Chapters - II

[Stephen Brayton]

“It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallarta to close in the afternoons. I often need to buy things during 'siesta' time-this should be banned.”

I'm sure if the person had spoken to the mayor, he would have made a new law right then and there. Sheesh!

***

This brings up the topic of schedules. Since the move back in October, '13 to a bigger city (well, a suburb of a metropolitan area) and a new job, my schedule has been rearranged. At the time of this writing most of my weeknights could be occupied with activities.

Monday – relatively free

Tuesday – a regular writers group that I had joined back in 2000

Wednesday – my taekwondo club's class in Oskaloosa

Thursday – the Marion County Writers Workshop

Plus working the night shift at the Holiday Inn Express five or more nights per week. Plus, Sisters in Crime on the third Saturday of each month. Plus, taekwondo activities on a lot of weekends.

Also, I started online courses so evening activities save for the Thursday night group, has been curtailed while I hit the books.

So when do I find time to read and write? Good question. Again, at the time of this writing I'm between semesters so the evenings are free. I'm catching up on shows and visiting the Monday through Thursday places.

Work is where I'm busier than at the previous two establishments. More people, more night audit responsibilities. However, I make sure all my work is done and find time to eek out a chapter or so on some nights. Downtime from the regular duties are taken up by bits of cleaning and catching up on some of my books, mostly listening to audio books.

Writing at home is difficult with the myriad distractions. Food, the cat, the Internet so easy to access.

Discipline is the key.

I love my days off-or nights off as it were-but they sometimes mess with my sleep schedule. If I don't have commitments I tend to sleep a lot when I want to be doing other things. I make a vow to find time to write, but, naughty me, I usually don't.

Discipline is the key. I have to make time to write. I have to make time to reach my goal. People are asking me about my next book and I keep telling them I'm working on them. I am. It's a slow process but the writers groups keep me motivated.

Where do you find or make time to write?