Thought I quit, did you?
Nope.
I was actively avoiding being connected to the network for fear of distraction. I really needed to get some of my sections of writing done. I finished one section of the work I am doing and it feels very lovely. Now I have a few more days before the next deadline. I’m stoked and scared at the same time. Stoked because I can do this. The section is in many ways easier than others. Scared, because I cannot afford to miss more self-imposed deadlines. I am really putting myself against a wall here. Should I get more work (and given the impending academic semester) I don’t want to be in a position to be crunched and ineffective. Balancing your hours is perhaps the clearest definition between successful writers and those who don’t make it. I want to stay on the side of successful and keep getting better at that side of it.
I also want to play a lot of video games. And surf the web. And watch TV.
The balancing act is indeed precarious. How I operate is I allot time to academic work and time to writing. The rest of my time is on hold for my partner and our family. I work hard not to cut into that precious time. In fact, since I stopped coaching, that time has only grown and that has been a very good thing for the health of the relationship. I try to set aside time for games OR work games into the time I already have allotted for work (school or otherwise) and I definitely carve out an hour at the beginning of the day to warm myself with games. It is a working model, until I start playing too many games and eat up all my time. Sadly, that happens too. That is why I turned off the internet. That is how I got stuff done.
Some Thoughts:
- I still use the word ‘some’ too much. I still use compound sentences too much. Being aware of your phrasing is important, but don’t be murdered by it. Revision knocks out the kinks. Write the way you sound and then revise for impact. Took me years to figure that out…