I contributed to a panel this weekend at BristolCon about Writing with a busy life. Being honest and upfront, I was parachuted in when one member could not make the panel. However, I have pretty busy and demanding job, a family (2 kids), and a number of hobbies outside of writing that I want to keep doing.
There were several questions asked by the moderator - Shona Kinsella (Chair of the British Fantasy Society). I'll not be able to remember the exact words of each but I'll try to summarise what was said and my own thoughts on the topic - how do you find time to write with a busy life?
Firstly, all the panel were/are writers and many of the audience were too - it was a topic for writers after all. Bear that in mind.
We all, the panel, agreed that writing is something which we have to do and near the end of the talk I feel we widened this out to all creatives. I think this is important. We tend to think that writing is the pinnacle of the arts, the most demanding, the cruelest and most time consuming because... well... it is the one we do and Shakespeare, Homer, Tolkien, Pratchett - quite clearly it is the zenith of all art.
Absolute rot, of course.
Self-centered claptrap.
My brother is a musician and works long hours in the recording studio, on tour, setting up and playing music. The song-writer spends weeks and months crafting the words and melodies, and that's not even thinking about process and spark of inspiration that is the genesis of the song, plus all those years learning to play an instrument and play in a band (two different skills!)
My friend is an Artist, so is my cousin (see some of her work here), and they are massively creative. They produce draft after intricate draft of a piece, honing it, critiquing their own process and thoughts, redeveloping ideas for hours upon hours until there is a finished piece to display. Behind them are the years of practice, the years of trying out ideas, the accumulated wisdom, muscle memory, research and development of that artist's eye which we don't often see or appreciate.
I could go on, usually do but will refrain for now. For which you give a sigh of thanks.
Every creative feels the need to create, and that which they create they wish people to see, to consume, to enjoy for this, alongside any payment, brings the creative a sense of joy and accomplishment. (hint: buy my books! )
For me and writing with this busy life, I think it came about as a kind of unwritten contract in the house. After discussion and agreement, I started an OU Degree on Creative Writing while working a job and having children, but I did it in the evenings when everyone was asleep or at weekends when I could find an hour or two. When it turned to writing novels, the evenings stayed the same but as the children grew there was more time in day and early evenings to get some done.
I do hate being disturbed while concentrating on writing, even this blog. And as my children grew, believe it or not, so did their volume and their need for conversation, taxi time, money and I begrudge them nothing of this and I revel in time spent together - my daughter now plays football on Sunday morning and trains twice a week... I go to everything (she will only be young once and I can write at any time - she has just appeared at the door, come in and given me a cuddle - what more could you want!?)
As for ideas and inspiration. Brand new ideas are easy to come by. Good ideas, less so. However, I find the shower (David, get that image out of your head!) is often a place of peace and reflection and where ideas strike, but every activity which brings you a little quiet; dog walk, running, playing an instrument, whatever it may be, gives your subconscious a chance to speak up and solve the plot hole or recommend an twist.
And we spoke of a creative batteries... and how they dwindle and lose power with over use. We need to let them recharge and that means time away from writing or whatever the activity might be. I ended up in hospital over ten years ago due, in large part, to work stress and David Green did similar with writing. We have limits on all our activities, our energy is finite and we need conserve it, to use it wisely and sustainably.
I run and use a Garmin Watch to measure it all, collect the stats, geek out a little over my heart rate and pace, but the watch also gives me a recommended recovery time for each activity. Be it, 24 hours to 48 hours or longer, the watch has monitored my physical condition and tells me to take to it easy.
I want Garmin to invent one for creatives... the Garmin 245 Creative or somesuch name. You start your watch at beginning of the writing day and stop it at the end and it measures, produces graphs and stats, and tells you when to rest.
We could share this data with Wrava (Writers Strava) too...
If either of these gets invented I said it publicly first on a Youtube Livestream and I want my royalties!!
You can watch the Panel here YouTube, and we're the first 50 minutes. Then you can watch the others and Peter F Hamilton talk too!
If you feel like listening the bands my brother plays with then please click on the links below and look them up!
Gaz Brookfield and the Company of Thieves - Spotify Link
Mickelson - Spotify Link
Beautiful Days Festival - Glimpse of my brother and I (I did nothing but carry a few bits of equipment and drive around)
Go get creative, people!
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