Theatre of Life
Today, the second of our guest spots from Lindsay Price. Lindsay is the resident playwright for Theatrefolk, an independent publisher of playscripts for schools and student performers. Upcoming this year Lindsay will act as a playwright mentor in the Uth Ink program. Most recently BEAUTY AND THE BEE was a winner in the TADA! Youth Theatre one act playwriting competition. Lindsay is a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and the Dramatist Guild of America. Thank you Lindsay.
KEEPING ALL THE BALLS IN THE AIR
It's an amazing trick to find the balance between writing and life. For
the most part, writers work in solitary and at home; motivation has to
come from within. There are no set work hours, no office to go to, no
boss making sure you put in your time. So how you do work and live your
life? How do you work when life gets in the way? Because life will
always get in the way.
Ten Tips for writers toward juggling work and life.
1. Value Writing Every Day.
'Oh that's so silly,' you cry. 'Of course a writer should write every
day!' Do you?
The worst thing you can do is stop writing. It's also the easiest thing,
particularly if you work at home. Working at home is often not valued as
highly as working at the office, and certainly many people do not think
of writing as 'real work.' Place a value on the work you have to do to
succeed as a full time writer. Value your writing. It is important and
it has to happen.
2. Change Your Notion of Place and Time.
When I say write every day, I don't mean write seven hours every day.
Unless, of course, that's the process that works for you and you have
seven consecutive hours at your disposal. What if you don't? You must
write. Use the time you have, whenever you have it. Write whenever and
where ever. If you only have five minutes, write. Write while waiting
for the doctor. Write in the car if you're picking up your kids. The
more you create a habit of consistent, constant writing, the easier it
will be to keep writing in your life.
'That's no good,' you say, 'I have to write at my computer. I have to
write in my chair.' Fair enough. Process is very important, everyone
writes differently. However if your time is so limited you can't get to
that computer or that chair, consider working toward removing that
dependency. And on that note....
3. Define Your Process.
Every writer works differently. There's no point in peaking over the
fence at the process of others and worrying that you don't do what they
do. Think specifically about your writing process. Define how you write,
what works best to inspire your creativity and move your projects
forward. Defining your process will help you organize your time.
How, when, where, and why do you work? When are you most productive?
4. Pick and Choose your Battles.
In every situation decide which is more important: life or work. Do not
fall into the trap of trying to commit to both 100% or to just one 100%.
Depending on the situation, one will have to win over the other.
Strive to dampen the guilt you will no doubt feel if you choose life
over work, or vice versa. Guilt will only make you miserable. Your life
is valuable and so is your work.
5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
In order for those around you to place a value on your writing, you need
to share that value with them. The more they know about where you stand,
what your goals are, what you want, the better. Strive to communicate
what you're working on. A scary proposition to be sure, but writing can
seem like a intangible activity to those who don't do it.
Further to that, we live in an age of available communication. Social
media is exploding in leaps and bounds. There is an online community for
every genre of writing, for ever niche. There's no reason for a writer
to exist in solitude. If those around you do not understand your work,
find those who do. Find your community.
6. Create a habit of Creativity.
A full time writer does not write one project. There is the second book,
the twelfth article, the fourth play and so on. Creating a habit of
creativity (writing down ideas, writing exercises, reading works in your
genre) will stead you in good fast when it's time to start another project.
It's also the fun side of writing. Creativity is fun, and writing is not
always fun. There's a lot of effort involved in getting to the end of
the draft, the end of the project. There's no crime in allowing yourself
to have fun with writing. Fuel the passion that lead you to writing in
the first place.
7. Create a habit of Business.
Being a full time writer is not just about the writing. You need to be
paid for your product. I know a number of writers who get an agent, or
get published, or get a production and they completely step back from
the business side of writing. They think it's someone elses job. Not
anymore. If you want to succeed, it's your responsibility.
Become familiar with every aspect of the business of writing. Spend time
researching your specific genre or niche. Where/when/how/to whom can you
submit your product?
8. Define the line between Free and Not Free.
There are many, many, write for free situations. Social media, Blogs,
Ezine, Helium, the list goes on. Many people expect those in the arts to
provide their services for free. If everything you write is for free,
how will you make a living?
Having said that, we live in a era where writing can equal marketing.
Have a blog, have a twitter account, comment on other blogs, post
articles about writing on your blog and then re-post them on ezine. All
of this 'free writing' gives the impression that you are an expert in
your field. That's highly valuable.
There is a place for this type of writing, but it can't be your entire
focus. Draw a line in the sand as to what you write for free, and what
you want to be paid for.
9. Work Hard.
Another silly thing to say? The full time writer is no quick get rich
scheme. It takes time and it takes hard work. Spend an hour researching
business markets instead of watching TV. Take that time waiting for the
doctor to write. Go to bed an hour later to write. Post five days a week
on your blog. And don't desert your blog after a month.
The great thing is that all this work, is hard work writing. You'll know
if being a writer is really what you want to do, if you get up every day
and you can't wait to start.
10. Celebrate your opportunity to have the best job in the world.
There's nothing better than waking up every day and getting to put words
on paper. Writing, though quite mentally taxing to the point you can
forget your own name, is by no means coal mining. It's a wonderful,
wonderful job. And when people read what you write, and by chance are
affected by it - that's rewarding beyond belief. Celebrate that
opportunity when life gets in the way, when it feels onerous to sit at
your computer, when you don't want to write. Celebrate the fact that you
are a writer.
