How much of your time do you spend actually writing v. the time spent marketing (emailing editors, researching markets, printing mss, putting stamps on envelopes and driving to the post office, networking, blogging, reading, etc.)?
Art and Fear says that it’s normal that an overwhelming part of your time is spent in getting your work out to the public.
It may be normal, but it’s frustrating. I’ve worked hard all week and it seems like all I’ve done is email people and plan for upcoming speaking engagements. And spent maybe an hour on actual writing.
It does help to know this is normal. It means I can plan for times like this and plan to offset these times with intense days of nothing but writing. It’s especially frustrating because I am excited by a new direction on this revision, but my shedule doesn’t allow big chunks of time to actually work on it. So, what? If I only have small chunks of time, I’m there. And it will get done one way or another!
I do have a heavy schedule of speaking for the next month, and family life is overwhelming at times right now, too. If I don’t post, check back.
It’s an interesting paradox – art is public *and* private. We want to share our thoughts and yet, we also want to be alone without our thoughts so we can make art with them!
I hope you find some quiet moments this month!