IWSG: Maybe a Schedule Will Help?

OK, so I missed another Insecure Writers Support Group posting last month. Anyone who has followed my blog for more than a few days knows I have a bad habit of leaving long gaps between posts at times. I'm working on it... really. I have a plan to improve things. I'm going to start scheduling times to write. I will include blogging time, short story time, and novel time. These will have to fit in somewhere between Hebrew study time, Torah study for class, Torah study for church, and teaching preparation time for class and church. I think that will help me put more focus and emphasis on each item at the proper time. I'm hoping it will make it easier to avoid procrastination. If should also give me a little more accountability.

Has anyone else improved their writing consistency by making a schedule? Were you able to stick to it? Did you use specific times or just say "write for one hour on Tuesday evening?" I think I'll try both methods and see what works best.

That's it for today. Until next time; which, according to the schedule, will be October 1st. (See, I've got this.)

IWSG: Still Writing, Little of it Fiction

Has it really been two months since my last post?! Time has completely gotten away from me. I apologize for missing last month's IWSG post, but my daughter was having her Bat Mitzvah that week and we were camping that weekend AND I started in a new department at work and have had to learn far more than my 42 year old brain had any intention of assimilating. Therefore, writing was out the window. But I'm back this month with another entry in the never ending saga of my attempts to write something worthwhile.

In the last couple of months, I have written quite a bit. I have posted at my other blog a couple of times. Those are my Torah teachings, so it's a totally different writing mindset from this blog or any of my fiction writing. I also wrote a short story for a contest. I wasn't selected to compete, but it forced me to write something, so I'm still chalking it up in the win column. I have some other ideas that have been percolating for some more short stories that I hope to start writing soon.

Since I wasn't getting much writing done due to being too busy with work, church, and school, I decided to make a big change. I added more classes and took a new position that requires occasional travel. That should definitely make writing time easier to find. Right?

IWSG: Where Do I Find the Time?

It's time for this month's posting for the Insecure Writers Support Group. This month is an extension of last month's topic of procrastination. Yet another month has passed without any meaningful writing getting done. Unless 27 blog posts counts. Does it? I know I have a bad habit of putting things off, especially my writing. Some of the reasons for that were covered last month. But sometimes, I get on the ball, set aside the distractions, and plan on getting some writing done, only to realize that I don't have time to do any writing. I have class on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I film for Torah Puppets on Wednesday night. I work Monday through Friday. Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is Sabbath, so no writing then. Sunday is yard work, plant sales, and visiting with the extended family. I teach at the synagogue at least once per month, plus another teaching for school. Plus I have a wife, four kids, two dogs, and a cat that want varying amounts of time and attention. When am I supposed to write? Do I take time away from family? Spend less time preparing my teachings and risk sacrificing quality? Or do I do the unspeakable and cut down on my TV time? Gasp! Twitch... shudder... painful moan.

I guess it's obvious what the solution is, but is it really fair to make a six year old mow a yard that big?