I am guilty of writer’s math | #111
Can I do everything else, just to not write?
Hello, this is Celeste. I have been writing poems since 2017 and my low-fantasy crime novel Project Dylan since 2022. Letters for Creatives is the place where I share my thoughts on writing, creativity, resources for creatives, and interview creators and authors.
In case you miss the three interviews I cannot choose my favourites from:
Karina Kupp on building Chill Subs, advice for submitting your writing and more
Kathryn Vercillo on her virtual book tour, collaborating with fellow writers and more
Rachel Chak on being a DJ, her creative projects and making money as a creative
Writer’s math
Girl’s math have been trendy for quite a while. The writer version of that — writer’s math — have caught my attention recently.
The most exciting part of the writing process is when I have an idea and start writing the beginning.
The excitement kept me going until I hit a writer’s block. When I hit the block like the obstacle that it is, I start to do everything but writing. Distractions come in all forms when a writer tries to write. (I am going to hold onto the writer identity until I can’t because it is basically the only thing that always get me out small or life-altering existential crises)
I need to clean my desk. Declutter my laptop. Write this newsletter. Self-care time, which consists of watching films, becoming a nobody who consumes content, doomscroll and not create or write. That leads to bitterness and depression. After feeling depressed enough for not creating something out of thin air, I try to get back into writing. But you can tell that most of the words I write are trash after long periods of not writing. The cycle repeats itself until the end of time.
But then, something happened, for multiple times. When I got off work, I would bump into the father with the baby trolley walking with his wife and baby in the trolley.
I still have no idea what the gender of the baby is. But at least in my book, it is a boy called Dylan. That is kind of crazy, to say the least. Like ‘hey, I just want to tell you that you and your baby in the trolley got me into writing a novel. Thank you!”
Sorry, let me weep with joy for a second.
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Back to writer’s math.
I count it as writing when I am doing research for Project Dylan. So I can always watch films like Catch Me if You Can for 2 hours because research is part of the work.
I am working on my novel when I am hanging out in the bookstore, looking for books that are similar to my novel project.
But in reality, my week looks like this:
Monday to Friday
7am to 7:30pm - get ready, commute, work at day job until 7pm and then back home
7:30 to 9pm - cook, devour dinner, wash dishes, get rid of trash
9 to 11pm - side hustle/me time - usually I choose to binge watch YouTube or shows when I am exhausted from day job, which is everyday right now!
11pm - drop to the bed until 7am
Repeat five times until weekend rolls around.
Weekend
Two days of nothingness actually are filled with errands, family time, writing this newsletter, thinking about finishing the draft for Project Dylan all the time, never make progress on said project.
It’s Monday again! Hi, Blue Monday.
You might think, stop being so bitter and start making progress on Project Dylan!
I know, the only person who wants to finish the draft is me and I hate myself for not doing anything about it. Like, do I have 500 years to live and write novels? No!
On another note, I still have not treated myself for the milestone of crossing my first 20K word count. How do you often treat yourself? Tell me in the poll!
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Updates on Project Dylan
I have also found a few books and TV shows that would become inspiration or references for my novel WIP Project Dylan.
Books
Brutes - Dizz Tate
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon