Keeping Up With The Writers

So, you want to keep up with your writing practice while keeping up with your full-time job. Feeling a bit crazy, are we?

For the past five or so months I’ve been living off my earnings from two jobs and my writing — so… Three jobs.

This past month I’ve been working one single part-time job while writing in the afternoons. I cannot tell you how nice that has been. I’ve been able to get all the writing done that I could possibly want. Not to mention how clean my house looks also.

My finances, you ask? I live my best life on a low budget. You can check out some stories on my publication: Sense With Cents.

In the next two months, hopefully less, I’ll finally be able to live the luxurious lifestyle of working one single full-time job. Am I bragging? Why, yes I am. I cannot complain about my lifestyle up until this point but it has made me appreciate the financial security of a full-time job. Not to mention the benefits of a routine.

Very unlike me to say positive things about having routine in my life, but it would be nice to get more than three hours of sleep in one lie down session.

Right… The point of this article.

So I haven’t got the job yet but I can imagine how my writing “routine” will change once I get it.

Well…

I can imagine how I want my writing “routine” to change once I get it.

My current Writing Routine

I’ll wake up 4am — No, not because the gurus told me to. It’s for my in-person job. — I’ll drink a coffee while replying to comments and checking notifications on Medium. If my coffee does its job correctly, I’ll also write a quick story. I’ll also publish an article for my publication at this early hour.

5am — Go to work. See, I told you it wasn’t because the Gurus said so.

12pm — Arrive home, eat lunch, do dishes, throw on the washing…

1pm — Open up Medium once again. This is where I do loads of stuff. I check the stories submitted to my publication and give edits/feedback. I write one or two stories for my own blog. And I will read many, many stories of other bloggers. At the moment I am trying to hit a target of 30 stories a day — I like to push myself beyond what I am capable of.

6pm Cry.

8pm Hit the hay (go to sleep).

At the moment I am enjoying pretending Medium is my full time job and that I make enough money for this to be possible — I don’t, no where near. I also enjoy pretending I have endless amounts of energy and brain juice — again, I don’t.

I swear I have friends too. I swear, I swear, I swear.

My future writing “routine.”

If you read above and thought to yourself ‘that looks insane.’ You are correct in your thinking.

I’m already falling behind on what my publisher/editor (me) wants me to achieve. They (me) set ridiculous standards and expect me to work like I am a robot and not a human with needs. They’re (me) lucky I don’t quit! What would they (I) do then?

Anyway.

Once I get that full time job that will have me out of the house from 7am-6pm roughly, my after-work life will look more like this:

6pm: Arrive home, change into something comfy.

6:10pm: Grab a snack and head out the door.

6:30pm: Pick an activity: Surfing, sunbathing, meeting friends.

9pm: Head home and cook a quick dinner.

10pm: Sleep.

…

…

…

Oh shoot!

Hang on, let me re-write this.

6pm: Arrive home and grab a snack.

6:30pm: Write, read, edit, publish.

9:30pm: Meet up with… Crap.

…

As you can see, it’s going to be a bit of a struggle.

I do prioritise writing and can imagine myself sitting for a few hours after work to get everything done that I need to — it is my passion after all.

The beach and friends can wait until the weekend.

It’ll be hectic for a while, but just like managing two jobs, writing and lack of sleep, I’m sure it’ll work itself out.

I’m sure many of you are currently working a full-time job and writing as well. What tips do you have to help manage the workload?