Writers First Aid

Too Busy to Think?

December 17, 2010

busy Busyness is very deceptive. We may feel productive–but often we’re just busy. Despite the fact that my children are grown and out of the house, I lament to myself that I never have time to just think anymore.

These days, with the emphasis on marketing, a writer’s day can be full of busy work that won’t improve your actual writing one bit. Why does that matter? Time to think (to ponder, to ruminate) is absolutely critical to your writing life–especially if you write fiction. What can be done about this?

What’s the Problem?

I have been puzzling over this for about ten years, and I had an ah-ha! moment yesterday as to the real cause–and some remedies.

I was at my daughter’s home. They had returned from a trip to Alaska with their seven-week-old daughter (to see relatives), and my daughter had been up roughly 36 hours. I spent the night so she and her husband could sleep without interruption.

My granddaughter slept for four hours, but then was up for quite a while in the night before going back down. We walked, we talked, we sang, we read books–but first-book mostly I thought. The next day I held her while she was sleeping for a couple hours–what joy!–and was thinking. Sometimes I took her outside to the swing (we’re in Texas), or we just sat by the Christmas tree and looked at lights. Lots of time to think…

I wasn’t thinking about my novel on purpose at all. It just came to mind fairly often. And I noticed that by the time I returned home, my mind had worked out three knotty plot and character problems I was having.

I Remember This!

This was my ah-ha! moment. I remembered this happening a long time ago. I had started writing when I had three children: a baby (ten days old), a toddler (two), and a preschooler. I had lots of non-writing “think time” back then: while folding diapers, nursing, pushing kids on swings, weeding a huge vegetable garden, quilting, and walking a colicy baby (or a dog or the horse).

It’s no wonder that when I had fifteen minutes to write that I could whip out a page or two. I had it thoroughly “digested” before I ever sat down.

How Things Changed!

Despite being alone during the day now, my life is busy (mentally) all day and most evenings. I no longer garden, quilt, fold diapers, walk a dog, or have hours of non-thinking child care duties every day. That formerly empty head space is filled with study, blogging, teaching, critiquing, reading newsletters, tons of email, taking classes, and a dozen other daily jobs.

I love most of it too. BUT there is precious little down time, or “think time,” in my life anymore. It’s now no longer a mystery to me why, when I sit down to work on my novel, I spend so much time stuck and staring at the screen with a blank mind.

A Paradigm Shift

Thinking is NOT wasting time! We need to get over thinking we’re doing anyone a favor by being so busy all the time–even with good things. If you, as a writer, don’t have enough thinking time in your lifestyle, build some in. I intend to!

I’m going to walk without head phones. I’m going to dig up a flower bed. (Yes, flowers grow in Texas in the winter.) I’m not getting a dog, but I sure intend to put the grandbaby in a stoller more often and hit the road! And I refuse to feel guilty about any of it. I refuse to be too busy to think anymore.

That’s my first New Year’s resolution! Take a moment and share one of yours!

Post tags: children, dreams, families, focus, getting started, habits, health, marketing, New Year's resolutions, self-care, strategy, time management, writers block, writing challenges

Posted in: goals,habits,writers block,writing challenges | | Comments (24)

24 Comments »

Thanks so much for sharing this. I know what you mean. In November while in England visiting some grandchildren there, I was away from my desk and had time to think. I also took upon myself to participate in Nanowrimo (again) and work on a collection of essays. The book almost wrote itself and definitely strayed from the initial outline because of all that happened to me while thinking in England. Now the afflictions are piling up and thinking time is mandatory to keep priorities straight. I live in Texas too, and we have a lonely country road I travel when going to town. It’s my Thinking Road. I will remember your encouragement and take the time to think.

Comment by Crystal — December 17, 2010 @ 12:08 pm
Crystal, I hope we meet in person someday! I’d love to see your England pictures–I would live there if I could. I’m glad the post struck a chord with you–it’s such a myth that we have so much free time to think and ponder as we get older.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 12:10 pm
So true. I’ll recommend a slim volume, Kristi — It’s called the Quotidian Mysteries by Kathleen Norris. I find great “think time, prayer time” in washing dishes, doing the laundry, gardening, walking the dog, you know — those daily, mundane tasks. I have never minded them, they ground me.

