Advice: Writing Process

Time, time, time...never enough.

Some writers, who don't write full-time, are nonetheless dedicated to their writing--or strive to be--but find it difficult to get the time to write, to clear their heads from work, family, & the all the rest.

We ask our teachers...What advice would you have for them about the writing process under those circumstances?
 

Bill Donahue
Write when everyone else is sleeping. Seriously, either late at night or early in the morning. Arguably, writing does not eat up time: If you allow yourself the time to do the things you really want to do, you will feel happy and vital and you will be able to knock out the things you are obliged to do quickly, and with vigor.

Shanna Germain
Here’s my infomercial (just imagine me dressed in spandex and all hyped up, standing in front of a writing desk pumping my laptop and yelling these words): In just ten minutes a day, you can have ripped prose, well-toned tenses and strong sentences! Try it right now! Just write for ten minutes a day. Nothing to buy, nothing to sign up for. If you’re not writing more--and better--in just 30 days, I’ll personally send your time back! Guaranteed. Also, addict as many of your friends to writing as you can. This way, you will always having someone knocking at your door, offering you a writing hit. “Hey, hey... Psst... Wanna buy an ounce of sentences?” Word-addicted friends are one of the best things a writer can have. (Also, think of it this way: Imagine you’re going to die tomorrow. What do you –really- want to do today? If the answer isn’t writing, then you’re safe. If the answer –is- writing, then get it on.)

Rebecca Koffman
It's useful to write when everybody else in your house is asleep. It's a secret space. Once a story is well-launched it's easier to concentrate on it in the midst of family life. Be ruthless. Tell your children you will need one hour. During that hour they may read or watch a movie. They may not fight with each other. They may not knock on your door unless somebody is bleeding. Be very clear about this. You will feel immensely fond of them when you emerge from your study having written. This is good for family harmony, yes?

Ariel Gore
Stop answering the phone. Change your email address. Kill your television. If you don't have a baby, have one. If you have a baby, get a sitter. If you work too much, work more. If you don't work enough, work less. If there's a problem, exaggerate it. If you're broke, go to the food bank. If you have too much money, give it away. If you're north, go south. If you're south, go north. If you don't drink, start. If you drink, sober up. If you're in school, drop out. If you're out of school, drop in. If you believe you have a year to live, imagine you have a hundred. If you believe you have a hundred years to live, imagine you only have one. If you're sane, go crazy. If you're crazy, snap out of it. If you've got a partner, break-up. If you're single, find a lover!

Marc Acito
I wrote my first novel while working sixty hours a week at a soul-sucking sales job, plus writing a column. So I wrote that book in five-minute increments, at stop lights & sales calls. At times it was almost physically painful to start writing because I knew I would have to stop so soon, but I had to do it (see my note on Conception to Completion).

Kathleen Halme
Every experienced, publishing writer will probably advise setting aside a period of uninterrupted time to practice writing, even if it is one early hour before the demands of a new day push in. Having a notebook handy during the day to jot down thoughts, observations, and snippets of lines also helps the creative process stay awake. To switch from the daily habits of mind to creative writing, I usually open the Norton Anthology of Poetry at random, read a poem out loud, and write it out in long hand. This simple act never fails to bring me back inside the bubble of language and back to the pleasures of poetry.

Liz Prato
It all depends on how you prioritize your writing. If you decide that being a writer is important to you, then you’ll give up an hour of watching TV, or your lunch break, or a half hour of sleep. Recently, I stayed home to write while my husband and friends went to a movie — a pretty popular one, as I recall. I ended up writing one of my most creative and inspiring pieces in over a year. So, you just need to decide if you’re willing to give up some free time for your writing. If you’re not, then don’t beat yourself up over it. Just accept that’s where you are right now, and you can still write for your soul when you find time.

More to come.

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