Writing as a Part-Time Gig

I'll have to admit- it's tough when writing is only part-time. Inspiration comes at unseemly times, and I can't always stop what I'm doing to satisfy my craving. This was not a problem when I was laid off. Money issues aside, I spent almost a year in writers' nirvana.

Now that I'm working full-time, everything else takes a back seat- writing, playing with our Cairn terrier, keeping our birdfeeders filled, updating my website, doing PR, writing, taking photographs, posting on various online community sites, sharing quality time with my wife, did I mention writing? I can even break down "writing" into several chores, including a monthly article (on Poetic Monthly), a weekly column describing various poetic forms, judging poetry contests, giving critique on poems on poetry sites and those sent to me, authoring freelance pieces for newspapers and online content sites, and writing my own poetry. That last task used to be number one on the list.

Lately it has been even worse, if that is possible. In addition to all those errands, I self-published my fifth book, which was released last week. Doubling all those self-imposed PR assignments above means I had even less time for poetry than usual. Before I began my full-time Systems Analyst job last September, I had been composing on average about 15 poems a month. Since then, that average has been dwindling. In March I wrote only four poems, and two of those were short examples I fashioned for a column about "Crapsey Cinquains."

I think my wife may be a saint. Why else would she support my habit?

So, it's not only writer's block that can prevent writing production. I found myself in need of self-counseling, and here is what I recently resolved:

1. to keep a log of inspirations as they occur. At least I can get back to them if I can remember them.

2. to write at least one poem a week for myself. This excludes any examples I produce for articles or guides.

3. to find a young wanna-be publicist. Surely a marketing student would want some real-world experience.

4. to calendar writing tasks. This way I'm not scrambling all the time to get things accomplished.

Following these resolutions should also help me focus on work while at work, and on my wife when I'm spending time with her. Even in our personal lives we need balance and time management to accomplish all our personal goals. We have to prioritize work life vs. home life, but we also have to make time for ourselves, our passions, and our family.