Sobriquet 42.8
I think I may have figured out why I have been having such a difficult time writing. Here's my theory:
1. Since I have not had two days off in a row since March, I have gotten into the habit of writing on my single off days.
2. I like to sleep in on my writing days to ensure that I will be alert enough to write effectively.
3. By starting later, I feel pressured to finish writing early enough to be certain that I will get enough sleep for my early morning class the next day.
4. The anxiety to finish what I set out to write by a reasonable hour makes starting that much harder.
5. By the time I finish writing, generally, it is late and I feel like I haven't had a day off.
6. I get cranky and, consequently, associate that crankiness with writing.
7. So I take my teaching days off to unwind.
Repeat.
I do suspect that if I write in the evenings after work, as I have occasionally done, I will not feel as much pressure because "there's always tomorrow to finish up/fix shit." And, once done writing, I can stay up late knowing that I can sleep in the next day.
And I almost did that today.
Almost.
Instead, I kept reading Foe, which has been an awesome experience. It is fast becoming one of my favorite Coetzee novels.
For tomorrow: Dissertate.
1. Since I have not had two days off in a row since March, I have gotten into the habit of writing on my single off days.
2. I like to sleep in on my writing days to ensure that I will be alert enough to write effectively.
3. By starting later, I feel pressured to finish writing early enough to be certain that I will get enough sleep for my early morning class the next day.
4. The anxiety to finish what I set out to write by a reasonable hour makes starting that much harder.
5. By the time I finish writing, generally, it is late and I feel like I haven't had a day off.
6. I get cranky and, consequently, associate that crankiness with writing.
7. So I take my teaching days off to unwind.
Repeat.
I do suspect that if I write in the evenings after work, as I have occasionally done, I will not feel as much pressure because "there's always tomorrow to finish up/fix shit." And, once done writing, I can stay up late knowing that I can sleep in the next day.
And I almost did that today.
Almost.
Instead, I kept reading Foe, which has been an awesome experience. It is fast becoming one of my favorite Coetzee novels.
For tomorrow: Dissertate.
Comments
Later, rinse, repeat. We all get into those cyclical patterns from time to time. Just think, though...only a few more days 'til the semester is finished. Then you can have some much needed break time. :)