Monday, July 31, 2006

Another Ramble by Lara Zielinsky

Yes, an end to another month is here. A warm July is finally over. With that we are privileged enough to have Lara once again ramble for us. Now to be honest she gave us two rambles last month and told us to use the one we liked. Well both were excellent so we chose to keep this one for a July wrap up ramble. So with no further delay here is the one and only Lara Zielinsky.
"I'd write if I had time."

I have no idea how many times that has been the comeback line when I mention I write. My gut response has become "Make the time. If it's important to you, MAKE the time."

Distractions can be many in the writer's life. Unless you write full time, the paying job is one. Unless you're single, family is another. Add to that list things like housecleaning, ringing phones, eating and sleeping, a lot of things cut into the time I have to write. It would never get done if I didn't schedule it. I put the doctor appointment on the calendar. It's important, right? I put the pre-school meeting for Sunday School teachers on the calendar; that's important too. Why wouldn't I treat my writing with the same importance?

It's time for my lunch break where I work. I smile and turn off the dictaphone. Work gets set aside, the answering machine goes on, and out comes the laptop, or on the rare days I've forgotten it, the notepad, for a little writing time.

I have come to really enjoy these write-at-lunch sessions. With a sandwich from home, a soda from the break room machine, putting on that answering machine, I even leave my desk to go to a favorite sunlit spot outside, or at least hide in an empty back office. These all serve to tell my mind it's okay to let go of the real world, and time to fly off to the fictional world of my writing.

After years of doing this, it's become habit for me, as well as my inspiration. I can feel my current bevy of characters inside me beginning to wake up, knowing that I have time for them now. They have my full attention to share their lives' happenings, their worries, their trials and tribulations with my undivided attention.. Each writing session doesn't necessarily produce postable results, but the effort keeps the lines of communication open between my inspiration and the time I have to write that inspiration down.

Today's plan - and there does have to be a plan, otherwise I am the worst procrastinator and will check email and bulletin boards endlessly frittering away my lunch hour - is to write the final 5 pages on one story I've been working on for two months. When I finish that, I'll return my chair to its upright position, and come in for a landing from my flight of fantasy.

From one thing or another, I might not be able to take a lunch break every day. Sometimes I have errands to run. But two or three days each week is better than none. I have set aside other times during the week - Wednesday nights from 7p to 10p and Saturday mornings until noon (everyone else in the house sleeps in) are nearly regular as clock work. Traveling, or weekend plans can alter these, but the other thing my "regularity" breeds is respect from others who might want or need my time. They respect this time that I set aside for what I find important and know that they have my undivided attention the rest of the time.

People make and keep dates for what's important. With their favorite TV shows. With their friends, children, spouse or girlfriend. I respect my writing. If I didn't no one else would either. So I make dates with my writing and we're all very happy.

Lara Zielinsky
www.lzfiction.net

author of Turning Point
coming in March 2007 from PD Publishing


If you get a chance I highly recommend checking out Lara's website and, as luck may have it, she even has a Yahoo group that you are welcome to join and get her early updates and her words on a regular basis.

Now off to the updates, enjoy.

Elisa

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