Today was one of those days when I looked at all the things I’m doing (or planning on), and realised it’s no wonder I’m not getting any writing or editing of my own done.
For example:
- I just finished teaching a 6-week evening course (which took just as much time if not more in preparation as it did in teaching hours)
- I have to prepare for the next 6-week course (on a different subject, of course, so I can’t reuse much)
- I have a novel to critique and report on in a few weeks (and another one every month thereafter for about five months).
- I’m mentoring a writing student – we catch up once a week, and this also requires additional preparation time
- I need to submit applications to local and interstate writers centres to do workshops for them (I have three major centres on my ‘next’ list)
- I’m giving a writing workshop in two weeks – and as it’s a few hours’ drive each way, it’ll consume the entire weekend
- There’s a potential writing weekend event I might be involved in next month, which will require planning and preparation as well as the weekend away
- I want to put in an application for a research fellowship in the next two or three months
- I want to put in an application for an arts grant in the next two or three months
- I’m preparing to self-publish a novel by September, which is only just past the second draft stage (and needs more work before I send it out for critique next month)
- I have to prepare workshops (and deliver other info) for an upcoming writers’ festival in September
- I’ll be giving workshops at a writers’ convention in October
- I have a novel with a publisher that will soon need editing when they get back to me – no publication date as yet
- I have three more sequels I need to write in the series currently with the publisher
- I’m training to do the Kokoda track later this year (a 10-day, 96 Kilometre hike through mountainous jungle in Papua New Guinea)
- There’s an upcoming week-long skiing holiday with my family
- I have two more 6-week courses to prepare for later this year.
And that’s just off the top of my head. It doesn’t include family stuff like sports on weekends or socialising with friends etc. Oh yeah, I’m also contracting in a job, so I’ll need to find more paid work about 6 weeks from now.
Occasionally I also write a blog post. Just saying.
How busy are you, and how does it impact your writing or other things you want to achieve?
Chris, impressive and exciting. I’m not busy at all. I don’t have any goals, which definitely helps, but my real secret is delegation. If anything vaguely like work turns up, I delegate it to the wood ducks. They quack about and paddle in circles just like me.
I’ve got to get myself more ducks. Can you teach them to write as well? That’d be handy.
Pretty sure they can write. One sent me an itemized invoice the other day. The items were paddling and quacking.
Ok, I’m impressed. I thought I was busy, but apparently not 😉