So, in truth it's been a rough week this past week. My furnace problems came to a head in my apartment, and it went out three times in a week. This is after it's already gone out at least three to four times this winter before this, and going out multiple times last winter. Finally, my apartment seems to be doing something about it as at this moment there is a furnace repair man taking a look at it instead of one of their maintenance men.
Also, while being honest, I had no plan on what to write about today. I finished reading Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare just the other day, and will probably do a review on it. However, seeing as I don't have that typed up right now it will probably have to wait until next week. So, instead I've decided I'll write my tips on how to manage life outside of writing without allowing it to push writing out of the picture entirely. (A little ironic given I haven't really gotten much writing done this past week with everything, but still...)
To start, I currently have a fairly busy life even when I don't into account of writing. A lot of people do, in fact, most people have a lot of other things they could be doing other than working on their novel or short stories. I, at the moment, work forty hours a week and go to college parttime while still having time for family and friends as well. That's not mentioning the many different side things all of us have to do on a regular basis whether it's dealing with something breaking in your house or car, or needing to go by the doctor or dentist (both things I haven't gotten around to yet this year). Somewhere in all of that I manage to fit my writing.
The first thing I do to make sure I get things done is take whatever little moments I can. Now, this isn't to say every free minutes is spent writing but those times where all you can do is wait around are perfect times to get some work done. I get to my classes early most the times just for this chance to write as it gives me a little set apart time to focus where I don't have the things at home to distract me. I also write sometimes while I'm on my lunch break at work, and have set apart a time one day a week when I don't have either work or school to go sit in a coffee shop somewhere and write for a few hours. It's about finding the time in amongst everything else, but you also don't want to stress yourself too much.
My second thing I do is never force it. If something isn't working for me I don't try to force it, and if on a particular day I really can't bring myself to sit down and stare at the page I don't. Now, this is within reason, as if every day that you thought 'I don't think I can write today' than you'd still probably never get anything done. But, you have to try and figure out what's the best approach to it. If you need a break one day, take it. If you're stuck on that particular part jump forward to something else, write something completely different all together that isn't even involved with that particular story, or 'talk' to your characters. (Obviously that last suggestion sounds a bit crazy, but if you read my Characters post you'd get a little of what I'm talking about).
The third thing I can suggest is just to know your own style. It can take some time to figure this out, it definitely took me a while to realize how my writing style is. You can listen to all the advice in the world out there, but in the end you have to do trial and error to find what works for you. Me? I'm not an outliner, I've never outlined my stories before other than small things where I am have trouble with a part. I'll do little mark ups to remind myself of scene I want to get to, but that's usually the extent of my outlining. I tend to tackle the writing process head on wild and dirty style. I put the ideas down and get them out as fast as I can the first time through. Sometimes I don't even write the scene in order, but just place down what's clearest to me at the moment. I go back through then, figure out where I need to move things and what to cut and keep, and go back through it slower. I usually rewrite the entire thing at this stage, just with the basis of what I've already written there for reference. I suppose in a way that messy first draft is my outline, and it lets me get the scenes out in a cohesive manner for myself.
I've heard a lot of suggestions over time about how to approach writing if you're stuck on how to get going. There are a lot of ways to approach it, but you have to find your own that works not only for your writing style but also for your schedule.
Finally, the only other thing I can suggest to make sure your writing fits in with the rest of your life is this: even if writing is your job try not to view it as that. You most likely started writing because it was something you loved to do, make sure you keep hold of that. If you can than you never will see it as a chore to sit down and write, no matter what else is going on in your life you'll still want to make time to sit down and get a page or two written. Write because of that love, and you'll be surprised how easy it can be to find a few spare moments in your day for it.
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