What do you think a day in the life of an author is supposed to be like? If you see writing in terms of wealth and glamour you might think it's like this -
Read newspapers in bed
Bubble bath followed by champagne breakfast. Dress as if in Vogue.
Interview for glossy magazine, with coffee or fruit tea
Phone agent.
Lunch of light salad
Send fan mail to secretary to deal with
Write one thousand words of steamy novel
Take Afghans for a walk
Read and approve one thousand words, as above
Evening meal prepared by partner or bought from Waitrose and based on recipe by Nigella Lawson/Jamie Oliver/Heston Blumenthal
Give talk to local writers' group, book club, or charity event about the exciting, hilarious, heart-warming life of a writer.
Gin and tonic
On the other hand, if you like your writers to be driven, furiously creative and a bit mad it could be like this -
Start work early because you couldn't sleep last night. Write something. Drink whatever's nearest, usually cold tea from last night. Dress as if in an alehouse with Shelley.
Go for long walk in rain with coat unfastened.
Feed cat.
Read this morning's work and bin it. Write three thousand words.
Remember to eat. Find bread and cheese and eat it while writing.
Re-read what you wrote yesterday. Throw half of it away and revise the other half. Forget to finish bread and cheese Cat eats it.
Have great idea. Start work on it. Forget to put light/heating on. Feed self.
Take a break to read or go to pub and meet friends. Re-read great idea. Hate it. Bang head on the desk and cry.
Fall asleep at desk. Woken at three in the morning by cat wanting to be out.
And then there's most of us. Like me.
Get up reluctantly. Dress as if not going anywhere.
Read paper, do e-mails and correspondence, touch base with publishers.
Clean loos. Put washing in.
Unblock overflowing outside drain and dig hair out of bathroom plughole. Grab a bit of toast and eat lunch while reading Terry Pratchett. Glug coffee.
Hide in study and write stuff. Glug more coffee. Phone daughter. Go on writing until hungry. Get distracted by daft stuff on computer. Eat fish fingers in front of television.
Write more stuff. Watch Dickensian. Coffee. Blog. Have great idea that I won't like in the morning. Sprawl with book. Lie awake still thinking of great idea because I haven't yet realised that it won't work.
Writers. That's how we roll.
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7 comments:
It's always entertaining to read your commentaries!
Hello, Command 'Fire' Four Times (oh, I love that name) and how are you these days?
Hi Margaret, I'm surviving the university student life. I've gotten through the first semester with flying colors (academically, at least - maybe not sleep-wise) and sticking with my Professional Writing studies so far. I'm writing more academic papers than story chapters these days, though I was required to take an introductory course to creative writing and I think it's made me strive to keep a balance of each. No idea yet of what direction I'll take outside of school, but I have a class now in tutoring writing to possibly get me a job in the university's writing center, so other students could come to me for advice and revision with their pieces. Too early to tell if that will strike up some ambition in me or not.
There's some other guys here that like to watch English soccer (football, sorry!) when the main channels decide to broadcast the matches across the pond. I decided upon following Liverpool since it's the longtime residence of another author with a Mistmantle-like vein I read in my childhood: Brian Jacques and his Redwall tales. The Reds are like the definition of "average". Perhaps they provide some consistency in these otherwise hectic months. A recent record snowstorm rolled through and has sort of shut down the campus for the beginning of the week; more time to sleep!
I remember reading Redwall. I got to meet Brian Jaqueas!! ....And then along came Mistmantle...
How is everyone? Margaret, I havn't heard from you in a while. Hope your doing well. :)
Command Fire - Well done! It sounds as if you are getting places with writing. Have you dug yourself out of the snow yet? My son was very into Redwall at one time.
At one point Liverpool dominated football over here. All I can say that they are doing considerably better than Newcastle. As I grew up on the coast just a few miles from Newcastle I have no choice but to be loyal, even while muttering 'you're not fit to wear the shirt!'
Hi, Sam! I was thinking you'd been quiet. How is everything - any news on what you're writing?
I sent you an email. Oh well. My writing, just keep waiting. :) ( I'm still working on "The City of Bane" story.)
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