STEALING TIME TO WRITE

Had a few requests to expand on my last two tweets. Gladly…

First tweet:

Most writers are great thieves. We steal time from friends, family, and responsibility. No one asks “Where have you been?” They just feel robbed.

What I mean is we writers often miss invitations to parties, birthday celebrations, football or frisbee catch, an important conversation, and of course, in my case the first thing off the table is always, any time for recreation or exercise.

We steal time between, working, washing, cooking, mowing the lawn and reading the children a bedtime story in order to write a page.

Writing takes sacrifice not only from writers but writers’ spouses, children, relatives and friends.

My sacrifice for being unavailable to find time to write is not bound by a great wish to achieve financial success. My greatest wish is some day one of my sons or daughters will stumble onto a copy of something I have written and ask “My dad did that… wow, when?”

Second tweet:

Epiphany. Writing is like being a good husband or wife. You practice want to get better. When you quit so does the chance for great reward.

I’ve had a few significant failed relationships because I stopped making the effort. For whatever reason, I gave up.

No great poem, song, novel, painting or screenplay has ever been praised or celebrated for being unfinished. Yes, maybe an unfinished Picasso or Warhol may have sold for a lot of money. That doesn’t mean it was a great piece of work.

I’m just happy John Lennon finished writing ‘Imagine.’ And I’m more thrilled Stevie Wonder completed the album ‘Songs to the Key of Life.’

I see my new marriage/relationship like my next novel. If I put in the time, work hard and see it through, and hopefully it will be a masterpiece.