Writing

I've heard a number of times over the years from people who want to be a writer.

However, so many of them simply don't have time to write. This is where I agree with Stephen King -- if you want to be a writer, then you write. Period.

Now, I've read advice over the years that basically told you to give it all up -- no social life, no family, no TV, etc. I think that's absurd, but if you want to write, you have to make it a priority. After all, the only way to get words on the page is to plant your ass and put them there.

What to write?

Who cares? It can be a story, a poem, a letter to the editor, a journal, a diary, a blog. The critical thing is to write.

Writing habits are as varied as the writers.

For me, my most productive writing times are early in the day and late in the day. Can't do much with the time in between, fiction-wise. Of course, some of that may be because that time is dedicated to my ad/pr agency job.

Here are some thoughts from a slew of mystery writers.

From "Speaking of Murder II":
Robert Crais: "I'm there every day. Not kidding, every day, seven days a week. I rise very early, like 4:30 in the morning. I'm in the gym by 6 and home by 7:15 and then straight to the Mac. During the early part of the book, I tend to burn out by about 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., but when I get into Deadline Madness....I start pumping 12, 14 hours a day, sometimes more.

From bookreporter.com
Robert B. Parker: "I start writing between 10 and 11 AM and write five pages per day. I'll then eat a light lunch, take an hour nap, and work on a screenplay in the afternoon. I need long, uninterrupted periods to write --- I can't write in short bursts."

Michael Connelly: "I try to get up as early as possible and be writing before the sun comes up. I find I am most creative in the morning. I usually go to lunch and then things slow down after and I either do a little more writing or concentrate on the business side of my work. When I am writing a book, which is most of the time, I write everyday, even if it's only for a few minutes. It keeps the story alive in my head."

From barnesandnoble.com
Walter Mosley: "I just write. Writing starts at the first sentence and ends with the last version of the last sentence. It takes a lot of work and it might be difficult, but it might be a labor of love."

From www.suegrafton.com
Sue Grafton: "I'm at my desk by 9:00 a.m. promptly and I work until lunch time. On a good day, I start by revising the pages I did the day before and then (with luck) I write my allotment of two pages a day. In the midst of this, of course, I'm also doing research. Often I don't realize how ignorant I am until I try to write a scene and become aware of the information that I'm lacking. In that case, I stop and read or I make a phone call or a trip out to consult one of my experts."