“I’m so jealous. I don’t know how you get so much writing done.” I’m never sure how to respond when someone says this. It is especially confusing when the person is a writer.
I have deadlines. I meet them. I get paid. It is just about that glamorous.
Oh, I forgot. It involves coffee. You weren’t expecting a muse, were you?
Okay, a little snark there. But really? This is how I make my living. If I want to make said living, I have to meet deadlines and turn things in. It’s like a day job only . . . Actually, it is just like a day job because it is my job!
Now, I’ll be honest. Some days are so much more productive than others. Wednesday I rewrote 3 chapters. Sunday I only rewrote 1 but I also try to keep my work to a minimum over the weekends.
Some days I don’t get as much done because I’m fixing a problem. That came up one day during the rewrite process. One major section of a chapter was just SO BORING. Honestly, reading my grocery list aloud might be more interesting. This was just tedious.
So I took the time to rewrite it and the new section is so much stronger.
Then I realized that I had copied and pasted a paragraph twice. Sigh. I really only needed it once so I deleted the second one. Then I had to find something else to write about to add a paragraph. And, really? The new paragraph is quite interesting.
When I have a deadline I work much harder than when I don’t have a deadline. But I also take breaks. I might take a walk. Tuesday I got out the dust mop and ran it over the floors and then I sneezed quite a lot. Wednesday I started a new fitness program. There really isn’t a magic way to get it done. I hope that doesn’t disappoint any of you!
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 