Time - Where Does It Go #IWSG

It's that time of the month again. No, not that time.  The first Wednesday of the month is Insecure Writers Support Group time. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts M. Pax,  Tracy Jo, Patricia Lynne,  Rachna Chhabria,  Feather Stone, and Randi Lee!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Is there anything more frustrating than knowing exactly where your story is going and not having the time to write it? That was my dilemma last month. I was so close to the end of my science fiction romance WIP. May was not the month to finish it. If you visited last month, you know I wrote about what sucks away time. That was not the case. I forced myself to refrain from solitaire and mah jong. I didn't watch all my TV shows. And I stayed away from Pinterest.

Confession time: I played a few games at night (when I was brain dead) and I did watch a couple of shows (again while being brain dead). I did stay away from Pinterest, thought. That counts. I had other issues that prevented me from writing.

First, Hubs and I spent two wonderful weeks in Arizona cuddling our new granddaughter. Truly a hardship!   Loved it. I planned on not getting much or any writing done while we were gone. I didn’t realize how flying east messes up your system. Along with laundry, paying bills, etc., getting back to normal ate up another week.

While we were in Arizona my aunt died. Although we couldn’t make it for the funeral, I knew how much my cousin needed support. She was so excited that my sisters and I were coming to visit. So that shot another week. Rereading, that sounds like I begrudged the time. I'm more frustrated than anything.

Non-writers think because we don't have an 8 to 5 job, writing isn't "work" and can be interrupted at any time. Deadlines are deadlines, even the self-imposed ones. I self-publish, but my deadline is every bit as important as a deadline from a publisher. I have my freelance editor lined up and my being late getting the manuscript to her will put her behind. I could even lose my slot on her calendar. All that will delay the publication. I even started setting up promo ops. To fulfill them, the book has to be published.

Yet, how can I disregard family? Maybe I should have told Baby Girl not to come too soon. Or put off visiting my cousin. I know if I don’t go now, there will be other reasons to put it off. 

Balancing family and work is difficult no matter what occupation you have. Those of you who have full-time jobs (that pay), plus young families with all that entails, and manage to carve out time to write put me to shame. At times, I feel like such a slacker. My children are grown. I’m retired (from the job that pays), Hubs is understanding, and we’re both fairly healthy. I shouldn’t have any excuse not to write full-time . . . and to meet deadlines. I may be burning a lot of midnight oil.

How do you manage?

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

BTW, I will be without internet service until tomorrow when I’ll try to visit everyone’s blog. Thanks for understanding.