Writers Write

Posted December 13th, 2004 by Michelle

This I understand. I also understand that writers read. I am deep into Stephen King’s brilliant “On Writing”, and it is haunting me day and night, even worse than the clown from “It”. I get it, I get it, writers write and writers read. They do these things almost constantly. I read like crazy, I write like crazy, but he (and all the others- Lamont, Kingsolver, Dillard) insists that writers have a schedule. He’s got my panites in a bunch over this whole schedule thing; apparently hellfire and brimstone and utter despair is all that await the unorganized writer. He wants me to churn out 1000 words a day, at least. I double that number every day I’m at work, but none of them are for my own project. I have to leave for work at 8:30 AM at the latest, and I (albeit feebly) run in the mornings, and even if I didn’t, I still couldn’t write 1000 words between 7:30 and 8:30 AM. And that’s if I don’t bathe, which is problematic. My evenings are about 75% full, and when they are not, I leave work some time between 6-7, getting home around 7 or 8, and then it’s the end of the day and I’m too…

I was about to say that I’m too drained to write, but it’s not true. I just do everything better in the morning hours. I could tuck in right now and do that 1000 words, but truth be told, I’ve had a nasty cold for almost a month and I’m about to go to bed. Because apparently that’s the OTHER thing I should do- stay healthy. Where does the full-time job fit in with the healthy and the reading and the writing and the schedule? I understand that lots of writers write at work. Lots of writers have subsistence jobs where they actually have time during the day to put pen to paper. Not only do I not have one of those jobs, I have a job for which I am constantly WRITING. Which is great, hey, I’m not complaining, but I am having a helluva time trying to figure out when I can schedule my three hours- three hours a day, is that asking too much?- in a row that I can close the door of my study and write for me. My mom often bemoans that she’s tired of working on other people’s music, because it starts to interfere with her own. I finally understand. Mom, apparently it’s all about schedule.

Could I swing it from 6-9 PM? I’d have to leave work on time, and stop dating entirely. Wait, maybe that’s not such a bad idea. But it is the holidays, and I am booked most nights. Could I start getting up at 6? Even then, I’d have to be in the shower by 7:30, and that means no run. Could I start going into work at 10? UGH! HOW CAN I DO THIS?! My characters are going to become unfamiliar and stale and my plot will start to fade and everything will be ruined IF I DON’T GET ON SCHEDULE!

Did I happen to mention that the lovely board of my super arts non-profit offered me a new contract with a raise? AND we’re having a holiday party? Now if only I could figure out my writing schedule.

yet another obstacle in my schedule…