My Writing Day
Every writer spends their time at the keyboard a little differently. Some write in the morning, some in the evening—some even in the wee morning hours after midnight.
But how many published writers write full time? I don't know the exact number, but the percentage of writers who do not have another job is a single-digit percentage number.
Where does that leave me? Well, I am not published so I don't fit into that statistic. But like most of those published writers, I have to have an assured means of making a living to pay bills, eat good food, travel when I want to, and impress as many women as I can!
I worked at B&N for seven years until November 2005, as a manager in one of that book chain's largest retail stores. It was a very fun time. I learned a lot, not only about the book business but management and people in general, and I really do cherish those days. It was the time I was developing what I wanted to do with my life and if I hadn't had those days, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now.
But I left to write Fell Hammer full time. I had saved up a bit of money. My girlfriend and I had decided to move in together and she had every faith in me that I could do this. So I did. We did.
I still had my small business, The Signed Page, where people can order signed or personalized copies of their favorite writers' books. That gave me some freedom for a while.
Now, two years later, I still have The Signed Page. It is my prominent source of income as I tackle The Dagda King. The small business only takes up a few hours of my time a week if a signing isn't occurring, so that makes it conducive to writing. I also decided to take a 20 hour a week job to supplement my income; I don't like debt and have always worked hard not to have any.
My work day looks like this:
- I get up, respond to emails, shower, go to work for four hours.
- Around 1 pm, I come home to eat lunch, respond to emails.
- I try to take a walk to work off the meal.
- When I get back, I start writing. This usually around 3 pm.
- I write until 10 or 11 pm sometimes. Dinner happens somewhere in there.
- I get washed up around 11 pm, get into bed, read some, and go to sleep.
As I said in one of my other comment posts, I pace a lot. The beautiful woman who lives below me probably thinks I have some nervous disorder. But walking helps organize my thoughts in a way that staring at the computer does not do for me.
I do this schedule from Monday through Friday. I write about 1500 words a day. Like clockwork. If I am on, I can write a 4000 word chapter in three days.
Saturday and Sunday I try to leave open for friends and family. Everyone needs a bit of a break from writing to let their mind cool off and dream again. But sometimes no one is doing anything so I write those days as well.
The television and web browsers are always turned off.
The important thing for me, I've noticed, is staying healthy. If I take time in the morning to eat a good breakfast and go on to have a good day at work, my writing is always strong. If I don't have breakfast, it's like fighting a rattlesnake with two fingers. Exercising is important; keeps the blood flowing. I also try to feed my brain with current world affairs, politics, and history. I'm not a music guy and not moved to write by it, but keeping tabs on what other people are doing in the world keeps my mind limber. And a limber mind writes better.
Your schedule will differ from this. Every other writer's schedule does. My schedule during Fell Hammer was a bit different; I wrote in the mornings then. But the process is the same as before; it's just darker now when I write.
The important thing is to write every day—even if it is for just 30 minutes—and keep yourself healthy so you can write with a clear conscious.
A funny thing: I can't write if the dishes are dirty. There is just something about it that drives me nuts. Must be my OCD nature putting me in my place. haha
At least something does!
But how many published writers write full time? I don't know the exact number, but the percentage of writers who do not have another job is a single-digit percentage number.
Where does that leave me? Well, I am not published so I don't fit into that statistic. But like most of those published writers, I have to have an assured means of making a living to pay bills, eat good food, travel when I want to, and impress as many women as I can!
I worked at B&N for seven years until November 2005, as a manager in one of that book chain's largest retail stores. It was a very fun time. I learned a lot, not only about the book business but management and people in general, and I really do cherish those days. It was the time I was developing what I wanted to do with my life and if I hadn't had those days, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing now.
But I left to write Fell Hammer full time. I had saved up a bit of money. My girlfriend and I had decided to move in together and she had every faith in me that I could do this. So I did. We did.
I still had my small business, The Signed Page, where people can order signed or personalized copies of their favorite writers' books. That gave me some freedom for a while.
