Finding the Time

Ah, the one luxury every writer desires - time. Time to write, uninterrupted; time to research, time to think, time to plot.

Time is in short supply. We fill up our lives, so that every waking moment is spent in the pursuit of something. What is it we are afraid of, that we cannot slow down enough for a little quiet time? I currently have the luxury of more than enough time. But, that is little comfort.

My time is spent in endless hours of research on books which continue to sit on the shelf, unpublished. My time is spent plotting my next novel, only to find I need more research. My time is spent endlessly networking, querying, revising, editing.

For the would-be and new writers, this is one of the down sides to the art and craft of writing. The endless waiting for a manuscript to be accepted, the endless reaching out for help when you are struggling, but none is forthcoming.

Writers create in solitude, in a vacuum so to speak, and when we do reach out for help, we hope to find it. Through a friend, a mentor, a critique group, but we expect to find someone who will take the time to open up their lives to us, and give us the assistance. So, before you start writing, put a network in place. You may not need to call upon them for a long time, but it is comforting to have them when you do.