Stuff from a writer...

~It is perfectly valid for “you” to speak of a writing career~

Zoe, this just pisses me off as it supposes I didn’t come up through the ranks, sweating my way, going through what every other new writer goes through.

It supposes I really don’t know what I’m talking about in today’s publishing arena because I’m somehow removed from it by success.

So I have to stop all this and go back to my privileged career—which for me, is continuing to sweat over the keyboard to write a book.
Nora Roberts, November 2009, Comments section of a SBTB

This pretty much says it all. The work never stops. So, in a previous Stuff from a writer... entry, I said come up with a rhythm, repeat over and over again. What exactly does that mean? Well, you need to find your own routine, but here is mine for some hints:

Wake up and check emails. Answer those I can do quickly and add those that will take more time to the day's schedule. Write a blog, if it hasn't been already. Read bloglines, Twitter, and Facebook. Figure out the writing that needs to be done [maybe I have edits to work through or a couple of chapters to write in the current story I'm working on] and get started. It's now around one or two, time to go back upstairs, and get dressed. Next up is admin stuff [i.e. whatever is due to a publisher like blurbs/excerpts/cover requests, other industry folks may need from me like promo stuff, and the more detailed emails need answers]. Back to writing for a few more hours.

When it is all said and done, I try to get about six hours of writing [from research, plotting, to actually writing it all down, and then revising] done a day. If the writing is flowing, then all the admin and blog stuff is pushed to the side for later. No, it doesn't always go according to plan, nor is it a glamous way to spend the day. Life often throws the best laid plans into chaos and you need to figure out a way to work with it.

Find your rhythm and put the time in - let's be realistic here, if you never actually sit down and write, you won't get it done.