Wrestling the Angel: Can You Not Do Your Writing Today?

February 21, 2006

Can You Not Do Your Writing Today?

I had a flash-forward to my future while reading Andrea's post today at a peek inside the fish bowl:

At swim lessons the other day Sarah offhandedly asked me if I could "not do my writing today." Her comment took me by surprise.

I bring my notebook and pen wherever I go. They've found a permanent spot in my bag. And I bring it to the 30-minute swim lessons as well. The notebook keeps me company when I'm sitting alone. But it's not like I put my head down and write semi-conscious streams without ever raising my eyes. I write, I watch, I write some more, but I don't think she has ever even noticed the small notebook lying open in front of me. Obviously, she has.

Her comment induced a pang of guilt. I write because I love to write. It helps me organize my thoughts and develop ideas. Does it make her sad that my eyeballs aren't on her 100 per cent of the time?

What to do? I will become a mother sometime this year (my husband and I are adopting from China) and the question of how to integrate writing and parenting is a big one for me. Andrea doesn't have the answer herself, but it helps to know that others confront the same question.

Posted by Alison at February 21, 2006 09:24 AM | This entry posted in: Family and Friends

Comments

As the parent of a 4 1/2 yr-old, the juggling between writing and parenting resonates with me. I manage as best I can by writing during what I think of as the "margins" of the day . . . I did Nanowrimo in Nov. and my writing time was 3:30 am-5 am. That time slot remains my only reliable "me" time.

I vividly remember reading a comment by Jamaica Kincaid when my daughter was younger in which she said she did virtually no writing during the 1st year of her children's lives. And I can attest to that. It wasn't til Gracie was past 2 that I could really get organized enough to schedule regular writing time.

And I also vividly remember bringing her home from the hospital . . . there on the doorstep from amazon was a book I ordered (a biography of a subject I myself had been feverishly researching/writing for the previous few years). Haven't touched that subject since in any meaningful way, although I continue to explore new subjects and fictional ideas.

Alison, I have been reading your blogs for some time now and can't tell you how insightful I have found them and how they have provoked new avenues of thought for me personally.

Posted by: Rita at March 3, 2006 11:36 AM


Get Blog Posts by E-mail Enter your e-mail address Powered by FeedBlitz RSS Feeds Recent Entries Interview: Annette Gilson Interview: Justine Larbalestier The Elusive Agent Will Write for Chocolate Jane Jeong Trenka: Why She Writes Will You Quit? 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel Profile: Stanley Kunitz Writing from the Heart Memoir: Eat Pray Love Articles From the Stage to the Page An Interview with Annette Gilson	« Profile: Jim Munroe \| Main \| It's All Been Done » February 21, 2006 Can You Not Do Your Writing Today? I had a flash-forward to my future while reading Andrea's post today at a peek inside the fish bowl: At swim lessons the other day Sarah offhandedly asked me if I could "not do my writing today." Her comment took me by surprise. I bring my notebook and pen wherever I go. They've found a permanent spot in my bag. And I bring it to the 30-minute swim lessons as well. The notebook keeps me company when I'm sitting alone. But it's not like I put my head down and write semi-conscious streams without ever raising my eyes. I write, I watch, I write some more, but I don't think she has ever even noticed the small notebook lying open in front of me. Obviously, she has. Her comment induced a pang of guilt. I write because I love to write. It helps me organize my thoughts and develop ideas. Does it make her sad that my eyeballs aren't on her 100 per cent of the time? What to do? I will become a mother sometime this year (my husband and I are adopting from China) and the question of how to integrate writing and parenting is a big one for me. Andrea doesn't have the answer herself, but it helps to know that others confront the same question. Posted by Alison at February 21, 2006 09:24 AM \| This entry posted in: Family and Friends Comments As the parent of a 4 1/2 yr-old, the juggling between writing and parenting resonates with me. I manage as best I can by writing during what I think of as the "margins" of the day . . . I did Nanowrimo in Nov. and my writing time was 3:30 am-5 am. That time slot remains my only reliable "me" time. I vividly remember reading a comment by Jamaica Kincaid when my daughter was younger in which she said she did virtually no writing during the 1st year of her children's lives. And I can attest to that. It wasn't til Gracie was past 2 that I could really get organized enough to schedule regular writing time. And I also vividly remember bringing her home from the hospital . . . there on the doorstep from amazon was a book I ordered (a biography of a subject I myself had been feverishly researching/writing for the previous few years). Haven't touched that subject since in any meaningful way, although I continue to explore new subjects and fictional ideas. Alison, I have been reading your blogs for some time now and can't tell you how insightful I have found them and how they have provoked new avenues of thought for me personally. Posted by: Rita at March 3, 2006 11:36 AM	What is Wrestling the Angel? Your Host Alison Gresik has been crafting her writing life for the last fourteen years. She is the author of Brick and Mortar, a collection of linked stories. Visit her author blog at www.gresik.ca. Categories Apprenticeship Biography and Memoir Building a Writing Career Family and Friends Feeling Good Fiction about Writers Finding Your Material Getting the Writing Done Interviews and Profiles Making a Living Why Write? Writing Community Search this site:
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