It's an amazing trick to find the balance between writing and life. For
the most part, writers work in solitary and at home; motivation has to
come from within. There are no set work hours, no office to go to, no
boss making sure you put in your time. So how you do work and live your
life? How do you work when life gets in the way? Because life will
always get in the way.
Ten Tips for writers toward juggling work and life.
1. Value Writing Every Day.
'Oh that's so silly,' you cry. 'Of course a writer should write every
day!' Do you?
The worst thing you can do is stop writing. It's also the easiest thing,
particularly if you work at home. Working at home is often not valued as
highly as working at the office, and certainly many people do not think
of writing as 'real work.' Place a value on the work you have to do to
succeed as a full time writer. Value your writing. It is important and
it has to happen.
2. Change Your Notion of Place and Time.
When I say write every day, I don't mean write seven hours every day.
Unless, of course, that's the process that works for you and you have
seven consecutive hours at your disposal. What if you don't? You must
write. Use the time you have, whenever you have it. Write whenever and
where ever. If you only have five minutes, write. Write while waiting
for the doctor. Write in the car if you're picking up your kids. The
more you create a habit of consistent, constant writing, the easier it
will be to keep writing in your life.
'That's no good,' you say, 'I have to write at my computer. I have to
write in my chair.' Fair enough. Process is very important, everyone
writes differently. However if your time is so limited you can't get to
that computer or that chair, consider working toward removing that
dependency. And on that note....
3. Define Your Process.
Every writer works differently. There's no point in peaking over the
fence at the process of others and worrying that you don't do what they
do. Think specifically about your writing process. Define how you write,
what works best to inspire your creativity and move your projects
forward. Defining your process will help you organize your time.
How, when, where, and why do you work? When are you most productive?
4. Pick and Choose your Battles.
In every situation decide which is more important: life or work. Do not
fall into the trap of trying to commit to both 100% or to just one 100%.
Depending on the situation, one will have to win over the other.
Strive to dampen the guilt you will no doubt feel if you choose life
over work, or vice versa. Guilt will only make you miserable. Your life
is valuable and so is your work.
5. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
In order for those around you to place a value on your writing, you need
to share that value with them. The more they know about where you stand,
what your goals are, what you want, the better. Strive to communicate
what you're working on. A scary proposition to be sure, but writing can
seem like a intangible activity to those who don't do it.
Further to that, we live in an age of available communication. Social
media is exploding in leaps and bounds. There is an online community for
every genre of writing, for ever niche. There's no reason for a writer
to exist in solitude. If those around you do not understand your work,
find those who do. Find your community.
6. Create a habit of Creativity.
A full time writer does not write one project. There is the second book,
the twelfth article, the fourth play and so on. Creating a habit of
creativity (writing down ideas, writing exercises, reading works in your
genre) will stead you in good fast when it's time to start another project.
It's also the fun side of writing. Creativity is fun, and writing is not
always fun. There's a lot of effort involved in getting to the end of
the draft, the end of the project. There's no crime in allowing yourself
to have fun with writing. Fuel the passion that lead you to writing in
the first place.
7. Create a habit of Business.
Being a full time writer is not just about the writing. You need to be
paid for your product. I know a number of writers who get an agent, or
get published, or get a production and they completely step back from
the business side of writing. They think it's someone elses job. Not
anymore. If you want to succeed, it's your responsibility.
Become familiar with every aspect of the business of writing. Spend time
researching your specific genre or niche. Where/when/how/to whom can you
submit your product?
8. Define the line between Free and Not Free.
There are many, many, write for free situations. Social media, Blogs,
Ezine, Helium, the list goes on. Many people expect those in the arts to
provide their services for free. If everything you write is for free,
how will you make a living?
Having said that, we live in a era where writing can equal marketing.
Have a blog, have a twitter account, comment on other blogs, post
articles about writing on your blog and then re-post them on ezine. All
of this 'free writing' gives the impression that you are an expert in
your field. That's highly valuable.
There is a place for this type of writing, but it can't be your entire
focus. Draw a line in the sand as to what you write for free, and what
you want to be paid for.
9. Work Hard.
Another silly thing to say? The full time writer is no quick get rich
scheme. It takes time and it takes hard work. Spend an hour researching
business markets instead of watching TV. Take that time waiting for the
doctor to write. Go to bed an hour later to write. Post five days a week
on your blog. And don't desert your blog after a month.
The great thing is that all this work, is hard work writing. You'll know
if being a writer is really what you want to do, if you get up every day
and you can't wait to start.
10. Celebrate your opportunity to have the best job in the world.
There's nothing better than waking up every day and getting to put words
on paper. Writing, though quite mentally taxing to the point you can
forget your own name, is by no means coal mining. It's a wonderful,
wonderful job. And when people read what you write, and by chance are
affected by it - that's rewarding beyond belief. Celebrate that
opportunity when life gets in the way, when it feels onerous to sit at
your computer, when you don't want to write. Celebrate the fact that you
are a writer.
TODAY'S PROMPT: As lovely VodkaMom wrote to me recently: What lies behind us and what lies before us are TINY matter compared with what lies WITHIN us. (Emerson). All your comments and messages are appreciated more than you can imagine. What are the quotes that get you through the tough times?
