How do you make time for writing or, in my case, submitting? The short answer is you just do. The long answer is…<heavy sigh>…you just do.
The bottom line is: when you really want to do something, you find a way and it gets done. Endless Facebook scrolling? Check. Channel surfing? Check. Shopping? Check. Masturbation? Check! So you just have to treat writing as seriously as you treat these hobbies and distractions.
One thing that makes it easier to sit down every day and write is to sit down every day and write. What I mean by that smart ass remark is that there is a lubing up of the cogs, so to speak, when you become consistent. Every little action becomes smoother. You don’t have to put as much effort or planning into the task.
It’s like going running every day. When you first start, waking up at 7 am to get dressed and haul ass seems not only impossible but ridiculous. The much better idea is always to stay in bed and dream of making it big someday. But once you’ve gotten over that hurdle of going running for a few days or a week, you find yourself just automatically getting up, accidentally putting your sneakers on, stretching with your eyes closed and a light snore emitting from your nose, heading out the door. There’s not a lot of thought involved, and occasionally when there is a lot of thought, it's always focused very intently on talking you out of running and getting back into bed.
So the short version of the long answer is: don’t think. Just do. There’s no magic potion, there’s no 5-star apps, there’s no mathematical formula.
And now here’s me not thinking, just doing:
Day 26 - I haven’t submitted for a number of days, so tonight me and my pal Watermelon Cosmo went on a rampage and submitted four short stories.
Therapeutic Madness to Mud Season Review - about a woman who quietly slides into a spiritual meltdown, which I illustrate with ever-changing grammatical perspectives (i.e. first person, second person, third person).
Ace of Spades to Painted Bride Quarterly - about a woman who, the more she discovers the different meanings and myths behind the ace of spades, the more the card seem to dictate the outcome of her budding relationship with a man at work.
Yoga In Yakima Potomac Review - about a woman who finally realizes that no amount of casual sex, inebriation or tarot readings can fill the emptiness in her life on the road trip back to her hometown to blame her dysfunctional parents for her lack of success.
Full Circle to Quarterly West - about a quirky woman who, the more she tries to be herself, the more she seems to alienate the guy of her affections.
Day 27 - Therapeutic Madness to Qwerty Literary Magazine.
Day 28 - Full Circle to Redivider Literary Magazine.
