“It’ll take up too much from my writing. I have other hobbies too.”
It’s such a natural reaction.
You are a writer or want to be. You know you need to fuel all your attention to this one thing, so afraid that it’s going to suck up all your time, you pull back from your promise to yourself. Justifying: “I can’t take on other hobbies, I need to focus only on writing.”
But while writing is your main thing you now feel useless. You feel out of balance, just because you want other hobbies as well.
First off, congratulations are in order. Writing is important to you and it’s great you’re standing up for it.
Second off, calm down. It’s perfectly normal to have other hobbies: You have them, I have them, even Stephen King has them.
And instead of shooting everything down and doubting yourself and feel like you are less of a writer, take a breather and let’s figure this out together.
Why it’s perfectly normal to have other hobbies
You are one big entity. You are a human being. And that being is made up of a lot of things. Interests, dislikes, hobbies, and a billion other things. (But we’ll let the biologist about that)
And because you’re a lot of things and it’s natural for you to want multiple things.
But more importantly, as a writer, it won’t just be the writing that’s makes you, you. It’s everything you do and therefore, it’s also important you make time for other hobbies.
“Why is that?”
Because your hobbies give each other life. One hobby might give life, another experience. It shouldn’t take long to see it’s a complete circuit. A complete circuit that’ll make sure you stay creative and happy.
If you have multiple hobbies you want, it just means you have a decision to make. And it’s one of those choices that aren’t going to come easy. You have a bit of brain wracking to do.
Common misconception about hobbies
As writers our biggest enemy is time. You only have so much of it, and you need a lot to get your novel the way you like it.
And if the idea of waiting for months for anything feels like a knife straight to the heart then I get you.
You write for months on end only to wait for months before anybody reads your stuff. It’s such a soul-crushing thing that makes you reach for other hobbies to feel fulfilled.
I have multiple hobbies myself: Reading, working out, blog writing (I’m adding this because it’s not novel writing). I like to play the occasional game and of course spend time with family and friends.
But I also have other time-consuming interests like learning how to play chess or learning a language.
But they are like hungry lions scouting the savanna. They’ll eat away every piece of time and to be honest, that’s the reason why I haven’t started them. I don’t feel ready to battle a lion just yet.
The almighty reflection
Okay, at this point, I think I have mentioned reflection in just about all of my blog posts. I understand if you think I’m some mindfulness guru, but trust me, I’m not.
I include them all the time because it’s such a powerful tool. Especially when I’m scared, I might commit to something that’ll waste my time.
(Talk about a better fit and you won’t find one.)
The important point about reflection and hobbies is to use it before you jump in with both legs. Take a good step backwards, sideways, whatever way works for you and ask yourself: Do I want this hobby because something is lacking, missing, or do I just think it could be fun?
There’s no wrong answer here. The reflection is just to let your mind wonder about the possibilities of the future. It’s better to spend 10-15 minutes reflecting than spending 10-15 hours working and then regretting.
“And exactly am I supposed to do with the reflection Jack?”
Shit, I don’t know. Save them somewhere for a later time in life when you think you might need them.
Okay that’s partial aggressive from my side, sorry.
The reflection should reveal whether it’s a good or bad fit. Your reflection will tell you if it’s something you truly want or because you’re just trying to fill a hole. And with this knowledge it’s time to prioritize your time.
Schedule similar hobbies
As I stated in the opening lines. Our biggest enemy as writers is time. You have a lot of it, but it always feels like there’s not enough.
So how the hell do you go about putting in more hobbies? You prioritize and schedule them.
A great way to get time for hobbies is to schedule similar ones at the same time.
Example: I have my novel and blog writing, and I schedule them at the same time. They require me to sit at a computer, have my hands on a keyboard and write.
Easy.
As you might know, I like to write on my novel first thing in the morning and then, because I already have all the programs and tools open, I’ll work on a blog post. I just need to change documents and go.
Of course, I like to take a short break (I’m not a monster).
I’ll go to the toilet, grab a snack, move around a bit. Just for a few minutes. Sort of like a transitional thing I do before I start.
Now they don’t have to be this similar. It can be hobbies that fit perfectly together. Another one for me is finishing work and working out.
