Apart from MM and JC and some others, most NZ writers have to WORK as well as write. Most of my writer friends are family peeps: they have children (other family members) to care for. Oh, and bills to pay and taxes. And expenses.
If I were a full time writer (and the income to allow me to be so), I would be so much more generous with my time. I would write ten times more that what I do now, I would walk the dogs from the local SPCA, help out at the hospice down the road and spend more time talking with the old postie who walks the local Green MP's dog.
But, none of this is true for me cos I have to work to earn a crust so I can help provide for my family.
Still, I am a teacher who is a stickler for deadlines and I am despeartely trying to meet my deadline for Birthright. Unfortunatley my characters are being quite rebellious and I'm doing the old author/character wrestling act.
I. Will. [grrr] Win.
This is what I have come to understand this past year: the great writers were writers. They got on with it. Period.
Wahh but I love being a teacher [writer-Tania whacks teacher-Tania and tries to drive her from the room but Tania's ex-students flood in and tackle the writer-Tania so she is swamped and in the end the game in lost to... neither. A truce is declared]
Being a 'writer and' enriches me.
3 comments:
Well if it's any consolation I have books I intend to write but work at dusty things all day. The years go by and I occasionally add to the word files (this is sounding more depressing by the minute - I'm actually putting in a concerted effort to finish one this year)... The point I'm trying to get to is that if I hadn't been at my job last year I wouldn't have seen "that thing", and if I hadn't been at it the year before I wouldn't have met "that person" and the month before that I learned what it was like to have "that" happen and ... well all those experiences will come in handy one day, and I'm sure that school children make as interesting a study in characters as real people.
... and with all that volunteer work you're planning you're already looking for things to do in between sentences :)
good luck with the deadline
You are so right! If I was closeted away in a dark room tapping on my keyboard, I would miss so many stories (and the wonderful enrichment of my life by the teenagers I teach).
Good luck back to you for finishing your WIP this year.
the hours do get filled up with other things beside writing. I know I have more 'hours' available to me Tania but I'm sure you get more writing done than I do :) The time you do have is more wisely used.
(ha ha - word ver.is fully)
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