A Writer’s Life
By“To have a successful writing career you must be willing to sacrifice a great deal. The book, the deadline come first before anything else. Writing is not a job; it is a lifestyle, and it is a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows. You need self-confidence and an iron carapace.” ~ Virginia Henley
Re-blogged from Mary Jaksch ‘Write to Done’
This is so true, but after a lifetime of looking after others, putting every mundane task first, before the writing, it takes a huge leap of faith, to say nothing of enormous discipline, to put the Writing first and foremost.
This doesn’t only apply to writers.
It has been the history of my life as a musician since marriage back in 1962.
It is impossible to get on with meaningful practice without having worked out what is for dinner, has the washing been put on, have the washed clothes been hung out, is the ironing not too mountainous and what else does the family need from me to-day.
Once these issues are mentally dealt with, one can then start work with a clear conscience.
I remember Elizabeth Jolley saying the same things in an interview on TV many years ago.
Do men have these preoccupations?
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Yes, I can completely relate to this, and so, I believe, can most women. Putting the family’s needs first is the reason I couldn’t seriously write until the children grew up and no longer needed my attention. Even now I have to have a clean tidy environment before I can allow myself to write. I doubt this is the case for male writers, although gender roles are changing. Oh for a wife!
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