Writing Priorities
The writing books I’ve read cover a variety of subjects. These include Plot & Structure (at least three titles), Dialogue, Characterization, General Writing Thoughts & Anecdotes, etc. One thing they all have in common is encouraging an ambitious writer (ambitious in either publishing or improvement) to consistently set aside time to write. Every day. Butt in Chair, as many of them like to say. Nanowrimo has a similar point of view: 50,000 words in a month, one to three times per year depending on how many events you sign up for.
What do all of these ideas have in common? Prioritizing your writing. By extension, prioritizing your personal goals.
But I have several personal goals, and some of them definitely rate above writing. Being a good wife and mother, keeping myself and my family healthy, keeping the house livably clean, to name a few. In order to keep up with those personal goals, sometimes the goal of writing every day or getting something published have to be pushed down on the list.
To encourage myself, I consider several things:
Firstly, my life experience.
I’m already way past any spectacular ages at which to be published. Thanks to several young authors (yeah, I’m talking about you, Christopher Paolini), I’d have to be publishing around eight years old to be remarkable. So I can fall back on the fact that life experience can deepen and enrich my worldview and characterizations. Now I can write about married life, being a parent of young children, weight loss struggles, bad hair days, and housekeeping tribulations with an air of authority! But in all seriousness, the more exposure I have to life, and the more situations I encounter, my ability to imagine and portray characters in various life stages should only improve. No cookie-cutter gingerbread characters for me!
Secondly, increased general knowledge.
Even without specific study, I manage to pick up random information on a regular basis. Plus, I discover new areas to investigate. String theory? I don’t math that, but it’s fun to read about. Strange creatures? There are amazing plants and animals on earth, some of which I never heard of before. Medical conditions? Thanks to my friends and family (a little morbid humor here) I have more or less intimate knowledge of several fatal or serious illnesses and how they progress. Charming, I know. But the basic point is, that my knowledge continues to increase through my life. Until senility sets in, at least! Every book I read, even the fiction stories, contribute to my personal well of knowledge and imagination.
Thirdly, personal growth.
Putting my own ambitions and goals aside in order to deal with more immediate concerns develops my patience and other positive character traits. I work on tasks that seem never-ending, but contribute to quality of life and health for my family; I train my young child to have a good attitude about life; I concentrate on my marriage and personal relationships; I work out what my true goals are and how to reach them efficiently.
Fourthly, famous writers and their publication ages.
Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder wasn’t published until she was 65? You might assume that makes sense for someone writing a biography, until you consider that her books only take her own age up until around seventeen. She didn’t have to wait that long to write about her early life, surely! But although they are children’s books, her stories have a beautiful depth and tone to them that I can only assume was assisted by her own experiences as a parent and her deeper understanding of the situations from a mature point of view.
Terry Pratchett’s first Discworld novel was published at 35 — he did have other novels published before then, but I’ve also written other things before now. Nothing published, but I refuse to let that get me down!
At 45, J.R.R. Tolkien was finally convinced to professionally publish The Hobbit. Although he was academically and professionally involved in the literary world since at last 28, he took years to develop his world and writing style. Maybe I should make it a goal to have my first book published when I’m exactly 45!
All joking aside, even these few examples illustrate that there’s no reason an author at any age shouldn’t be successful. So I will continue to write when I can, develop my point of view, and live my life, with the expectation that when I’m ready to publish, I can pursue it whole-heartedly, knowing that in the meantime I’ve considered my priorities and given first place to the things that are most important in my life.
And let’s not discount or forget, in the midst of all of this discuss of how my writing may benefit from good priorities, the fact that I am honoring God with my obedience to Him in conducting myself in a way that makes good use of my time. God honors those who place themselves last, and He knows not only what I want in life, but what I will eventually have or not have.
If you yourself are struggling with trying to find a place to fit writing into your life, take courage. My mother waited through the childhood and twelfth-grade education of seven children, lasting about thirty years, before she could concentrate on her blogging and media empire. And now she can write with authority on subjects such as raising and disciplining children to become great adults, housekeeping, gardening on a slim budget and schedule, and much more.
You have time!
