When do you write?

[JKendallDane]

I don't have set hours for writing because that doesn't work well with the bipolar. So I write whenever I want to, however long the mood strikes, until the words don't flow anymore. If a story falls together and I don't have appointments or other plans, I'll keep going through the night.

^That^ says it better than I could have.

Thank you, Lynn.

 

[49greg]

Hmmm. If you have a dog to walk, I'm not sure you claim to be retired.

And mustn't forget Dishes, vacuuming, swiffering, dusting, cleaning out the cat litter, mowing, weeding, shopping, and cooking

 

[_Lynn_]

^That^ says it better than I could have.

Thank you, Lynn.

 

[slyc_willie]

And mustn't forget Dishes, vacuuming, swiffering, dusting, cleaning out the cat litter, mowing, weeding, shopping, and cooking

You just reminded me of nine things I need to do today . . . .

 

[sr71plt]

Happily I picked out only two and 1/90th that apply to me (I only have to mow four times a year--and then only three small areas; our lot is nearly all trees, buses, and stone/brick patios and paths).

 

[slyc_willie]

Happily I picked out only two and 1/90th that apply to me (I only have to mow four times a year--and then only three small areas; our lot is nearly all trees, buses, and stone/brick patios and paths).

We have almost half an acre . . .

Thankfully, Little One has been asking for an allowance, so I've gotten her to help me with laundry and dishes. And, for some weird reason, she loves to mop. I'm not gonna argue with her.

 

[sr71plt]

We have almost half an acre . . .

Thankfully, Little One has been asking for an allowance, so I've gotten her to help me with laundry and dishes. And, for some weird reason, she loves to mop. I'm not gonna argue with her.

We have three-quarters of an acre. It took me ten years to get most of what wasn't already in garden covered with bricks and stone.

 

[lovecraft68]

And mustn't forget Dishes, vacuuming, swiffering, dusting, cleaning out the cat litter, mowing, weeding, shopping, and cooking

I refuse to clean the cat box.

I have no idea why...considering other things I've seen and done, but it grosses me out. That's the wife's chore.

Cooking is as well unless she wants either eggs or grilled cheese, cause that's about what I can make.

 

[legerdemer]

I am the assigned dog poop picker-upper in my family, though I'm the cat person. Yeah, and cat poop picker-upper as well. Lately Kiddo has been getting an allowance to do it, or else dither out of it (the poop pick-up, not the allowance, of course).

 

[PervOtaku]

It's a hobby, one among many I suppose. I started out mostly writing on airplanes (business trips four times a year), given that it's about the only place where I have access to my computer but not internet. It was also my first story, so I was in no real hurry with it. These days I'm trying to put in an hour a week just so there aren't giant gaps of inactivity on my author profile. Airplanes are still highly productive for me, though.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Oh, this turned into a thread about domestic duties! I feel right at home now.

Although I came back here to talk about how I write.

This is how I write.

I had a little fantasy a couple of weeks back and I realised I could turn it into a good story. I left it to mature ... hahaha, what I mean by that is that I had a load of teaching, marking, cooking, laundry, mowing, school running ... and I think I had to go to a school governors' meeting too. And one of the cats is a bit poorly.

Then I just had to write it. This was partly because the story is for my friend. Like a true MILF ... mum, I won't do things that are just for me. I have a queue of stories in my head waiting to be written up but they are 'for me'. As this one is for my friend, I managed to clear a day and write it up.

When I say 'clear a day', I still had to take Piglet to school. It was her dad's day so he ought to have picked her up but I got The Phone Call and had to go and get her. And I still had to do some teaching in the evening, but as there was only one student in the online tutorial my colleague said he could cope on his own. (Two tutors to one student does seem like a bit of an overload.) So that meant I could type up the first draft!

I have got a day when I'm travelling to teach on Saturday, so maybe I will write the second part of the story up on the journey back. I don't like to write erotica while going to teach, I feel it's not good to show up all flushed and using double entendres . I sometimes do some on the way back or a bit of editing if I'm not too tired.

Although I feel very itchy to write that second part. Maybe I will fit it in today, along with ironing, a bit of marking, raking the lawn, going to buy rice and noodles, picking up Piglet and building a flat pack sofabed.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Oh, this turned into a thread about domestic duties! I feel right at home now.

Although I came back here to talk about how I write.

This is how I write.

I had a little fantasy a couple of weeks back and I realised I could turn it into a good story. I left it to mature ... hahaha, what I mean by that is that I had a load of teaching, marking, cooking, laundry, mowing, school running ... and I think I had to go to a school governors' meeting too. And one of the cats is a bit poorly.

Then I just had to write it. This was partly because the story is for my friend. Like a true MILF ... mum, I won't do things that are just for me. I have a queue of stories in my head waiting to be written up but they are 'for me'. As this one is for my friend, I managed to clear a day and write it up.

