The Writing Process

I hesitate.

I don't think people will believe it. Although I take lots of breaks, sometimes I even do a Wal-Mart run, but basically my writing process is from 8 am to midnight. Seven days a week. Every day is a little different than the one before.

Some writers are so disciplined, they force themselves to write so many words a day, for so many hours at a time, and refuse to be disturbed. They have the exact same pattern for writing, rewriting, and submitting.

Not me. I mix it up a little. I'm anal and I'm organized, but I write constantly, so my days are dictated by my interruptions.

Between my writing, I eat my meals, shower, and talk on the phone. I have meetings with writing friends once or twice a week, attend networking meetings, and I go to book signings, meetings with my publicist, publisher, and I read blogs (sometimes spending too much time on Agent's blogs, like the Snark Agent ... but I learn, process what I want, and store the rest for later.) I study my Writer's Digest and Publishers Weekly. There are also a few projects (writing related, of course) that I'm working on. I do research, and some days I write only this blog. However, 90% of the time, I squeeze all of the above, in between my writing.

I don't squeeze writing in between my appointments.

Writing is my life. It's what I do. It's who I am. I'm not bragging about it. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm crazy. I realized a few years ago, this is what I was meant to do ... all my life. And finally, before I was too old to start, my journey began.

I also take time to read. And I'd love to start exercising more regularly again. In the future, I'm going to be speaking ... a lot. There's a great deal of work to be done selling my book, and I'm fortunate to have people who want to help me do it.

But, in the end, my life revolves around sitting at this computer and putting words on "paper." The stories in my head have to be written down. Just like I have to eat food to survive, I have to write, daily ... to feel alive.

There's no other way around it. So you want to talk about the writing process? There is none. It's not a process for me. It's a way of life.

Blessings to you and yours.