I can’t believe it’s been a week since I last posted to the blog. Looking back over the past few months, I’m amazed at how bad I’ve been at posting on a regular basis. Work has been killer for the past few months for me. The work has been extremely challenging (which I love), but by the end of the day, I’m exhausted. By the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is write. I’d love to quit my job and write full time, but as I’ve said on many other occasions, that’s not really an option right now.
I’ve been working on my novel, but instead of finding 2 hours a day to devote to it, I find that it’s more like 60 minutes broken into 15-minute intervals. Then, when you take into account my laptop is on it’s last legs (it shut off three times yesterday afternoon), you can see why I haven’t been so keen on writing lately.
March should be better, with two projects at the office reaching major milestones, and with Mrs. V going off to China for a few weeks. And no, I’m not exactly happy to see her leave, but I think the time alone may help me to refocus on the novel I’m working on. Maybe this sounds a little sexist, but it’s damn hard to write sometimes when you have a spouse that demands attention. And while I like giving her attention, I don’t like creeping out of bed at 5:30 in the morning to get writing done, just so I can spend my evenings watching Dancing With the Stars.
Sometimes, I think I’d be better off if I got an MFA and taught – THEN maybe I’d find time to write. Hell, I’d even go to school for 6 years to get a Ph.D. in engineering, just so maybe I could find time to write. Of course, knowing my luck, teaching would take up more time than my job does now. And I hate research.
Okay, so this post is really more of a rant than anything, but dammit, everyone deserves a rant every once in a while. Then again, maybe Johnny “Guitar” Watson can sing it better than I can.
It seems day jobs and finding writing time are popular blogging topics today!
I don’t think your statement is sexist–I feel the same way about watching sporting events and sci-fi movies with my husband. (Um…except I’m the one who wants to spend time with him; he could care less if I’m sitting there next to him watching TV!)
I hope you find more time in March to write. The world is waiting for your next amazing novel.
And speaking of the spouse thing (my wife wouldn’t like my sharing this) I always tell her that she has this innate three-sentence rule. Whenever I try to read, she interrupts me after every three sentences that I try to read. So, as I read, I simply stop after three sentences and look up, and her mouth is usually forming her first words.
I will not say my name for the fear of retaliation from my wife; however, I know exactly what you mean.
Hey Varian. Checked out your website which led me here. I really feel you on the daytime gig blues.
Not that I dislike my job, I’d just rather be writing!
I loved the interview on your site, felt like you took some of the words right out of my mouth.
Man, you know my wife accused me of posting that Anonymous comment.
I havn’t even posted anything to this site before, but since I’m getting blamed, I’ll go ahead and say “Yeah, I agree. 100% Wholeheartedly.”
I typed it, and I hope they burn in H…
Dear “Benjamin,”
Just so that I’m not accused of making assumptions, which part, exactly, do you agree with? The part where he says “work has been killer,” or, “sometimes I think I’d be better off if I got an MFA and taught,” or “Maybe this sounds a little sexist, but it’s damn hard to write sometimes when you have a spouse that demands attention”? If it’s the latter, I can quite easily fix that…