I began writing my first novel in 1997. Six years, five drafts (give or take), two sons, and one major surgery later it was finally complete. Then it took another two years to get Cryptid published and on bookstore shelves. And dont even ask how much Cryptid has earned me. The gravy train is certainly gaining speed, but dont ever fool yourself that writing novels is a get-rich-quick scheme. Even the big boys like Crichton, Koontz, and Cussler will tell you that. The best-case scenario is a get-rich-sloweternally slowscheme. Which is to say, dont quit your day job.
Ah, but then where does one find the time, resources, energy, and muse to write after coming home from slaving for the Man (or Woman) all day?
Well, thats the million-dollar question. Actually, its only half the question. The whole question is where does one find the time, resources, energy, and muse to write after working all day and then cooking dinner, doing the dishes, helping the kids with their homework, paying bills, cutting the grass, washing the cars, checking your email, doing your nails, going for a run, seeing a movie, getting the flu, finishing your degree need I go on?
We all have twenty-four hours in the day, even the big boys like Crichton, Koontz, and Cussler. Life happens to us all. Just ask Stephen King what a crimp his car accident put on his writing.
We all have a list of reasons to not write. Theyre not excuses, really. Life doesnt leave much room for excuses. So dont add guilt to that list. But that doesnt change the fact that youve only written a thousand words in the past six weeks, does it? Then whats the answer? How did I do it?
Well, it took me six years. So one answer is simply that I didnt quit. Little-by-little, day-by-day, year-by-year I worked at it until it was done. But be more specific. Exactly how did I find the time? OK, well another answer is that I woke my computer every night at 9 PM, Sunday through Thursday, and worked until midnight or 1 AM. I did this religiously for six years, sometimes working seven days straight.
I took a two-year commercial fiction course at the University of Washington. I was part of a weekly critique group for three years. I immersed myself in the craft. I did everything I could to make myself the best craftsman possible. Does that help?
No, Im sure it doesnt, because youre not me. You will not be able to work at the craft in the same way I do. You may work a double shift for the Man and the Woman and not be able to write from 9 PM to 1 AM every night. So heres the answer youre really after, though youre not going to like it because it means theres no short cut, no magic recipe that you can simply follow and be assured success.
You see, the million-dollar answer is that I quit.
Or at least I tried to; many, many times I tried to. But I couldnt. You know why? Because writing is not something I do, it is something I am. Im a writer. So there is no quitting. I cannot quit being who I am. I can only accept who I am. And once I did, I never failed to find time to write. My cars may not sparkle, I hired someone to cut the grass, and I often sleep less than eight hours a night, but I write.
So my advise to you is to quit. And if you can, then youre not a writer. Its OK. Not everyone is. Then find out what you are and do that, but dont go back to writing. The craft is too hard and the rewards too slow in coming to labor at it unless you have to. And writers have to.
However, if you cant quit then you are a writer. And once you realize that you can only find joy in life if writing is a part of your life, then you will find the time. I promise you. And it wont be my way; itll be your way. Just dont quit your day job. It may not be who you are, but it will pay the bills until who you are is a writer whose name is listed in the same sentence with the big boys. |
