Being disciplined

I am curious about what different writers do in order to get it done. How do you set up your writing time? Do you give yourself a minimum number of words or pages to write each day (or session for those who also work at other things)? I remember reading somewhere that Stephen King used to write a minimum of 1200 words a day before he'd allow himself to move on to something else. I know others prefer a number of pages.

I am a word counter personally - some days I write 1500 words, some days more, but never less (I used to write as long as I felt like but found I was not getting enough done). Somehow 10 words took forever!!

I generally start with a cup of strong tea, and write for an hour before throwing the now cold tea into the microwave and heating it back up (I know that's blasphemy to tea drinkers everywhere, but I hate throwing it out) and then I stay at it until I get to at least 1500 or until I conk out.

Looking forward to what the rest of you do - or don't do??

Cheers!

I wrote an article that covered this a while back. Must look it out and give it a dust off . . .

Most writers I know use the BOSFOK philosophy - bum on seat, fingers on keyboard!

I try to set myself a target of 500 - 1000 words a day, but constant interuptions and demands for food from my partner sometimes means that I don't achieve this.

Here you go Pam, dug it out and dusted it off:

https://publishedauthors.forumotion.com/articles-f19/running-the-marathon-t204.htm

I guess everyone has a take on the "how to" approach to writing and in my opinion it is an individual thing. We all have different motivations and I don't think there is any one way that is the right way. If what you're dong works, keep doing it. (If it ain't broke don't fix it). If you are having a problem getting at it, or staying with it, perhaps ideas from others can be helpful and I believe that was the purpose of this thread.
I think we all write when we are inspired to write but there are times when we reach a wall of sorts. That is the time that I take a walk - alone. It is amazing how ideas will come to me and I can't wait to get back home and get them written. I may also see how, where, or why I have stumbled. Perhaps I'm just getting tired and need a break.
Having a daily goal to write a certain amount can also work for some. If that works, do it. My goal is getting to the end of the story, and once I get there, it is just the beginning of the work needed to be done.

Hi Abe,

I agree. That's exactly the way I see it. We even work differently at different periods of our lives. When I decided to write a novel, the ideas were there but I didn't have all the information I needed to write the novel and I didn't have the 'net at my fingertips to do the research. So, I took driving lessons so that I could drive into Glasgow to do the research in the Mitchell library.

The day after I passed my test, I drove into Glasgow and tried to park the car. I found a spot right outside the library (after circling the streets for twenty minutes!) and attempted to reverse park. There was a brand new sprorts car next to the space and the owner of the car came out onto the pavement to watch me make n attempts before I finally positioned the car less than a foot from the kerb without hitting anything! Talk about motivation! LOL!

I went back every day for a fortnight until I had gathered all the information I needed to get started -- then I wrote the whole novel in six weeks -- 2,000 words per day every day.

Ten years later to the month that I passed my test, The Power of Persuasion is finally available for anyone who would like to read it.

When I started writing Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine, it was two months after my younger brother died of cancer -- and that was a whole different story. It took several months to write the first eight chapters and then I took a break of several months until I got back to it and spent another three months writing the remaining ten chapters.

Two different motivations, two different approaches to writing two very different novels.

Great thread Pam!

Btw. The Mitchell library is the largest public reference library in Europe. This is the library:




I parked immediately behind a car in the same position as the car at the bottom left of the picture.

Loved your article George, and although I never run anywhere anymore I can certainly relate from the long distance end. I never could sprint.
Abe I too love the long walk as a reflective period. It's not just good for me, it blows the cobwebs out.
Sheilagh you sure were committed on your journey and I admire you for that. I bet you are spending all kinds of time back and forth all over the place. I love visiting my local library - the way it smells, the kids in the story corners. It's inspiring to see what everybody does and how we all do it differently, even though we are all writing.

Love the library, Shelagh. What an awesome building. And to learn to drive to visit a library certainly shows drive and ambition.

I write in the mornings, Pam. While I'm normally a night person, I seem to think just a little better in the mornings, so that's when I'm offically at work--on my own writing and editing other manuscripts. Afternoons I do errands or whatever, then evenings I proof what I've written that morning. That's also my time to write the 'fun' things I enjoy.

Well today I started out early and ready to write for the day. I stoked the stove to take the chill off the house to warm it up a bit while I had my breakfast and the dogs had theirs. I settled in to work and then allowed myself to get distracted among the emails, a couple of forums and phone calls. Somewhere in the midst of it all I got struck with an outstanding idea -- wham! I had to make some notes so I can look at it again toward the end of the week when I am finished with the one that I am currently working on.
Tomorrow, bum on seat fingers on keyboard and no distractions.

Shelagh, I look forward to hearing your story about the driving lessons and the library on a major network interview with you! That's a good one. Plus, it's so unique since (and I say this sadly), I have a feeling most younger authors today have never been inside a library since the last grade school book report they wrote.

Malcolm

Brenda, I'm also a night person, but for some reason I tend to get more actual writing done in the morning. I think it's because I wake up early and other people are still too sleepy at that point to ring the door bell or call me up an interrupt.

Malcolm

I am a morning person. I wake before the chickens and love to have coffee and start writing. That's when I'm most dedicated. I try my hardest to be good when I get home after work, but after work I also have to force myself to go to the gym and then come home and write. There are times when I just can't do it, so I end up making it up the lost time on the weekends. I can't wait for the day when there is no day job and I can write every morning with the chickens!

Funny thing about the chickens...a lady here had 3 and she lives downtown. She was pressured to move them out to the country since we are a harbour city and the chickens tend to attract rats. There is a story in there someplace.

Yesterday I tried something new. I was working on a deadline and struggling to stay, um, focussed (finding the content a little dry) and so to pepper up my writing I spent about four hours writing while standing up. I think I will do that again.

When I typed the rough draft to Of Orbs and Lords in late 2006 I tried to maintain a rate of 5,000-7,000 words per week. I think this is a good rate for writing a book, bearing in mind that I'm not a fast typist. Actually, one does not have to write very much each day to get a book. If you write just 250 words a day seven days a week, in a year you'll have 91,250 words (91,500 if it's a leap year).

I love to hear about how other writers work. Fascinating!

I'm a fit-and-start kind of gal. When I am on a roll, I put in about 1500 words a day. Most novels take me about three to four months to the rough draft stage. As soon as a scene reveals itself, I try to capture it. I dream about the book. I think about it in the shower. The trick is finding time between work, obligations to family, and sleep. Somehow, it all gets done.

When I'm not actively writing, I take time to edit on a previous work.

All of this takes my mind off wondering about the two novels my agent is shopping around. I can obcess, given a slight opportunity.

My writing speed depends on whether or not I'm on deadline, but as an average, I shoot for 2,000-2,500 words a day, 5-6 days a week. I generally get to the desk about 7:30 or 8 am, work till lunch, then again until about 5. Of course, much of that time is also wasted online...I mean, spent constructively on sites like this!

Jeff

Ah Jeff, at least you're honest about the online time!