Comment by Vijaya — December 17, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
Vijaya, I will look for that book. I trust your recommendation, as I know your issues! Realizing what a gift that thinking time is DOES change our views on “mundane tasks.”

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 12:45 pm
Kristi,
This is one of your best posts of the year, because it reminds writers of their first priority: a calm mind is necessary for any creative work. We have been duped in many ways by “the industry” into thinking that we are the best marketers and promoters of our work. I don’t believe that for a minute. As one bookseller told me recently, “Your best promotional tool is your next book.” It takes time to write that next book. And the greatest gift we can give ourselves is time to think. Thank you again for the great service you provide. I read your blog even though I do not respond often.

Comment by Anne — December 17, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
Anne, thank you for your very kind comment today. I agree that we’ve been duped in a few ways these past few years about marketing and how much is necessary and what kind. Saying we’re “busy” has become some kind of badge of honor lately–and I’m beginning to question the wisdom of it! A lot!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
That’s a great idea. I do that a little bit, whenever I’m stopped at red lights or train crossings.
My New Year’s Resolutions: to write more daily, and to slow my life down. Lately it feels like it’s passing me by – and leaving me behind.
Cheers

Comment by Ally — December 17, 2010 @ 2:11 pm
Ally, I have been feeling the same way this year and determined to make some critical changes. I’m the only one who can make them for my own life too! You’d like the book IN PRAISE OF SLOWNESS. I think I will re-read it.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 2:44 pm
Awesome post, Kristi. Writers need a mental down time because that’s when a lot of creativity happens without pushing.

Comment by Beth Mac — December 17, 2010 @ 6:26 pm
Beth, that phrase “without pushing” is the key! I wasn’t even “trying” to work out problems when it happened. “Down time” is no longer built into our busy lives–we have to create it, I think.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
I nodded the entire time reading this post, I felt like a bobblehead doll in a windstorm. lol I have the time to think (I have a 5-year-old) but I’m not using it properly. My time spent, say, doing dishes is thinking about the next task. When I cook dinner I’m thinking about what to eat tomorrow. My resolution is to use the time I have properly. No daydreaming, and limit my practical thinking.

Comment by Yvette — December 17, 2010 @ 8:34 pm
Yvette, you also make a good point. Maybe we have more down time, more “think time,” in our lives than we are seeing. I know people who commute to work have driving time or bus time. I will look for other pockets of down time that I am also overlooking.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 17, 2010 @ 10:39 pm
Thank you, Kristi. I’ve recently returned home to write after having been home for many years, then out in the work force for a few years. My kids are teens and I’ve been trying to understand how I could have had such profound thoughts and conversations when the kids were little because now that they’re older and we have intelligent conversations with each other, I struggle to have an original thought. It IS that busyness factor and I HAVE been feeling like my brain is full! Thanks for the reminder. I am going to work on shifting things so I can regain some think time.

Comment by Nancy — December 17, 2010 @ 11:44 pm
Nancy, I think it’s a combination of being too busy to think and too busy to read (or using our reading time on Internet junk or TV instead of thought-provoking fiction and nonfiction.) I can always have an intelligent conversation if I’ve been reading something challenging recently–but otherwise my brain seems to stagnate. After years of stress and being extremely busy through no fault of my own, it has been a challenge to slow down and read something more difficult instead of reaching for “junk food” reading. I truly believe, given a chance, you’ll get many more profound thoughts!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 18, 2010 @ 12:43 am
Kristi,

I enjoyed the post. It made me realize once again that when I need my downtime, I can still feel as though I’ve been productive by simply letting my mind work for me. My New Year’s resolution is to stop feeling like I’m wasting some of my days away when I’m not feeling well.

