On Writing Non-Fiction - 11

Let's start this post by saying first and foremost that I love both writing and reading. Writing for me is another creative outlet - and a certain personal and professional challenge. Let there be no mistake that I think of my various book projects as not work but a labor of love, creativity and challenge. That said, I am frustrated at the moment to no end. All of my doing of course but still frustration on a scale. In my view, writers face two challenges: one of content (writers block) and the other of time. I rarely suffer from writers block. However and do and currently am frustrated from time. While I've noted in previous posts that self-publishing provides that you can set you own deadlines - one of the consequences of that is that you can fall way behind. That's where I am now with this current book project. All my responsibility for sure - I cannot blame anyone but me.

It is what it is. This a facet of the writing life. I am now at the point where I need to get this first manuscript in shape and now I have to force myself to consider a imposing a scorched earth policy in my time management. I'm talking about my own personal time after work and on weekends and holidays. Those are my only available reservoirs of time to work with on book projects. So, going forward, I will be Mr. No. No, I won't go to this or that event on the weekend. No, you can't come over and chat with me. No, I don't want to be disturbed. No, I don't want to volunteer for something. No, I can't help you with that. No. No. No. That's how books actually get done. My family understands this with me having to focus on many book projects since I started publishing books in 2009. The writing life is not glorious in the path to publication. Instead, it is a marathon that requires a steady and firm pace with an eye on the goal at all times lest we be tempted to give up along the way.