Alright, Already: When ‘Writing Life’ Won’t Cooperate with ‘Regular Life’
I’m coming, I’m coming. Sheesh. (You’d think Starbucks just ran out of coffee during the morning commute.)
Trying to balance Regular Life and Writing Life and the one thing I’ve come to accept of it so far is that the two are so interconnected they’re inseparable. Teetering on opposite ends of the same seesaw. Of course, Writing Life enjoys making things complicated. He likes to bounce Regular Life high in the air, even when Regular Life starts to cry and beg off. (He’s even gotten a few splinters from trying to hang on.)
I’m trying to discipline Writing Life to some degree, but the challenge is immense. He’s unruly and without fear and basically, I like him that way. He’s carefree, unbound to any time restraints, and totally unconcerned with popular opinion. He doesn’t care what you, me, or anyone else thinks.
He’s my polar opposite if ever there was one.
What do you do with something that can’t (or shouldn’t) be tamed? You wait out his tantrums and patiently hold out hope he’ll return home where he belongs.
Good boy, come on, that’s it. Oh, how wonderful you are!
Yes, I coddle the little devil. He’s only doing what he’s meant to do. But oh my, how the days seem to roll from one into another, bleeding, cut, and bruised, before he’ll just sit down with me and get to work. But when he finally does, it seems that he learned something new along the way.
How can that be a bad thing?
I say if you’ve got your own mischievous Writing Life and you’re at wits’ end trying to control him, or her, let it go. The little nuisance just wants your attention. Give it to him. When he’s ready, he’ll come back and you’ll be amazed. In the meantime, however, just keep putting words to paper. It’s the only call Writing Life really hears or understands.
I think I’ve finally figured that out.
“There are no blank pages at the end of the day.”
G