Dividing your time

The other day I was talking to a work colleague who had started to write again after a long spell away from the pen. I was so pleased until he sent me an email a week later saying that his writing would have to take a back seat as he had a new hobby.

The new hobby was a pony! He had recently acquired a little mare and felt that he wanted to put all his effort into spending some time with his new found friend.

I know only too well, how animals can dominate your time, but it is possible to do both. I divide my own time between my animals and all the other things that I love doing. So I sent a swift email back saying that the new addition to his family may inspire him to write, as my animals do.

I think that goes for any hobby as if we have knowledge and experience on a subject, we can write about it too. It could turn into a short story, an article, a novel, anything you want, because YOU are the expert.

He returned my email saying that he wished he had taken a notebook with him on a previous visit to see his little pony, he had indeed been inspired by his new experience of keeping a pony and wanted to keep an account of it.

So there you go, another writer hopefully brought back from the brink of NOT WRITING!

Time management is so important in our life, and many writers are advised to give up TV or make other sacrifices in order to get some writing done. However, I believe it is possible to divide some time between it all, and on some occasions, let them all come together!

A good example is my love of TV and watching period drama's. I was watching Bleak House a few years ago. An 'extra' came on. He didn't say anything, but for some reason, I took notice and used his character or rather just his appearance, as he was not allowed to show his character in such a brief appearance, but it was a great way for me to find a character for my writing while enjoying TV.

I suppose it's about having a notebook to hand at all times, but still enjoying your life and doing what you want while you are writing.

Oh yes, I am writing this blog while watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Now where has my Oompa-Loompa gone?

Happy Writing!