I think I've already complained/discussed my difficulty nailing down the first chapter of Rain, but I'd love to revisit the subject.

Here are all the elements I've had to artfully stuff into the first (now 18) pages: busy; loves his job; loves his co-workers; gay; emotional distance from family; befriends unpopular, nearly unlikable instructor; friend is dying; Buddhist; eccentric; description of office; set in New York City; old hometown. I'm confident I'm forgetting something.

So after probably seven rewrites, I think I'm pretty close. I'm know some of the elements on the list are covered less than adequately, but that's where the critique groups come in. Usually, that is.

I've brought this chapter in twice before, so bringing it in a third time makes me feel like I may be abusing the group's patience. Whether or not I ultimately decide to send it out to the other members will depend upon their feedback. I'm even hesitant to ask about it. They are a kind group though. I'll need to keep that in mind.

Allowing enough time for writing while holding down a full-time job has got to be the hardest part of a committed writer's lifestyle. Add to the mix quality family time, exercise and time for self-reflection and the task becomes even harder.

Solutions: quit the full-time job; reduce the quality of work at the full-time job; get fat; do coke; go mad; suicide; bag up the family and drop them off a bridge; quit writing. All of these are poor solutions, especially the quitting writing, so what's a girl to do? (Sorry, I've been writing the Mr. Salley story for too long now.)

I've read versions of this advice a number of times in different sources, so I'll skip the credits. Basically what they all get at is how important it is for a new writer to map out what you do everyday for maybe a week. After the week, take a look at the blocks of time that you've wasted--and there will be more than you could have imagined.

Taoists (yes I am) believe that you can't save time, no matter what infomercial tool you buy, you can only waste it. That reminds me of another rule that I should add to the list of writers' rules that I've tried to compile in the past. You know, it's the one that starts out with write every day without exception.

New Rule: TV is the devil! Avoid all of it (except project runway, bbc news and english premier league football, of course).

Now that you've identified what the devil is, you can walk around him, work around it. Voila! You now have time for writing. By eliminating TV from your life (with the previously-stated exceptions) you've not only freed up time for writing, you've freed up your mind, you've saved your job, your life, your family and a trip to the bridge.

Allowing enough time for writing while holding down a full-time job has got to be the hardest part of a committed writer's lifestyle. Add to the mix quality family time, exercise and time for self-reflection and the task becomes even harder.

Solutions: quit the full-time job; reduce the quality of work at the full-time job; get fat; do coke; go mad; suicide; bag up the family and drop them off a bridge; quit writing. All of these are poor solutions, especially the quitting writing, so what's a girl to do? (Sorry, I've been writing the Mr. Salley story for too long now.)

I've read versions of this advice a number of times in different sources, so I'll skip the credits. Basically what they all get at is how important it is for a new writer to map out what you do everyday for maybe a week. After the week, take a look at the blocks of time that you've wasted--and there will be more than you could have imagined.

Taoists (yes I am) believe that you can't save time, no matter what infomercial tool you buy, you can only waste it. That reminds me of another rule that I should add to the list of writers' rules that I've tried to compile in the past. You know, it's the one that starts out with write every day without exception.

New Rule: TV is the devil! Avoid all of it (except project runway, bbc news and english premier league football, of course).

Now that you've identified what the devil is, you can walk around him, work around it. Voila! You now have time for writing. By eliminating TV from your life (with the previously-stated exceptions) you've not only freed up time for writing, you've freed up your mind, you've saved your job, your life, your family and a trip to the bridge.

I profess writing every day, no exceptions. And in August, I technically kept my word: I wrote everyday. But the writing I did can't be confused with progress. Sometimes life gets in the way.

If I am reasonable, I have to admit there are some events that, since they only occur once in life, you have to shuffle your priorities. This summer was rife with a number of such once-in-a-lifetime events, but August was the Devil incarnate. After the annual sacrifice of the majority of July to the Tour, August brought The Olympics followed directly by the DNC and now the RNC. Thank heavens the latter is nigh unwatchable, but things are destined to heat up when McCain...who am I kidding. Regardless of my feelings about the RNC, I owe it to myself as a thinking American to listen intently to as much as I can tolerate as it is undeniably historic.

So what does a writer do at times like these? All we can do is to do our best to keep the momentum going, keep our self-talk positive, churn out something, read about writing during the commercials or over a short lunch. We can waste as little time in other areas of our lives to allow for more writing time. And don't forget all the preparation we can achieve in our heads while we're driving to and from errands or, in my case, riding or exercising. As I log miles on my bike or on the treadmill, instead of listening to my favorite music or thinking about every pedal stroke or step after step, I'm solving the multitude of problems that arise during the writing of a piece.