Read on Twitter
At every author Q&A, someone asks how they become a writer while working a "real" job & having life responsibilities, etc. Usually the answer is "just do it," "a true writer MAKES time," etc. Fair enough, I guess. I have a better answer but no one ever asks me! ("THREAD")
So here& #39;s what I would say (cuz who knows if I& #39;ll ever do an "event" again). The way to "make time" is to be OK with doing only a little tiny bit of writing at a time e.g. 20 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 sentences, whatever. People are often resistant to this idea bc they don& #39;t think...
...they& #39;re capable of maintaining cohesive thoughts in fits & starts. They& #39;re over-enamored with idea of "flow." Flow definitely exists but in my experience has little effect on the quality or wholeness of the end product. It& #39;s just a feeling of feeling good/productive during...
...the act of drafting. But writing produced during "flow" and writing produced without flow (where every word is a struggle & you hate yourself for even bothering) are indistinguishable after the fact (& indistinguishable to any reader)....
Don& #39;t equate the way you feel during the writing with the quality of the output. You& #39;ll find your intuitive mind is actually good at seamlessly connecting the work of disconnected writing sessions. (I also like the Hemingway thing of leaving a sentence unfinished each day.)...
Most of my novel was written in pretty short bursts, typically 2 handwritten pages a day, 5 days a week (and this was at my MOST productive). It& #39;d be impossible for me to point out which parts were written on days I struggled & which "flowed." It& #39;s all the same....
But maybe I& #39;m wrong and you absolutely need to hold an entire scene or story in your mind & be able to write it in one sitting. Fine! Then I would suggest you let your time limitations determine your form. Write your book in vignettes like Robison, Offill, Adler, etc...
Working a teeny tiny bit a time, it might take you 2 or 5 or 7 years to write a book, but guess what? That& #39;s how long it takes most people anyway!
This is all on my mind because I think we& #39;d have way more interesting books if more "working" people felt empowered to write them.
This is all on my mind because I think we& #39;d have way more interesting books if more "working" people felt empowered to write them.
But whatever, who cares what I think!!!
