Death, taxes, and time

March’s monthly blog theme of “death and taxes” made me stop and ponder both topics. Unfortunately, I’m a procrastinator, so my taxes still loom ahead of me, inducing anxiety and dread. Death is just behind me, since I lost a family member last month. Its long tentacles of grief loosen a bit each day.

After some pondering, I realized that both topics—death and taxes—relate to time. Time is such a precious commodity, and yet so easy to take for granted. Surely, it will stretch out into another day and another and yet another. There’s always tomorrow. The sun will come out tomorrow. I love ya tomorrow. Forgive the Little Orphan Annie interlude. You get the idea.

Taxes make me cherish time because I am grateful for all of the hours remaining until I have to complete my tax forms and get them submitted. Still, that deadline, so firm and unyielding, reminds me constantly of the hours ticking away. Death makes me acutely aware of time too. Don’t we all have long lists of places we want to visit, books we plan to read, and achievements we want to accomplish? It seems I’ve spent my life making plans for what I will do someday. Losing someone reminds me that this life is finite and there is no better time than the present to stop making plans and start taking action.

This month, while worrying about taxes and dealing with death, I appreciate time. I take time to tell those around me how much they are loved. I appreciate the early morning moments that I set aside to write. I value the hours I now have to devote to working for myself and doing what I love. I am less and less content to put dreams on hold and postpone my bucket list.

I don’t think I’ve ever more thoroughly embraced the notion of not putting off until tomorrow what I can accomplish today—in my life, in my writing, in relationships with those I love. Time is precious. Don’t waste it. Don’t wait to say what you need to say. Don’t wait to write your book. Seize the moment and make it count.

How to Find Time to Write

by Donna Hatch, author of 7 historical and fantasy romances

People often ask me how I find time to write. I understand their question. Most people are over-scheduled and can't imagine how I manage to find enough time to write and publish novels on top of all my other responsibilities.

I never 'find' time to write; I make time.

I'm married and have 6 children. I work 2 part time jobs. I teach harp lessons. I teach writing classes, workshops and webinars. I volunteer heavily in my writers groups--three of them--and try to take an active role in my church and community. There are days when I'm so exhausted that I just want to have a good cry and a long nap.

I published my first book when my youngest was 5 so a lot of my writing happened when I had two preschoolers and the rest were all in elementary or junior high school. But I had to do it. I write because I must. I get mean when I don't write. Writing is an obsession.

How do I make time?

Well, I gave up scrapbooking, pretty much all TV, singing in a choir, ballroom dancing, a big chunk of my harp practicing time, a great deal of reading, (not all of it, of course) and many other things I used to enjoy. It's a matter of "what do you love most."

I write when it's quiet at work and I have nothing to do but wait for the phone to ring. I write when I'm waiting for dinner to come out of the oven, or when a child is at practice or an appointment, or even when I just have 30 minutes before I have to get to the next thing. The best time to write is after my children are in bed but even that doesn't work most nights. My most productive writing time was last summer when I attended a writers retreat. I'm starting to think I need a couple days away every 3 or 4 months to just write night and day, but I doubt my hubby, as supportive as he is, would go for that :-)

I do put my family ahead of everything else when possible but my family knows that there are times when mommy can't be there right now. My husband knows he comes first but he also knows to give me space when I'm under deadline. I'm selective about what we do as a family--quality over quantity. We eat dinner together most nights but it's not usually an amazing gourmet meal--it's something that I can throw together fast like a salad and some grilled chicken, or maybe even just some beefy nachos. I help my children with their homework most nights, but sometimes I assign an older child who's finished with his homework to help the younger one. I attend every recital, concert, the big games and meets, and things that matter to them. If they need to talk, and I can see it in their eyes, I close my laptop and give them my full attention. Sundays are sacred and all about church and family--never work.

If you love writing and can't NOT do it, then maybe you are a writer, too. If you're not, take my advice and don't give in to the evil voices in your head. All authors are crazy. Trust me, I know.