Now, two years later, I still have The Signed Page. It is my prominent source of income as I tackle The Dagda King. The small business only takes up a few hours of my time a week if a signing isn't occurring, so that makes it conducive to writing. I also decided to take a 20 hour a week job to supplement my income; I don't like debt and have always worked hard not to have any.
My work day looks like this:
- I get up, respond to emails, shower, go to work for four hours.
- Around 1 pm, I come home to eat lunch, respond to emails.
- I try to take a walk to work off the meal.
- When I get back, I start writing. This usually around 3 pm.
- I write until 10 or 11 pm sometimes. Dinner happens somewhere in there.
- I get washed up around 11 pm, get into bed, read some, and go to sleep.
As I said in one of my other comment posts, I pace a lot. The beautiful woman who lives below me probably thinks I have some nervous disorder. But walking helps organize my thoughts in a way that staring at the computer does not do for me.
I do this schedule from Monday through Friday. I write about 1500 words a day. Like clockwork. If I am on, I can write a 4000 word chapter in three days.
Saturday and Sunday I try to leave open for friends and family. Everyone needs a bit of a break from writing to let their mind cool off and dream again. But sometimes no one is doing anything so I write those days as well.
The television and web browsers are always turned off.
The important thing for me, I've noticed, is staying healthy. If I take time in the morning to eat a good breakfast and go on to have a good day at work, my writing is always strong. If I don't have breakfast, it's like fighting a rattlesnake with two fingers. Exercising is important; keeps the blood flowing. I also try to feed my brain with current world affairs, politics, and history. I'm not a music guy and not moved to write by it, but keeping tabs on what other people are doing in the world keeps my mind limber. And a limber mind writes better.
Your schedule will differ from this. Every other writer's schedule does. My schedule during Fell Hammer was a bit different; I wrote in the mornings then. But the process is the same as before; it's just darker now when I write.
The important thing is to write every day—even if it is for just 30 minutes—and keep yourself healthy so you can write with a clear conscious.
A funny thing: I can't write if the dishes are dirty. There is just something about it that drives me nuts. Must be my OCD nature putting me in my place. haha
At least something does!
Labels: Craft
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 3:34 PM
7 Comments:
I feel your pain about the debt man. I get up around seven, shower, grab a pop tart (which I have to stop doing because it's killing me, just no substance there you know), if it's trash day, do that jump in the car and *hopefully* make it to Snoqualmie by 8:30. This doesn't always happen because Hiway 18 *sucks*.
Work all day (Ironically, I dream up some of my best ideas during this time), head out a five, or if I didn't make the 8:30 mark then head out a 5:30 or even - gasp! - 5:45 - get home around 6:00 or 6:30; if I'm lucky, my wife's got dinner handled, otherwise, COOK, clean up the kitchen, try to spend a little "us" time with the wife, and if schools in session, go to school (online DeVry - so there IS that going for me). And if I'm lucky, if I'm REALLY lucky, I get something bolted out before I mentally shut down for the night (around midnight or so).
So yeah, thing thing with me is, when I sit down and write, I write *quickly*, because I don't get the time often. The other side of that is it may have been several days since I had the chance and I start to Jones so bad for that fix when I know I've got something in my head, that it's literally written in my mind already.
It's a really weird life. But, I have found, that it's the only thing that truly makes me feel complete. Not to get mellow-dramatic on you there but I think you can appreciate that.
Like, that's the dream, to be able to just write.
So Cheers man, you've already taken a step that frankly scars the crap out of me - if I don't work full time I'd be terrified!!!
Great post, thanks for the insight into your day. Quick question, any music playing while you write? Sometimes the groove helps sometimes it hinders. Definitely has to be instrumental for me. Anything else bugs.
Also, is it possible to purchase Dark Wraith from the signed page and then just pick it up at the UW bookstore instead? Would like to contribute... but want to go to the event as well. Just a thought.
