Simplicity & This Blog
Yesterday I was writing down a list of potential New Year’s resolutions to muse over and found myself going back and forth on one of them: “Turn my blog into a paying gig.” On the one hand, I believe I could make this blog a successful source of information about writing, editing, and getting published. But on the other hand, I’m balking at the time commitment it would entail. So — back to my five life priorities: Writing, Traveling, Family, Financial Security, and Friends.
Working on this blog full-time would, in some ways, support writing, financial security, and friends (inasmuch as I imagine I’d meet some new ones). But to turn a blog into a paying proposition means dedicating about three hours a day to it, from what I’ve read, and that’s three hours a day I could be writing fiction. Now, would I be? Maybe; maybe not. I’m a writing sprinter rather than a writing marathoner. When I’m inspired, I can write steadily for days, even weeks. But when I’m dry, there just isn’t any point in my sitting at the computer, because everything I write will be crap — crap that’s all too likely to lead me off on the wrong story path for a long time before I recognize it for what it is and throw it all away for a fresh start.
The problem is, I have a lot of time-consuming pursuits. Teaching is ideal as far as leaving me with a flexible schedule, but it creeps into my spare time, too, as I develop new lesson ideas, write new exams, and experiment with new pedagogical methods. Not to mention the grading, the meetings, and the administrative work! The Harrow doesn’t consume as much of my time now as it did before I had a reliable staff, but it still eats up several hours each week. The Harrow Press promises to do the same, at least once our book projects are in gear. Writing can be all-consuming when I’m in the zone, of course. And then there are my day-to-day pursuits: reading books, watching DVDs, keeping up with family and friends, etc. Do I really want to add another major project on top of that?
Last night, after writing and rewriting that resolution several times, I finally sighed and told myself, “No, Dru. Have fun with the blog, but don’t take on another responsibility until you let something else go.”
Nothing new comes in until something old goes out….
drupagliassotti @ December 14, 2007