A few weeks ago, I attended Malice Domestic, the
traditional-mystery writer/fan convention held every year in Bethesda , Maryland
It’s not the first time I’ve been asked about finding time, but as I listened that morning, I realized how often I hear lists of “Why I can’t”. I began to get a little
frustrated.
It’s not that I don’t sympathize. I do. I spent a couple of
decades not finding time. And there’s an “if only” lesson there I wouldn’t wish
on anyone else.
So, let me get to the point: Novels are written by, well, writing. And then
rewriting. And rewriting. And throwing out everything you wrote the day before
and starting over. Fixing the gaping hole in your plot. Crafting a better
villain. A better story. New writers often believe there’s some magic out there. That
they will wake up one morning not only with time, but also with sudden inspiration whereby the book will
just flow from the fingertips into the computer.
There is no magic. Repeat, please. And again.
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From the Shoe cartoon strip (1977-2000). Visit jeff-macnelly.com
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If you’re a new writer who hasn't found time to finish (or
start) that book, here's the best advice I have: Right Now, Write Now. Don’t
wait till next month, when you’ve settled into your new job. Or next fall, when
the kids start school. Or next year when your spouse will get that promotion
and you can work part-time. Or when you win the lottery.
You need a routine. You need a commitment. Or you’ll look up
a decade from now, and that book won’t be any further along than it is today. So start today.
Create an honest chart of how you spend your time on weekdays
and weekends. Remember, it’s like the first rough draft of your novel. Nobody has to see it. There will no
judgment but yours.
Are you spending an hour in the evening online, catching up with
friends/family or checking out YouTube? Or watching TV? Are you sleeping in an extra hour on the weekends to make up for your long
work week? Find what you can change right
now. Even if you find only one hour on Saturday mornings and two on Sunday nights,
it’s three hours more than you have now.
Use it. Routine is very important. If you have no ideas ready when your new writing time comes along, hie thee to
the computer anyway. Sit down, open the file and just write. A snatch of dialog, a description of a location. Random thoughts on the page might lead to other ideas. They will at
least get the juices flowing. And don't leave till your time's up.
You’ll get into the habit of writing, and the habit of not doing something else. And then as you make progress, you'll want and find even more time to write — you won’t volunteer for yet another committee (you’ll learn to say,
“Sorry, I just can't do it this time”); you’ll invite friends over twice a month, not
every week; the FB page won't get updated for days; you'll revise chapters in hard copy during lunch; you’ll
make character notes waiting in line at the grocery store; you’ll take a
recorder with you on the treadmill, although “He said (thud, thud, pant, thud, thud, pant),
put the gun down (thud, thud, pant, pant, wheeze, gasp)” can be hard to transcribe
later. Using a recorder during my exercise walks around my neighborhood has
been invaluable in working out dialog, and in showing me how out of shape I am.
Whatever time you can find, find it. But find it now. And eventually you’ll finish the book. It might take three years. Or five. But you'll finish it.
And your new routine will serve you well when you finally sell
that first book and the publisher wants the next one in 8 months!
Sheila York
Great post with lots of good advice. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHemingway had one nifty tip that I follow. Never stop your writing day not knowing what's going to happen next. I try to stick to this assiduously since otherwise I struggle in starting my writing sessions.
Steph
Well said, Sheila! I've had that same question many times. There is no easy answer...but there is an answer, and you just wrote it. Or another way to say it, "Put it on the list of activities for the weekend. 1. Put in laundry 2. Write 3.Errands. Otherwise, it becomes 'when I have time'. Which is never." Always interesting to see which questioners look appalled and which get that aha! expression.
ReplyDeleteTriss
Great post, Sheila! Great comments, Steph and Triss! Great agreement with you, Sheila! Thelma in Manhattan
ReplyDeleteYou have said it all with a cherry on top!
ReplyDeleteI met James Patterson when he was a big time ad exec, working on his first novel, the one that won an Edgar for Best First. He was well-known at J. Walter Thompson for getting up at five in the morning and writing for two hours before he took a shower and went to work. Last time I spoke to him, when he came and gave a talk for us at MWA, he told me he still starts writing at five am.
ReplyDeleteYes, AA, I've found that writers who come from the worlds of advertising, tight deadline jobs and THE LAW , like Phil Margolin, usually bring home the bacon from their novels by the truck loads!!! Thelma
ReplyDeleteI'm single and childless, which helps, but I also have a demanding full-time job, a house to keep up and a half-hour commute. I often brainstorm while I'm driving into a microcassette recorder. (No law so far against that.) It helps me work out upcoming plot and character points so that when I hit the keyboard I'm ready to go. I generally write for an hour or more in the evening after dinner. I would not be able to write in the morning--I'd end up late for work! I'm not much for chatting on the phone after hours, so at night when I'm finally relaxed seems to work fine.
ReplyDelete