My reading and writing days…
H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N!
There will be ghosts and goblins cruising around your neighborhoods tonight. Please be careful. And, if you’re adults heading off to a party, be responsible: Don’t drink and drive.
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I was already a mature adult when computers, computing, and the internet came into being and began to dominate our lives. I remember that “blog” originally was an abbreviation for “bio log.” They often took the form of someone going through their waking day, describing everything that happened, maybe even with a videocam—in other words, some narcissist wanting to make public the boring details of her or his existence. Now you’ll find the narcissists on Facebook or Twitter (the most extreme one is on Twitter). And then people complain they’re losing their privacy!
Now “blog” is defined as “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.” Hence this is a “blog post,” i.e. one of those updates. But I thought it would be fun to show how my writing and reading days are organized most days. I think that’s what it means to be a full-time writer…emphasis on full-time. I might be wrong, though, so please comment. And there’s nothing wrong with being a part-time writer. Been there; done that.
6 a.m. Our usual wake-up time. (We’re morning people.) News goes on, NY Times is brought in, and we eat breakfast, usually with two mugs of coffee and cereal. Boring stuff mostly, but I get ideas from the news and the Times, and the two mugs of java are necessary to jumpstart my writing batteries (occasionally three).
8 a.m. Email, answering what’s not spam, especially authors, editors, and publishers; maybe a bit of social media; a few posts to Facebook and Twitter.
10 a.m. Maybe writing some short fiction or blog posts.
12 a.m. Lunch—usually a sandwich, with soup added in the winter.
1 p.m. “Serious writing” starts, i.e. working on a story…if not before. Will it become a short story, novella, or novel? I don’t care during the writing, and I don’t worry about word count until I’m done. If there’s no WIP, I start a new one after consulting my notes. I might have to do some research for settings, which include both space and time. That might require reading Science News, or the online Wikipedia or Britannica (often to check Wikipedia), or using Google.
2:30 p.m. My batteries might be getting low. If not, I keep going; otherwise, back to email and social media. I don’t add more java because I wouldn’t sleep. Editors, publishers, and reviewers keep me awake enough. Marketing stresses me out.
3:30 p.m. Batteries are definitely drained by then. News—CNN at first, then local, then national—and dinner. I’m sometimes cooking (barbecuing); otherwise my wife is.
7:00 p.m. Email check on my Kindle. Nothing going on? I read, unless there’s something worthwhile on TV (rare, and mostly on PBS). Earl Grey Tea or two fingers of Jameson. No java. R&R is the key.
10:00 p.m. Bed.
Rinse and repeat the next day.
On weekends, we do something, anything different from our weekday activities. Almost always involves going out for Saturday night dinner, even if it’s el cheapo (burger at a pub accompanied by a glass of wine or ale?). Lots of movies too (that’s where all those movie reviews come from—I’ve seen every one I review, although sometimes they’re so bad, I want to walk out). Sometimes a trip to the Jersey Shore during the week during the summer; sometimes sheltering in place when the weather is bad.
You’ve now seen that my old-fashioned “bio log” would be about as boring as watching grass grow if I put it on videocam. And that’s the point. It’s a fairly rigid schedule for a reading and writing life. Authors must schedule time for both—at least full-time authors do.
I know many can’t be full-time. I used to be in that boat too, and finding the time for reading and writing was as much of a challenge as bailing out a boat with a huge hole in the bottom, the water having been the demands on my time. I managed to squeeze some reading and writing in, late at night or on weekends. It’s hard. But even that produces good stories if you stick to a schedule.
And, by the way, one has to fit editing and promotion in somewhere. Now that’s really boring…but it has to be done.
Go forth and read and write.
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Comments are always welcome!
Son of Thunder. What’s unusual about this book? It’s the sequel to Rembrandt’s Angel. It features Esther Brookstone, now retired from Scotland Yard, who is now obsessed with finding St. John the Divine’s tomb using directions left by the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. Esther’s search, the disciple’s missionary travels, and Botticelli’s trip to the Middle East make for three travel stories that all come together in one surprising climax.
Esther’s paramour, Interpol agent Bastiann van Coevorden, has problems with arms dealers, but he multitasks by trying to keep Esther focused and out of danger. The reader can also learn how their romance progresses, as well as travel back in time to discover a bit about Esther’s past with MI6 during the Cold War.
History, archaeology, romance, religion, and art make for a tasty stew in this moving, moralistic mystery/thriller novel published by Penmore Press. Available in print and ebook formats at Amazon and from the publisher, and in ebook format at Smashwords and the latter’s affiliated retailers (iBooks, B&N, Kobo, etc.) and lenders (Overdrive, etc.). Also available at your favorite bookstore (if they don’t have it, ask for it.)
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
