Many people ask what a writer's day is like.
Strangely enough, my day is anything but what the typical writer's day. At
least the typical writers I've read about. I don't start the day with coffee,
sit at
my desk and write for eight hours. Matter of fact, I don't even sit at a
desk to write. Usually, I'm
on the couch with my lap top. I
seldom wake up, get my coffee and begin to write.
So when do I write, you ask?
I've often woke up in the middle of the night
and wrote throughout the night. I learned early on in my career not to ignore a
thought. If I don't write it down immediately, it's gone. I woke up one night
with a dialogue from a work in progress. Thinking I'd remember it the next day,
I turned over and went back to sleep. The next morning I remembered little of
it. A few words here and there. In fact, not only was most of the dialogue
gone, so was the idea.
So now I get up and write it down immediately.
That often leads to other ideas and hence, the reason I ended up writing all
night. Fortunately, my children are grown, my husband was on the road and I
didn't have to answer to anyone. If I wrote all night and slept all day no one
was the wiser.
Although seldom did I sleep all day. Sleep, in
my opinion, is a waste of time. I hate naps, always have. Well, as long as I
remember anyway. So I'd sleep for a couple of hours and if an idea hit, I'd
write all day also.
So, what is my typical writing day?
Truthfully, I don't have a typical writing day.
Sometimes I write first thing in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon.
Sometimes, I don't write at all. Lately, I've not written much because my
characters refuse to speak to me. They can be stubborn that way.
I must have made them angry or they don't like
the way the story is going. I'm sure they'll lead me in the right direction
eventually. In the mean time, I'm reading what I've already written and
revising/editing as I go along. I'm hoping by time I get to the point where I
left off, I'll figure out which direction they want to go.
For now you can find my books at Amazon
Sounds like me. Isn't it awful that as we age our memory goes? I'm like you...if I don't write it down...It's gone, and since I depend on my characters for ideas, I have to listen wheneveer they speak.
ReplyDeleteI've learned the hard way to get up and write it down. I've lost whole scenes - with dialogue by waiting and thinking I'd remember.
ReplyDeleteAha, the other side of the coin of not writing it down is, maybe it wasn't worth writing down?? LOL..When I've stopped and jotted down something late at night, the next morning I look at what I thought was brilliant at midnight looks ridiculous in the morning! Enjoyed yor post. Hope your characters return, Roseann. They are so quirky and lovable. Thinking of Beatrice Lulu!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard that, J.Q. but I'd like to be able to decide that and unfortunately wasn't able to. I hope they return also. I have 2 of them going right now, they seem to be vying for my attention at the same time and they both go into hiding at the same time. Ed's story and Ethel's story about Beatrice Lulu. Working titles are: It Is What It Is and Live and Learn. Hopefully, they'll start talking again soon.
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