Thoughts From Sussex's Little Secret: Writing - the things you learn

Thoughts From Sussex's Little Secret: Writing - the things you learn: After saying I was going to write once a month, I feel moved to write earlier because of things I am learning about the writing process....

Writing - the things you learn

After saying I was going to write once a month, I feel moved to write earlier because of things I am learning about the writing process.

Books I have read about the writing process say that you should be organised, or, at least organise your writing files and the items that you use to aid your in this process. I mentioned this to my husband, who smiled. You see, he has never considered me very organised – which I'm not. On the outside, and to others, I may appear so, but I do remind myself of a swan; looking altogether smooth at a surface, but underneath, unseen by anyone, the legs are moving at a furious pace. I look around sometimes and I shudder, wondering how I am going to find things.

These books tell me that I should also plan what I want to do. They talk about planning your time to write in. Oh, would that I could. I have this sort of butterfly mentality, where, if something crops up during the day, I don’t normally stop to think as to whether I should do it at another time, or whether it is urgent; I dip straight in, flying from one thing to another, usually at the expense of other projects.

Belatedly, for the age I am, I am realising that this can’t go on. And slowly, day by day I am learning that you will only do the things you would like to do if you make the choice to focus on them and to schedule the time to do it. I desperately want to write; to produce work that people will want to read. But I can only do this if I practise the art of writing. It doesn't just happen. It’s one of the reasons I joined up on the Creative Writing Course with the Writer’s Bureau – I felt I needed feedback as to what I was doing and to improve my skills.

So, I am trying to plan; to discipline myself to follow that plan and to get more organised. I do believe the organising bit is the worst, because it is not just the paperwork aspect but the computer files as well. I also think that it has shoved itself into the fore front because in starting up a new course, I have also produced more new files – this at a time when I am also helping with a new news letter with my church, which has also resulted in new paper files AND computer files.

Still, I can only do so much. At a time when I haven’t felt as good in years, and have more energy than I have had in quite a time, I don’t want to squander what I have and make myself ill again. I realise that I have choices to make as to what I really want to do and what is important in my home, my husband and church life. The very good thing is that it feels like a gift and a wonderful opportunity and I intend to grab it with both hands.