Waking up in the morning and knowing that the only thing you have to do is walk a few steps to the desk and start doing what you love to make a living… That’s the dream, right? But what you might not know is that the reality can be very different.
I recently became what you might call a full-time writer. As of yet, I’m still not being paid for it, but my schedule is clear and I’m spending my considerable free time writing… Or at least, I like to think I am. In all actuality, I spend most of these precious hours reading, watching t.v., or (say it isn’t so!) thinking about writing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still writing–just not as much as I did while I still had other responsibilities. Not even close. I was having ideas every other day, scrambling to keep up with my obsessive need to put pen to paper, snatching every free moment to pursue my passion, and now… Now I’m saying ‘I’ll do it later’ as though the story I’m working on is some pesky history essay due in a few more weeks.
What went wrong?
That’s the question I’ve been asking myself for the past couple of weeks. At last, I think I may have the answer. My schedule’s free. I have nothing going on, and that has led to a catastrophic decrease in my productivity over the past month or so. Perhaps it was the sudden change from full days to empty ones, or perhaps the obstacles took my motivation with them when they disappeared, but one thing’s for certain: I’m not living the dream. I’m living a reality that, though pleasant, is far from what I’d like it to be. But you know what?
I’m getting there.
Life is always a work in progress. When things change, we need time to adjust. This is just another adjustment period. Once I’m used to not having anything to do but write, I’m sure my output will be better than ever.
For those of you who are frustrated with all those endless ‘to-do’s’ that are getting in between you and your words, I encourage you to instead be thankful for those obstacles. They are your muse, your inspiration, just as much as all the goodness in your life that moves you to write. They turn ‘I have to’ right back into ‘I want to’. They are what distinguish writing as play from work.
Therefore, whenever you encounter one of those mundane tasks, smile as you think about how much it makes you want to write, and hold on to that feeling–if you ever have the good fortune to become full-time writer, you’re going to need it. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself shooting guilty, furtive glances at your dusty, forlorn desk as you watch yet more videos of cats getting stuck in boxes.
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this helpful. If you have anything to share, feel free to leave it down in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Happy Wordsmithing!
Way of the Wordsmith 