Reasons why I can’t write as much as I’d like.

All writers have things that stop from them from writing, here are my main ones. 

The kids – I love my kids. Really, I do. I just wish they would SHUT UP when I am trying to write. Sometimes it can take me half an hour to write one paragraph because every two words I get “Mum, watch this!” “I’m hungry.” “Can I have a drink?” “Can we go town?” Apparently I get tetchy when I write – I wonder why!!! Even when writing this I’ve had 10 interruptions.  Yes, I kept a tally.

My phone broke and I had to reset it, losing all my apps. The wifi doesn’t work so I can’t re-download anything. You might think I’d be more productive now I can’t play on my phone but that’s not the case. I used to use Google Docs on my phone to write. I could stand in the kitchen making a cuppa and write at the same time. I could do 10 minutes in my lunch break at work. It was easy. Now I have to use my laptop and it’s not so convenient.

Shhh – can you keep a secret? My family don’t know I write, apart from the eldest. The youngest knows I like to make up stories but she doesn’t know I publish them. The husband has no idea whatsoever. I plan on telling him when I make my first £100. So in other words I’ll probably tell him on my death bed. That’s why the phone was so handy. I could write sneakily. Now I have to plan my writing around when he is going to be out.

Work – Work just gets in the way of everything really doesn’t it? It’s a necessary evil.

Social Media – I just spend far too much time faffing around on Facebook and Twitter. I tend to get drawn in to the clickbait articles on Facebook and can easily spend 15 minutes clicking through 30 slides only to realise the article was fairly pointless. I also have my Facebook page Elizabeth’s Book Club to maintain, although that’s fallen by the wayside slightly since I started Twittering. I also have my blog to maintain as well.

Eurovision – What do you mean it’s only one night? For you maybe, for me it takes weeks of preparation as I write a Eurovision guide. I have to watch all the videos and make notes on each act. I have to sit through both of the semi finals, again making notes on the performances. I am then up until late on the Thursday finishing the guide (Once the running order for Saturday’s final has been announced) ready for sending on Friday.

Reading–  I love reading. I could quite easily read all day if I could. The phone issue has lessened this to some extent as I can’t get Kindle on my phone now so I have to use Kindle on the laptop (Which doesn’t feel right). I am a frequent visitor to my local library but I tend to read the books too quickly and have to wait until I get chance to go again. I have been known to raid my kids’ bookshelf to get my reading fix.

That’s not mentioning all the other stuff that gets in the way, like housework, cooking and all the other boring things that people have to do.

It’s a wonder I get anything done at all.