I know I’m such a sloth that it’ll be game over if I allow myself to hit the chair when I come home. I’ll plant my butt in the seat and won’t get out. (It’d skyrocket my writing progression, but it’d decrease my life quality), so to avoid this, I like to go straight to the gym when I’m off from work.
And it’s such an automatic thing that I have created a system ensures I’m more or less done with everything by dinner time.
Find your own way
If this seems like a lot to you, then breathe out. You don’t have to do everything this structured.
The point is to, once you have decided to take on a new hobby, see if you can’t figure out for it to play off with another hobby. This means less wasted time, but also a higher chance of success in both hobbies.
Let’s say you want to learn a new language. Then a way to schedule it could be: “After 30 minutes of novel writing, I’ll follow up by 30 minutes of language learning.”
It’s a way to guarantee success. You get to do both hobbies, but by placing writing first, you automatically prioritize it. (if you’re interrupted and have to do something else)
Quick note on hobbies and procrastination
I know it’s a beautiful universe with millions of opportunities. There’s a lot of distractions out there. And when writing gets hard, it’s easy to suddenly want to learn how to knit.
If this is something you deal with, then it’s important to take a breather and ask yourself why a hobby, which you previously had no interest in, suddenly seems interesting. This could be a sign something else is at play. Namely our best friend, procrastination, styled in a professional made disguise.
If by any chance, you’re thinking about picking up a hobby and determine it’s because of procrastination. Then there’s a chance it’s because you feel struck, or a task is overwhelming, and I’d recommend you read through one of my blog posts that can help avoid wasting time on two fronts.
The “unproductive” hobbies
Don’t you just hate the people who comment on your hobby. It’s always: “Another hobby? Why don’t you focus on the things you already have.”
It’s always like that. If not from your friends or family, then it’s your own head. They all have the audacity to tell you a hobby is unproductive because it doesn’t relate to your main thing.
You told them: I’m going to be a writer.
So why aren’t you writing 24/7? It’s like you commit the biggest crime out there. Cheating on your main thing with a side hobby? Shame. On. You.
“Calm down. There’s reason behind the madness,” I always tell them with my hands up in defense. Afraid they might punch; I take a step back and repeat. “There’s reason behind the madness, if you’d just let me explain.”
And this is usually enough to allow me a round or two to explain.
You said you wanted to become a writer, right? Great. Always a good choice. Does that make you different than them? No.
You’re still human
And aren’t they, the person currently fronting you, doing something else than their work?
I mean I don’t think I have ever heard someone say: I work in finance, so I do finance 24/7.
Like please, Celine, we know you play tennis too.
It’s the same with you.
In fact, (I know I’m biased), but I’d go as far and say as a writer, it’s even more important to do something different than writing. As a writer it’s important you get out there and disconnect from your craft if you want to grow better.
Just because you’re a writer, you still need to do things that excite and improve your daily life. It’s just a fact of life.
Just like Celine plays tennis, even though she works in finance, it’s okay for you to go to heavy metal concerts, even if you are a romance writer.
It’s the exact same reason why I write blog, why I work out and why I read in the evening. They all work in union to make my day better. And they help drive me to become more productive.
Therefore, don’t take their nonsense to heart. Enjoy your other hobbies. Your only job is to make sure they don’t become part of some procrastination plot and that you structure your day to make time for everything.
H4: The ugly truth of being a writer
Whether you want it or not, if you want to write a novel, you’re going to need time. And a lot of it.
Take it from the person who has clocked in just over 300 hours on a novel, it takes time. (unless you’re a complete specimen, then you might be able to do it first try), but for the majority of you, it’ll take a couple of tries, a couple of editions, and that’s just how it is.
So, let’s revert back to the main question.
“Should you feel less of a writer because you have multiple hobbies?”
Absolutely not. You need to make sure to prioritize your time and you’re good.
It’s all about finding a balance in things. It’s about figuring out what you want, structuring your time and seeing how it goes.
You just need to keep your main goal in mind, and you’ll be fine.
That’s a wrap for you today.
Until next time – Hope you have a productive and creative day.
Your writing buddy,
Jack