I also wanted to tell you that my first book was published on Tuesday – I’m a children’s author!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Comment by Andrea — December 18, 2010 @ 1:19 am
Andrea, congratulations on the book! You’ll have to let us know what it’s like working with an ebook publisher. It’s a whole new world of publishing! And yes, when you’re not feeling well, that’s a good time to read and think and ponder and make notes. Oddly enough, I’ve found my musings on sick days are just as good and useful as my musings on healthy days. (Not as much FUN, but just as good for my writing.) Take care of yourself!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 18, 2010 @ 2:04 am
Kristi,

I get what Anne’s saying, and I feel the same way, but it just feels like no one with the power to publish us understands that anymore.

I don’t want to pass blank judgment on people, when I have no idea how hard their jobs really are, but what we do is hard too!

They want us to be marketing geniuses who already have radio spots, televisions appearances, and a zillion magazine stories published before they think we’re “Serious” about wanting a career as a novelist.

What hurts the most is that they say thinking it’s EASY to do all those things when agents and editors should truly know damn well it’s not, it’s not, it’s just NOT!!!!!

Sorry, I got a bit carried away. I’m querying my middle grade novel again after a lackluster experience last year. Only ONE agent wanted to read the whole manuscript, the rest just declined on the query only or a small sample of a few pages, I revised it again, made the query letter better, and am trying again, and so far only one form letter, and the rest in limbo with no word.

I’m just sick of this Catch 22 where people like me who just aren’t famous yet can’t get taken seriously, yet people with “Star power” who don’t even write their own books or know what it means to be an earnest writer get shot through.

I don’t care how many times I hear “That’s the way it goes” but the fact is, EVERYONE has to somewhere, no one gets better in anything they do if we’re not allowed to give it our best shot.

So many great writers from the past and now would never be read if being a celebrity or a marketing genius ahead of time were mandatory, and it doesn’t mean we don’t want to work hard.

That’s why I never understand writers, great writers whose work I love, can take so long from book to book, when us newcomers like me are told we should write and revise everything we do until it’s ready to go right when they see it, no more work to be done, except for a title change that may or (Unfortunately, more often) may not be asked for our consent.

People keep telling me that agents and editors don’t require it be done and ready to go, but how else can you justify the highly selective process, especially for people like me who just haven’t published anything that you got a paycheck for.

I just find it hard to accept that no one wants perfection, when I revised my middle grade novel for several years before I tried shopping it around in 2009, and I still didn’t get many requests for fulls, and the one I did get turned me down, and it’s the only non-form rejection letter I got to date.

That’s why I don’t understand why you’re such a stickler for deadlines now, Kristi.

When I say that, I know when you finally sign a contract and all that, you make a commitment, but it took so long to revise the middle grade novel I’m shopping, what if I can’t finish something by deadline, even if I’m working my head off day and night.

You’ve said on your blog many times that a project takes as long as it takes, but what if a revision you must do on a book or story just takes longer than the deadline allows? Are you just sacked?

As much I wish I could write and revise books more quickly, it just takes longer than a few months, and I don’t see that changing in the immediate future.

Even though I’m really a lot happier than I was last year, and made peace with some things, I just have to know how you

I’m terrible at setting my own deadlines for the same reason. Even when I try so hard to meet deadlines I set for myself, it just takes longer than I want, and I can’t help that right now, when I’m rushed my work’s just sloppy, and the deadline just puts pressure on me that just doesn’t help and I can’t apologize for that.

Any advice?
Taurean

Comment by Taurean Watkins — December 18, 2010 @ 3:06 am
Taurean, I’m pretty sure that the push for authors to promote is a direct result of the economic times. I’ve been writing long enough to have noticed the change. There are now no longer big promotional teams and publicity dollars at our disposal. And with the advent of free Internet advertising (through blogs, Facebook and the like), it seems like a fair way to ask authors to help. And it is, since staff cuts have been severe at many, many publishing houses. On the other hand, it’s up to authors to realistically assess how much time they can afford to do this–AND what part of the day to do it. An hour at the end of a tired day is fine–but using your first good hour of the day to market instead of write your novel isn’t a very good use of mental energy.

Not sure about your question about deadlines…It IS important to learn to write to deadlines. When you sign a contract with a deadline, you are just one tiny cog in the machine. If your manuscript is late, you mess up the art department, the catalogue people, the publicity people, etc. They run on tight schedules, and they are working with dozens of other books. I have missed a few deadlines, but as the deadline approached I realized I wasn’t going to make it unless I turned in a slipshod job, so I told the editor as early as I could about it. The earlier you can do this, the easier all the departments can adjust scheduling. But if you do it very often, then they will find other authors to work with who are more dependable.

Except for writing series–and you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to–I never had a deadline that was too tight or short. I wrote on the books as long as I wanted to and didn’t submit until I was good and ready. And deadlines for revisions were plenty long.

I DO understand your frustration about needing a “platform” before you have a book out. I think that’s absurd too and I have no idea how you would do that as a fiction author. But I do know lots of writers who are getting published by New York publishers who never had any platform–and still don’t have anything but a website. I’m not so sure that what “they say” (whoever they are) is right.

Part of your message near the end was cut off–did you want to finish that question?

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 18, 2010 @ 4:02 am
Kristi, this post struck such a chord with me! I am in the exact situation you describe – study, blogging, email, newsletters, classes – and my kids are younger than yours so there is a lot of busy kid stuff, but older kid stuff. I find myself as you say, busy all day but with less time for thinking ad writing than I feel I should have, and wondering why. I didn’t have your aha moment until you spelled it out for me, though, so thank you! Now that you’ve put it so clearly, maybe I can figure out a way to make better use of the time I have!

Comment by Susanna — December 18, 2010 @ 5:49 am
Susanna, I identify with you. My grandkids all live within a few miles of me, so there are programs and soccer games and swimming lessons and all sorts of activities. (NOT like parenting, but additional things just the same.) When my kids were home, I recall writing a lot in bleachers: waiting for practice to get out, for games to start, for kids to come out of the locker room afterwards…and I wrote in lots of doctors’ waiting rooms while kids got allergy shots, etc. Those were also great “think times” for me.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 18, 2010 @ 7:50 am
Kristi – there are some great responses here to your post. You really hit a nerve! I know exactly what you mean. I’ve stopped turning the radio on in the car, or when I walk – and am looking for other ways to just let my brain meander and think in peace and quiet.
I used to write just like you said – a few pages at a time were no problem because I used my thinking time, either consciously or unconciously, to plot out the next bit of my story.
I do my marketing in my non-thinking time, when I’m tired. The best advice of all is what you and I already know – write first! If you let the other stuff in your day take over, you’re never at your best when you need it for writing.
Yes, we do have to deal with deadlines, but so does anyone else who has a job. I wonder if the resistance to deadlines might come from the belief that writing should be inspired and “free”? To get a novel done and revised, a deadline is my friend!

Comment by Sherryl — December 18, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
Deadlines make great cattle prods, don’t they, Sherryl? Yes, I think if I could do two things (always write on my novel FIRST, and stay off the Internet till noon or later), then I probably wouldn’t have any trouble meeting deadlines (my own fictitious ones or an editor’s.) And yes, marketing is for when the brain is too tired for anything else!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 19, 2010 @ 5:52 pm
Thanks, Kristi I really enjoy working with my publisher. She’s great! It’s very interesting having the book in electronic format and not traditional, but so many of my friends and family have already said they’re going to order it. The way I see it, eBooks are the wave of the future, and seem to be getting more and more popular. I see comments written on my writing groups lately about someone wanting an eReader for Christmas. I feel like I got in that market at just the right time.

Andrea

Comment by Andrea — December 19, 2010 @ 8:47 pm
Andrea, you’ll have to keep me posted on how things go. Yes, people are embracing ebooks and ereaders tremendously now. I expect sales figures will be high for Christmas for ereaders. I have a friend who owns as many books as I do, but she said she no longer buys a book unless she can buy it as an ebook. I was shocked, but she’s not alone!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 20, 2010 @ 12:15 pm