Where Does the Time Go?
by Shawn Bogart
Writing takes everything. Every waking minute, every hour, every experience the writer has goes into what he writes. He has to watch friends, family, and strangers to learn their ways for better fiction. To be able to write anything well, fiction or nonfiction, a writer must be aware of his world. No one is constantly aware.
It’s never possible to realize each thing happening around us; every sense is tested and twisted in each direction at all times, even at rest, or at what we believe is rest. So much is going on under the surface that its a surprise if any writer can ever get anything out of themselves. With all of this already going through the conscious mind, and so much more in the subconscious, how can a writer ever find the time to write coherently, if the mind is never still, and even lesser still, life?
A famous writer once said, “You’re not a writer unless you write every day.” That’s pretty strict, considering most people have a family, a job, keep a clean home and body, not to mention time for enjoying life on occasion, not always pecking keys and worrying about their phrasing and tone.
Don’t be fooled; this is by no means a thorough list of all the problems that spring up in a day, and absolutely does not mention possible story problems that arise, as well as emotional problems having to be dealt with each day, to be able to write without being in a lot of pain.
Unless you’re lucky, odds are you’re not paid, and perhaps will never be paid for any of your writing. Certainly not all of it. There is a lot of competition, and you have to want it. It takes awhile to make money. It can’t be decided: You know, that “Sixth Sense” movie from Shyamalan- that came from writing. This writing stuff seems to be the ‘in’ thing. I guess I know where my fortune will be found: The Seventh Sense.
You have to be a writer. How do you know, though? How can you find the time, and how do you know it’s worth it for you? There are a lot of great writers that never reach the top of the hill, and in your situation, it may even be harder to justify trying.
I define a true writer as someone who has a lot to say, and has fallen into writing for their release. It doesn’t all have to be profound or political, clever or philosophical. You may be reading this without any ideas at all. I have none. I’m making it up as I go.
Writing: it’s what you do, it’s the only thing you know. No need to search for nifty proverbs or quotations to throw into the story or the article. You just like to talk and think through your fingers or pen. That’s it.
Can you see yourself stopping? Could you go for years without it? Would it be just as well to finish college, get that other job, and move to Beverly Hills, without a single word? You might not be a writer then, because if you’re a writer you’ll never stop. You just don’t know what else to do. It’s the way you make yourself, and understand your world. Stephen King and Dean Koontz have given all of their lives into their writing, and write four or five hours every day. Or more. Sometimes, surprisingly, even less. A lot less.
Isaac Asimov started his morning at six o’clock, writing until ten o’clock in the evening. That’s amazing. But you don’t need that, and aren’t necessarily meant for it. Asimov worked hard and was lucky to live like this. He didn’t live this way for his entire life, cultivating great fields of wisdom and enlightenment, always professional and competent. I’m sure every writer has been discouraged over the time they’ve spent writing and their progress, or lack thereof.
Odds are Asimov had 9-to-5 jobs, and writing was his hobby for awhile. He probably didn’t have a special parking space, and sometimes had problems getting respect, even though his work now seems to command it. You think he got every raise he asked for? I bet he couldn’t respect himself sometimes. Writers aren’t invincible.
Lord knows Asimov couldn’t drop all of his work when he realized I, Robot, or any other story. The real world calls, and there’s not always time to reflect or take notes. Real writing happens over time, despite everything working against it. It happens in everything you do.
There are writers who write like Asimov and never make any impact, even if they’ve written more, or better. Likewise, some writers who only find a few minutes for their stories every night will somehow manage the Great American Novel and make millions, never having to work again. It’s not often that the situation works like either scenario, though. That’s not the real world.
You write for yourself. There may not be many people to read it, and even fewer who approve of your style, thoughts, and your ideas. Your humor and the things that move you the most may ultimately mean nothing to a lot of people. You write because that’s all that you have.
Where does the time go? It comes and it goes. You cling to it, and you try to write when you can, or even better, when it’s a good time. Don’t break your back. You’re more important than your work, because your work doesn’t deal with the real world like you do. If you want it, you will somehow always find the time you need. If you can’t find it right now, life goes on. Never worry about the time.
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Shawn Bogart is a freelance fiction and nonfiction writer specializing in horror and humor. Though just twenty, he has lived a long life, and what this young author may lack in life experience he makes up for with his unique perspective, allowing him to see beyond the superficial and understand the problems a writer can encounter. Writing with heart and soul from his home office in the small town of Berwick, Pennsylvania, Shawn churns out innumerable short stories and attempts at The Great American Novel in the hopes of one day meeting fame and fortune. Will he find it? Will he ever leave his small town? Only time will tell. The man is diligent, if nothing else.
