Writing and a Social Life

 

Some people consider writers to be recluses holed up in a small place with nothing but their computer as comfort. No social life whatsoever. Yes, we do tell writers to allot as much time as possible for writing., but you need not hide from the world. Being around others occasionally is beneficial.

Writers do have to learn how to balance their social life with their writing life. Certain times of the year, like December, means your social life might take a flying leap into being almost crazy busy. We enjoy the holiday gatherings with friends, family, food, and festivities of all kinds. Even so, we have obligations in our writing life, maybe even deadlines to meet. How do we balance it?

Try for another list making. On one side of your paper, list your writing responsibilities and opposite that, your social needs. I looked at my December calendar yesterday and was amazed at how many days had something written to remind me of where I should be. A few were appointments, but many were social activities that I know I will enjoy. In the back of my mind, a thought wavered. It's going to cut into writing time. 

This is when we must make choices. If a writing project takes precedence, we have to learn to say no to some invitations. I'm a social person, love to be with people, so that is difficult for me to do. For those people who are more introverted, saying no to a social event is not very hard. They often prefer their own company to that of a group of others. There is nothing wrong with that. We are all of different personalities. In some ways, I envy those who can easily say no to social events. I can do it, but with regret. 

Let's look at that list again. Put a star by the things in each list that are the most important to you. Do you want to attend all the social things on the list and fit in the writing wherever you can? If that's important to you, do it. If you want to find a balance, you might have to work harder when writing by getting up an hour earlier to do some writing, then socialize later. 

Tomorrow, we begin one of the busiest months of the year. Do some planning now. Most of all, do what is satisfying to you without being detrimental to your writing life.

Sentence Length and A Book For Writers

A friend posted a quote by the late Gary Provost on her Facebook page yesterday. In two short paragraphs, this fine teacher of writing makes a terrific point about sentence structure. I googled his name and found that this quote has been used on myriad websites. Then, I checked out the books this man wrote about the craft of writing. Why I am not familiar with him is a mystery to me. I plan to order the book shown above. I found the updated version on Amazon for a mere $6.49. The reviews made me think I needed to have this book. 

His famed quote deals with sentence structure. Your story is of prime importance, but how you write it ranks high on the list of Things To Remember When Writing. (That topic is mine, not his.) Mr. Provost's quote says it perfectly. When I googled the quote, I found that it had been used on many blogs and websites. Most likely, writers who present workshops at conferences have used it, too. With thanks to Mr. Provost, who died in 1995, here is the quote: 

One of the things my online writing critique group notes in their critiques is sentence length. Most often, they tell the writer that they are using overly long sentences. I seldom see anyone say that the sentences are too short, but when short sentence follows short sentence one after the other, as in the first paragraph in the quote, it becomes boring or monotonous. Mr. Provost states that thought quite clearly. 

I believe strongly in the premise that sentences of varying lengths are the most pleasing to the reader's ear. This is something to add to your list of what to look for when you edit and revise your first drafts.