Q is for...

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is for Quiet




“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” ~Albert Einstein

Growing up I am not sure how I was able to get any writing done. There were always so many people in my house. Having quiet was a luxury. I stuck to writing poetry and short stories. I never knew why I could never finish writing a novel. I just thought that I didn’t have the patience to finish a novel.
Now I believe it was the lack of quiet that kept me from completing my novel. I learned that I need quiet to think.
My husband thinks that it is weird that I say this because normally when I write I have the tv on in the background. I have to explain to him that it doesn’t have to be absolute quiet, I just need no interruptions type quiet.


I grew up with 8 siblings and there was never any uninterrupted quiet in the house and in when they moved out they would always come back with more people as in their own children. There was always someone in our house and there was no chance to be alone. The only opportunity you have to be alone was in the bathroom and with so many people living in the house you could only sit in there for a few minutes before you hear a bunch hands knocking on the door wanting to come in.
Eventually I moved out and went to college. It wasn’t until my junior year when I moved in with my boyfriend that I actually had some uninterrupted quiet. After classes and work, it would be just me and my cat. That is when I finally decided to try and start a novel.
When I graduated from college, I had even more time. I didn’t start working right away so I worked hard on my novel getting it where I needed it to be. I was so excited! Here I was preparing to complete my first novel! Then…I started having kids of my own.
Two things happened. Kids were always interrupting me and I just couldn’t get anything done. When they were asleep and the house was quiet, I would fall asleep too. I would be exhausted, especially when I was pregnant with my second kid.
It took real determination on my part to finish this novel. I worked all night some times. I used my two weeks of Maternity leave to my advantage. I didn’t sleep when my second newborn was sleeping. I used every opportunity I could to write.  When I went to the bathroom I took pen and paper with me. I relied on my older daughter to keep the younger ones occupied while I worked. 
I had to be creative to find my quiet time to write. Eventually I finished my novel and then I finished another one. Okay, so I sacrificed some sleep but it was worth it.  Now days, I have gotten even better at it. I use every opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Right now as I type this (technically I am not really typing), I am taking a bath and using my Dragon Naturally speaking software. I can write and take a bath at the same time. In a minute I will be folding clothes and writing at the same time.  Cooking dinner and writing at the same time.
I find my quiet wherever I can.


Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 6, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    I'm glad your finally found a way to write amongst the noise and quiet. Never thought about writing while taking a bath, although I've come up with some great ideas during a shower, but I had no way to write them down. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Annis CassellsNovember 7, 2013 at 6:35 PM

    How creative you are -- and I would say "driven to write" as well.

    Though I have often had to work/write under pressure of deadlines and noise, today, I work best when it's pretty quiet or with a little smooth jazz playing in the background. Thanks for the lovely post, and more insight into you. xoA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Davyd MorrisDecember 9, 2013 at 10:37 PM

    I'm so glad that you've found a method that works the best for you. Now if only you can the family to cooperate on a regular basis.

    ReplyDelete

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