Keeping It Rewarding Amid Writing Chaos

WU 2/16/07

Have you ever looked at your schedule and thought, "What am I thinking?"
This week I mistakenly scheduled in 8000 words per day of writing for myself after burning myself out last week. Most freelance writers that I know keep their goal at about 5000 words per day and those are pros that have been at it a long time.

It's a tricky thing to schedule your time...you have to take into account the deadlines, your finances, your personal commitments and the amount of work required for each assignment.

I learned a valuable lesson this week about biting off more than I can chew and about pacing myself so I don't end up hating my job.

Last night I looked at my screen with pure disgust but was determined to sit and write another 800 words. I then realized that the words would end up drivel and unfeeling and even if some of that work is only $0.01 per word, if I hate it, it's not worth anything. I want to retain my integrity and continue to love to write. So instead, I crawled in bed with my husband and we giggled watching David Letterman. It was worth it to get some cuddle time and to get an extra hour of sleep. Today I feel better, my computer is NOT my enemy :)

I want to wake up in the morning excited about what I have planned instead of dreading it. The dreading is what caused me to leave my professional career in search for something more rewarding.

I need to learn balance. I'm working on it.
I need to learn when to walk away. I'm working on that too. One of my editors told me recently that if I feel creatively stifled, I should go wash the dishes. I did that recently and it helped me put things into perspective. I was tempted to come back and write but decided to let my mind rest. It helped. Your writing is an instrument that needs tuning and needs a break every once in a while.