In my discussion of last week’s Writing Quote of the Week I touched on  the fact that writing is not often a lucrative career, financially. So, when searching for a quote for this week, this one spoke to me as following on well:

If you have other things in your life – family, friends, good productive day work – these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer.
(David Brin)

So, how does this relate to what I said last week? Well, I know that I am not alone in needing to have a day job (albeit part time) to supplement my writing income, and, like a lot of my writer friends, I sometimes resent that time away from my desk as lost writing time. But David Brin’s point is a good one. That work time (and the other non-writing parts of one’s life) can sometimes be the very thing which makes your writing richer. In my own case, I do know that because I work part time, those days when I’m at home are more productive. I have less time to write, so I try harder to make the most of it. I also know that its through interacting with people, facing challenges and so on, that I gain life experience which can sometimes either inspire a story, or at the very least, help to make it more authentic.

This week I am going to try to appreciate more those other parts of my life, and how they help make me a better writer.

Have a great week.