Singing “Our Thumbs Up” song at Rockwall Library.
Hi Friends!
I’m glad to see you this morning. I woke up early to spend time with you so I’m glad you’re here. Some days I get so stressed about getting it all done I wake up at four am to make sure it does get done. The blog post writing. The PPBF and Tuesday blog post. And #amwriting #my picture books. These things get done at four. Like one of these mornings. Like today.
Next or right now I should be working on Edmund’s picture book dummy. Already Susan and I are doing a picture book dummy for the illustrator, Lynne Bendoly. Susan April Elwood the co-author, my good friend who helped write Edmund Pickle Chin, a Donkey Rescue Story is going to call at ten this morning so I better be ready. But I wanted to say hi to you first. I wanted to talk to you first.
Then I saw this blog here:
And realized many of you have the same issues.
So tell me, when do YOU get it all done? Do you get up earlier or stay up later? Do you work on weekends and holidays? Do you work late into the evening? Do you use timers to time yourself on Facebook, and twitter, ? And what about email?
Please comment and tell me. I’d love to hear from you.
How do you get anything done?
Here is something that made my day!
I’ve received a 1000 *Likes* on my blog!
XXOO
© 2013 Clara Bowman-Jahn/ Clarike Bowman-Jahn
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I wish I had a system, but I don’t. I’m constantly changing my approach trying to find a better way. If anyone figures out how to get it all done, let me know! 🙂 Congrats on your 1000 likes, Clar! That is awesome! 🙂
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Thanks, Susanna! The likes were a total surprise when I published this blog.
I know you are constantly working on a system. I vote for having a special two or three hours in a day just for writers. 🙂
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Congrats, Clar! I do get up early, around 6am, to spend time in God’s Word, and prayer, with good intentions to write afterwards. But emails, and good books always tempt me. And the fact that I walk two miles each morning at 7:30am (which I need!) cuts Into that schedule. I find getting away to a self-appointed retreat, or going to a coffee shop gives me interrupted time. When my seniors graduate in the Spring, I will have much more free time, since part of my day is taking up with educating them!
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YOU do sound busy, Jarm! Are you homeschooling your seniors? That would account for it. As my teens grew and had friends that took them away from home I found myself sitting alone on the weekends when I didn’t work.
Now they are both grown with their own lives and we only visit on occasion and email and phone now. I also walk every day and love it, it takes all the stress away. 🙂
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I do it whenever I have time. I have school and a busy schedule just being a kid.
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You are amazing, Erik, and I stand in awe of you and all you do. 🙂
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I work full time and spend 2 hours a day commuting. So I need to snatch minutes of time for writing avtivities whenever I can, while I eat my breakfast, on my lunch break, on the bus, while dinner is cooking, in the evenings while hubby watches TV and I try to make good use of my weekends. I can’t stay up too late as I have to get up so early in the morning. It is a challenge and, like you, I get overwhelmed at times, but I manage to get it all done.
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wow, Darlene! I don’t think I could have ever gotten as much done when I worked full time and raised kids. In fact the computer wasn’t an issue for me at that time. I didn’t even become computer literate till after I retired. THIS is my second career.
When do you relax? 🙂
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Clar, thanks for sharing about time constraints.
I know I feel the same way. I love mornings. Today I was up at 5:30 and after spending time with God, I wrote for an hour. But with working (even though it’s from home), it’s hard to find the time I crave.
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I am in awe of authors who work at other jobs and do what I see them doing on the computer and I am awed.
My present to all my commenters today will wish them extra hours in the day. 🙂
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Clar,
I know this is difficult for all of us. I do feel lucky that I have more time than some due to the fact that I’m a retired teacher and my son is grown so I have no kids at home. I get up at 4:20 M-F to meet a friend at the gym (she is still teaching-thus the ungodly hour). I get home around 6:00 and eat breakfast. I play Words With Friends while I drink my coffee and then I start my writing day. Having that commitment with my friend helps me get week days started early. I, also, work most evenings and do some work every weekend. But, I never feel even close to caught up….ever!
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wow! That is an ungodly hour, Penny! How do you stay awake during writing? what time do you go to bed? when I get up at five I need to go to bed earlier than other days when I get up later.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Penny. I admire your schedule. 🙂
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I try to get to bed by 9:00, but usually it’s later. I don’t have trouble staying awake while writing but I have to admit that I am really tired by the weekend. It does help to be in bed by 9:00 when I make myself.
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I like that in your schedule you reward yourself with TV. In hour increments. I think that in the January and winter of turning writing into a job, I will do that, too. It will be hard going to bed at a separate time from my husband. 🙂
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Thanks for the shout out, Vivian! 🙂
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