Working Habits
People often ask about my working habits--and to be honest, sometimes they are good and sometimes not.
Oh, I do plenty of work at the computer but too often it has nothing to do with my work in progress. I'm planning promotion, writing blogs, answering emails, and checking on Facebook--where I also do some promotion--but not working on my book.
I've learned over the years I have to write in the morning as my brain doesn't work as well in the afternoon. But afternoons are also a more difficult time to do any physical labor I might have planned: cleaning the bathroom, dusting my office and bedroom, etc. And if I do that in the morning, then I'm too tired to write, vicious circle.
Labor day I decided the first think I would do was write--and that's what I did. Got about six pages written before I pooped out. Oh, I know exactly where I'm going with this book, and having fun doing it, but I have to have a nimble brain to write and after I've written for two or three hours, I'm done.
I have a pile of notes and 3 X 5 cards on a tray table next to my computer. It has characters' names, their personalities and physical characteristics, also keep track of the cars they drive--because I can never remember. I also tend to make all the cars the same color--will have to fix that when I'm rewriting.
And as ideas come to me I write them down too, though I know exactly how the book is going to end. I worked that out while on a long drive with hubby.
So, after writing this, I know that when I get up I should go to my computer, not look at my email for Facebook, but just get to the writing. Will I do that? I don't know.
Marilyn
Oh, I do plenty of work at the computer but too often it has nothing to do with my work in progress. I'm planning promotion, writing blogs, answering emails, and checking on Facebook--where I also do some promotion--but not working on my book.
I've learned over the years I have to write in the morning as my brain doesn't work as well in the afternoon. But afternoons are also a more difficult time to do any physical labor I might have planned: cleaning the bathroom, dusting my office and bedroom, etc. And if I do that in the morning, then I'm too tired to write, vicious circle.
Labor day I decided the first think I would do was write--and that's what I did. Got about six pages written before I pooped out. Oh, I know exactly where I'm going with this book, and having fun doing it, but I have to have a nimble brain to write and after I've written for two or three hours, I'm done.
I have a pile of notes and 3 X 5 cards on a tray table next to my computer. It has characters' names, their personalities and physical characteristics, also keep track of the cars they drive--because I can never remember. I also tend to make all the cars the same color--will have to fix that when I'm rewriting.
And as ideas come to me I write them down too, though I know exactly how the book is going to end. I worked that out while on a long drive with hubby.
So, after writing this, I know that when I get up I should go to my computer, not look at my email for Facebook, but just get to the writing. Will I do that? I don't know.
Marilyn
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