’re a writer!
bowman said,
July 27, 2008 at 2:39 am
I hope all is well.
One of my favorite songs from my favorite Beatle… I wish I could find a video with George singing this. I found the Jeff Lynne / Traveling Wilburys’ version. I’ve always liked ELO, but this is George’s song.
Give me love… Give me life… Give me hope… Give me peace on Earth.
Wouldn’t that be a nice day?
David Bridger said,
July 27, 2008 at 7:21 am
Yes, it would. Thank you.
He’s a lovely soul. Here’s a video of him singing it in Japan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m2Usws5CPI
Deb said,
August 20, 2008 at 3:00 am
But wait until the daughters leave home and the noise and interruption seizes! The silence is deafening and shuts the mind down in ways one can never imagine!
David Bridger said,
August 20, 2008 at 8:16 am
(((Deb)))