The first time I slammed into the inflexibilities of daily schedules, I was a young adult cast as a Jawa in the original Star Wars film. It could’ve been such a glorious memory; unfortunately, junking in the sands of Tatooine was deemed incompatible with my schedule as a student, dancer-in-training, and part-time children’s dance instructor, and no amount of indignant insistence could convince employers, parents, or film crew otherwise.
At the same time, my planner-ruled life had already shown me that If you need something important done, ask a busy person to do it. Busy people have energy—and more importantly, they know how to get sh*t done. While a nonbusy person stands wringing their hands over the mere prospect of a time-consuming task, a busy person’s already knocked out the first step.
It’s been my experience (with rare exceptions—sorry, Jawas) that when you want to do something badly enough, you’ll find a way to work it in. The trick is recognizing that you’re not simply adding the new thing to the pot; you’re almost certainly subtracting something, too. And if you’re really smart about things, you’re dividing and possibly multiplying smaller steps, using a divide and conquer strategy.
This week at The Writes of Fiction:
- Is it possible to “make time” for writing?
- What is a zero draft?
- Dealing with the work as it is on the page
- What sells a book?
Understanding how stories work changes everything. I’ll show you how to back up your creative instincts so your ideas hit home. Ready to get serious about your book? Apply to work with me.