Mark
Sean:
Gonna be a short one, i'm on my 15 break at the ole' grind. See i'm in that incubus jax boat, one paddle spinning in circles and trying to carve out 30 mins here or there to create a little but struggling to balance it with the exhaustion of everyday life. Gotta admit, a little jelous of you having the resources to write full time, i agree with incubus, you are halfway to living the dream--not jealous in a malicious sorta way tho, i'm happy for you, i know you must have worked really hard and been very ambitious to put yourself in that position, that doesn't just happen. congrats. Haha, i'm going to have to contradict Incubus in one aspect tho, the thought of someday not being able to write full-time and not work the standard 40-45 is what scares the crap out of me. Hey all about dreams baby, thats what keeps us going; nothing is more sad than when you meet someone who is living in idle having abondoned thier dreams and simply pacing for the sake of burning time.
ohhh, and wanted to say Hi to Mark or Incubus whatever you prefer, see you on the message boards all the time.
take care Shawn and say hi to the beautiful woman who live downstairs for us, haha.
What part time job are you working? My ideal supplimental job would be knocking out the night shift at my local 24 hour gym, a nice little income boost, would be so quiet that i could work on my writing, it would be great, and even get a little exercise in on the side.
IncubusJax: I realized very early on if I was going to have a shot at this I'd have to give it my all. I have no idea how you write like that, in 30 minute bursts whenever you can squeeze the minutes in. Terry did that very same thing when he wrote Sword, Elfstones and Wishsong, and it took him on average four years to write a book. I am far too impatient for that kind of time period.
I take the plunge now, hope for the best, and see what happens. If I fail, it won't be because I didn't give my whole attention to the project, didn't have the right computer or surroundings, etc. I'm a very linear thinker, unfortunately, and that requires me to be very organized and to think my future out methodically.
If I don't, I get cranky. haha
I am also in a part of my life where I can get away with not working full time. I have no family, no girlfriend. I have no ties, no debt. I don't own a home or a car. This gives me a flexibility a lot of people don't have in their financial affairs.
So don't be too envious. When I have no food in the place, I require the bus.
As for music, I don't listen to music when I write. On some weird level, I understand music and I am fascinated by it as I've never learned its theory. When it is on, I want to absorb it and learn from it -- which takes away from writing. Therefore, no music for me. Or television.
And Mark, you should buy Dark Wraith of Shannara at the University Bookstore. I am flattered that you want to give me your hard-earned cash, but at my core I am an honest, honorable man and the University Bookstore deserves that patronage for holding the event. Buy it from Duane, tell him you could have bought it from me but you decided to go with him -- he'll beam for months probably.
Sean: The supplemental job I have is a 20 hour / week gig as a web developer and shipping manager for a small up and coming company here in Seattle. They are very flexible, which affords me the opportunity to schedule my signings whenever I need them to be. It's a fun job, I like the two owners, and it keeps me invested in the world around me.
Shawn I have a question not related to this post at all.
The titles of your books, the one you are currently writing, the ones you are going to write and the ones you were going to write for SONG.
How did you come up with them? Do most authors come up with a name before they even begin writing?
I ask because I am finding just coming up with appropriate names of people and places difficult, let alone a name for the book. It's not that I lack the creativity rather I feel names can really make the character and place and book in this case.
Feel free to move this comment since it has nothing to do with this topic.
Thanks,
Josh
Shawn,
Will do. I'll see if my brother's getting a copy and if he is, I'll point him at the signed page.
It's impossible really (to write like I do) I went up to my office at around 7pm last night with every intention of doing school work but found myself instead working on a story... I went to bed around 10:30 and had put down close to 3900 words.
Of course, they'll have to be revised and rechecked (I write quick and then fix it later) but hey, for a guy like me just getting something down at all is a great thing. ;)
Oh and Sean,
Hey man how's it going, thanks for the shout out.
See you around the boards!
-Mark, or Incubus Jax, or whatever. ;)
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