Tag: writing time

Weekend Workshop/Discussion

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 7 Comments

This might be more of a discussion than workshop but I recently read Stephen King’s On Writing and I noted down a million and one things he said and I want to talk about them a little at a time.

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut. (145)

This makes perfect sense to me. Whether you read good prose or bad, fiction or non, you are learning the skill, the art, the process, as you read. This cannot help but transfer to the words you write. And the more you write the better you must get from sheer practice.

10, 000 hours=mastery.

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you. (146)

I’m not sure about this one. Mainly because I think what sweeps one person away irritates another.  Just because you are swept off your feet by a sparkly day glow vampire stalker doesn’t mean I won’t drive a stake through his heart first chance I get.

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. Simple as that. (147)

Ok but….

The sort of strenuous reading and writing program I advocate – four to six hours a day, every day (150)

And here is where he loses me. So if I can’t find four-six hours a day to read and write I am not a writer. Or I don’t have the tools to be a writer? Isn’t that a bit rigid? Who says I have to do the 10, 000 hours in one year? If it takes me five years, am I any less a master? Or maybe this just rubs me the wrong way because it’s an impossibility for me now in this place in my life and I don’t want to give up my efforts because I can’t meet his impossible guidelines.

Thoughts on how much time one should devote to reading and writing to be a writer? Do you think reading is an key aspect of writing?

Fiendish Friday – 5AM

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

So a couple of weeks ago I started getting up at FIVE AM.

I am not a morning person, in fact I rarely come alive until after dinner, so what prompted this insanity?

I realized I am not unhappy with my life. In fact, my life is pretty much fabulous. Hate me if you like. LOL. But I did realize I was the only person in my house not getting their needs met.

My dog is pretty simple: 2 meals a day, belly rubs, ball throwing, an hour walk, and once a week massive hike. √

The hamster: clean it’s cage weekly. feed it about weekly.√

My hubby: good food, clean clothes to wear to work, a happy wife, and a healthy amount of mumble mumble (move along folks, nothing to see here). √

My kiddo: home school, good food, coop, specialty classes, play dates, cuddles with Mommy, and Legos. (Never underestimate a six year old boy’s need for Legos.) √

Me: yoga, writing time, reading time, crafty/TV watching time.

Yeah – I guess I ask lot given I am a stay at home mom. LOL. For those of you not in the know, stay at home mom means no time alone.

So I started getting up at five, oh god, I’ll say it again, five. So I could write, yoga, then walk the dog and start my day. I am still not a morning person. But what it comes down to is this, I can be either “not a morning person writer” or I can sleep in. Because you have to actually write to call yourself a writer and not much of that was happening post Nano, pre five AM.

So now I am writing. 500-1000 words each day on my nano novel. It’s progressing really well. I think it helps I ended Nano with my novel at the all down hill from here point. But still, words are accumulating. Some days, when I don’t have anything planned for the morning, I actually take two whole hours to write and then yoga after I walk the dog. (kiddo likes his morning TV, don’t judge.) It’s kind of nice to have the time to be flexible and to prioritize my writing. I used to just shoehorn it in where ever I could fit it. Now it has it’s own space.

How do you give your writing (or substitute other passion) it’s own space? Do you go to extreme lengths? Or lengths that feel extreme to you anyway? LOL

And Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. Happy Friday to those who don’t. My book, Scripting the Truth, is still available for free download until the 27th.