Adverse writing conditions
By the time you read this, I may be sitting at the top of a mountain, in the middle of Derbyshire, fumbling with a pen and paper through thick gloves, huddled against a craggy outcrop, sheltering from the wind and (possibly) the rain.
I have taken a short break and returned to the same area I visited immediately after finishing NaNoWriMo, to relax, recharge and to be re-inspired. At the time of writing (Wednesday) the weather forecast is not great; low temperatures, rain and snow are all likely. But with a little luck, there will be one or two good days that will allow me the opportunity to get up into the hills, and in the solitude, with stunning vistas all around, see where inspiration may take me.
Failing which, I can sit in a local pub, with a pint of real ale close to hand, a hearty hot meal in front of me and a roaring fire, and while away the hours scribbling into a notebook.
It may prove to be the most productive I have been in some time. The adverse writing conditions of the title are not the wind and rain, but modern life.
I get up early and tired, rush through getting dressed and having breakfast, to travel for almost an hour on cramped public transport, to spend at least 8 hours in the office before repeating the same on the way home.
From getting up at 6.30am to finishing the evening meal, over half the day disappears. It can be as late as 9pm before I have any time for anything beyond merely existing.
Then distractions like e-mail, forums, websites and TV shows eat away those few precious hours before I need to go to sleep, to repeat the day.
The fast pace of the modern world is unforgiving of slow crafts like painting, reading and of course writing. The time to create, and appreciate, is encroached upon by other demands, and so in order to fit into our schedules, our relaxation and gratification has to be instant. In order to find the time for something, I have to force the time, and if I force it, it is no longer enjoyable, so I am less inclined to do it.
So this weekend I shall be away from work, from commuting, from television and the internet. Just me, nature, and a pen and paper. Simplicity.
I know exactly how you feel…and then add kids into the mix..and time becomes impossible to find. For me though writing is a release from all the everyday concerns of mere existence and you do find the time..even use existence as a muse..draw on the frustrations of the day in your writing…a lot of your own work is based on the mundane and repetitive life you lead..like us all, this is the lot of a frustrated writer.
I particularly liked your reference to the slower pace of the creative arts such as painting and writing. Writing is such a great antidote for the ‘now’ culture.
Finding time is tough – as Laurence says, especially when you add kids into the mix. I struggled greatly last year with the concept of having no time and feeling strangled by it. I wrote this piece http://jodicleghorn.blogspot.com/2007/09/tyranny-of-time.html.
If you want to be time poor you will, if its deficit that you seek, then you will find it. I found that deciding what was a priority and making it that really worked – as did changing my attitude toward the time that I did have. I stopped wasting my time on TV, on mindless searching the web … I also stopped drinking alcohol. I got up earlier in the morning (5:45am for me is like slicing off an arm but I did it)for a walk and found ways to carve out time.
As a mother, I’ve also had to learn to be very expedient with my time … I spend lots of time do other things physically present, but off in my head chasing a story and characters and make the most of the short snatched of time I get at the keyboard.
I LOVED this post. It was just what I needed last week… it summed up exactly what I’ve been going through. I cited it and posted about it on my site:
http://thefountainpen.net/2008/03/25/my-adverse-writing-conditions/