When I say 'clear a day', I still had to take Piglet to school. It was her dad's day so he ought to have picked her up but I got The Phone Call and had to go and get her. And I still had to do some teaching in the evening, but as there was only one student in the online tutorial my colleague said he could cope on his own. (Two tutors to one student does seem like a bit of an overload.) So that meant I could type up the first draft!

I have got a day when I'm travelling to teach on Saturday, so maybe I will write the second part of the story up on the journey back. I don't like to write erotica while going to teach, I feel it's not good to show up all flushed and using double entendres . I sometimes do some on the way back or a bit of editing if I'm not too tired.

Although I feel very itchy to write that second part. Maybe I will fit it in today, along with ironing, a bit of marking, raking the lawn, going to buy rice and noodles, picking up Piglet and building a flat pack sofabed.

Youre the queen of self absorption.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Youre the queen of self absorption.

It takes one to know one.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

It takes one to know one.

But I have no friends to fret over. So I work with what I got.

 

[sr71plt]

Which is far less than you pretend it is.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I was reading an essay by Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker. His subject was ‘Why Anthony Trollope is Trending’ (edition of May 4, 2015). And I was struck by one of his observations: ‘Writing is turning time into language, and all good writers have an elaborate, fetishistic relationship to their working hours.’

My first writing job was with an advertising agency – back in Mad Men days. The hours were 8:30 to 5:00. I went on to work for a couple more agencies where the hours were ‘whatever it takes’. I recall the ‘record’ was 7 am Wednesday until 11 am on Friday – followed by a memorable lunch.

During my ad agency days, I wrote short stories and newspaper columns in my ‘spare time’. This usually meant an hour in the early morning, a couple of hours in the evening, and perhaps half a day in the weekend.

When I took the plunge and went freelance, I began by working every hour that I could. But this didn’t always lead to quality prose. Eventually, I worked out that a ‘good day’ was probably three or four hours writing and four or five hours doing all of the other things that a working writer needs to do. Writing my first proper book, I wrote from 7 am until 11 am each day, seven days a week.

Now that I’m slowing down – and being kept alive by the pharmaceutical industry – I find that it’s hard to put in four hours straight in the morning. Instead, I usually manage a couple of hours in the morning and two or three hours in the afternoon. But when something intervenes to disrupt my schedule, it really affects my ‘production’.

What works for you? Do you have set writing times? Or do you just fit it in when you can?

I write every day, 7 days a week. I write from 4am until noon.

I only write when inspired and I never stare at a blank page wondering what I'm going to write that day. Instead I take what I'm going to write to bed with me the night before and allow my brain to percolate my thoughts. Then, when I awaken, I can't type fast enough to get everything down before forgetting something.

The best times is when I'm really excited over a project and can't wait to get to the keyboard. Those are special times.

Sometimes, once in a while, I'll write in the late afternoons or early evenings but I'll usually leave that time to answer e-mails.

 

[NaokoSmith]

But I have no friends to fret over. So I work with what I got.

I know, I am so self-absorbed, here fretting over my many friends. How lucky you are, not to have any.

Anyway, when I am writing, one thing I do is keep my Forum posting to a minimum!

I have managed to put together the flat pack bookcase, which means there will be room to put together the sofabed tomorrow. I also took the cat to the vet, which was very expensive! but luckily I did some sort of thing the other day which I will get paid extra for. We will not get to go out on a treat with it, but as this is Piglet's own kitten we don't mind sacrificing that. And I wrote my blogpost on the Nude Day story competition, so I can hopefully post it before voting finishes.


I have had a really annoying letter from the ground landlord, and I am in such a mood that I think I will stay up and finish drafting Part 2 of my story. The protagonist is in a foul mood so I will channel the energy.


But first I must cook tea and give the kitten its antibiotic tablets.

 

[CrimsonClown]

Inspiration usually strikes at night, so night time typically.

 

[karaline]

In my ideal world, in the winter i spend the mornings writing and in the hotter weather i spend the middle of the day writing, mornings seem to be the best time for my brain. In reality i get most of my work done late at night when everyone is asleep, in airport departure lounges, on trains, while i'm waiting to pick up the kids.

Right now I'm so busy with work and visitors I can hardly even think about writing, which is frustrating.

 

[SikFuk]

I'm a binge writer with longterm ADD. I'll write for 3 or 4 days and then come up for air and realize I have overdue bills to pay sitting on the kitchen table, and the laundry needs to get done. Then after a week or two, I'll move on to music (my main focus) writing songs and producing music in my studio. 3 months later, I'll be putting music projects on hold to write again. Writing erotica is a curse, but it's something I need. I've been doing it since I got my first computer 20-some years ago.

 

[Handley_Page]

In my case, it's "whenever the mood takes me".