Sunday, January 24, 2010

Get your priorities straight...

The other day I was told that I don't have my priorities straight... just because I was working on my story (well, actually scouting the location to be able to describe it better) instead of stressing out over a job interview. There was two times for the interview, so I knew that I would be back in plenty of time to attend the second time slot... but still, since I was more focused on my writing all my priorities are screwy.

This made me think. What some people count as important may seem like procrastination to another... like writing. Because writing isn't centred around my real-world job or making money (at the moment) it shouldn't be counted as a high priority task, but to me it does.

How does one decide what needs to be done now or what can be left till later? Also, does anyone else have the problem that people don't take you seriously after learning you're a writer or think it's a waste of valuable time?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this! Honestly, since I've been hit by the writing virus, I've been unable to stop myself. It is, quite literally, always on my mind.

No, writing is not my day job, however, the lessons I've learned from adopting the writer culture/persona have been invaluable and actually have come in quite handy at work. On top of that, I've learned how to network with people, I've learned how to critique others' work honestly, but without being scathing and rude, and I've learned how to navigate techy stuff--like a blog!

Interestingly, I feel writing has blended well with the "rest" of my life. I've gotten quite positive feedback from friends, family, and co-workers. It has filled my "downtime" with fruitful endeavors, and it has brought a great amount of joy to my life.

On a final note, priorities have a way of ranking themselves out sometimes. Fighting them leads to angst. Giving things time is helpful.

lisa and laura said...

This is exactly the reason we stayed in the closet for so long. When people found out we were writing books they thought we were crazy, and they might technically be right. But it's a good kind of crazy, right?

Unknown said...

Definitely a good kind of crazy. My brother was preparing for auditions all last week- right through finals. Most kids would consider studying a priority, but his is music. I think that's fine- why people think writers are crazy is beyond me. I assume they write as well, so...

But I have been contemplating something similar- whether or not to dive headfirst into my writing life when I get to college. I probably will- writing is already a huge part of my life, and my first nano has been wonderful, but there are still several hobbies I wish I hadn't left in the dust: making jewelry, cryptology, and designing. Maybe I'll work on those a little more this summer when I'm finished with my WIP...

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