259. a new year's resolution...in March

Well, better late than never, no?

Back in blog 257, I shared about some brewing discontent. On the MySpace version of my blog (try this link), someone left a comment asking about my job, about how I've referred to it as a brainless job (see blog 234). She wondered how someone like me (she used the word, "intellectual," but I'm far too modest (and unknowledgable) to claim that title for myself) can find satisfaction at a brainless job and how I should instead be trying to find work more closely aligned to the gifts that God has given me.

And that got me thinking.

Now the first priority in my life right now is the band. However, if rock stardom doesn't happen for us, I really only have one very vague plan B and unfortunately, it's just as risky as the band venture. Plan B is to try to make it as a writer. To be more specific, a short story writer.

With this, and the aforementioned blog comment, in mind, I made a decision. I need to get more serious about my writing.

One of the things I've heard working writers talk about is how one needs a sense of discipline. I, however, have always been a writer who works on inspiration. I wait for the muse to speak and then I try to get it all down before she disappears again. Now if the muse was a regular visitor to my doorstep, this wouldn't be a problem but she hasn't come around lately and I know her to take extended leaves of absence.

Fact is, it sucks to write when uninspired. It's like trying to force yourself to be in love. But it's necessary. All the writers I admire talk about a strict writing regimen. And so, I've decided to take the advice my reader left me and start working at a job that's meaningful to me. To this end, I've decided to make a new year's resolution to write for at least thirty minutes a day, every day. I intend to up this to one hour of writing six months from now (September).

Now I know thirty minutes is pretty small potatoes in the world of writing but one of the things I've learned about setting goals is to start by setting attainable goals. I know I could go all gung ho and resolve to write for at least four hours every day but I know myself and I'd be able to stick to that kind of resolution for about, well, thirty minutes and then I'd give up on it all together. Instead, I'm going to start with thirty minutes work up from there.

This is my third night since making this resolution and while the writing has been rather mediocre (and even that's being generous), it's more fiction than I've written this whole year. I know I've written a bunch of blog entries but they don't count for this. The thirty minutes are to be devoted to writing fiction and while my life does seem surreal at times, my blog entries are not what I want to publish.

Unfortunately, thirty minute writing sessions do not pay very well so I'll have to keep the brainless job in order to pay the bills. Fortunately, one of the reasons I chose the brainless job was so that I'd have enough creative energy leftover after work to do some writing or to make music with my band. Unfortunately, this means I should have no excuse to not write.