You're Not Wasting Time After All

"You have to get over the notion that you are wasting your time by sitting and writing, by thinking and feeling frustrated at what you've written, and staring out the window and doodling and closing your eyes and seeing these made-up people and imagining their lives. You are doing your job even if those who peek into your writing room and see you gazing off into space think you are squandering your life--they can't see what you see."
---------John Dufresne, in his new book, Is Life Like This? A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months, coming out in February from W.W. Norton. Quoted from Bernadette Geyer's blog, http://bernadettegeyer.blogspot.com/2009/09/quote-of-day.html

and from John himself at the Friday Night Writers meeting 9/25/09. He also said he has never written a completed novel in six months, but the book is designed to show how to get a completed draft in six months and avoid all the excuses for not doing it that arise. The quote cuts right to the heart of the matter for anyone who has ever tried to write and run a busy household.