Wednesday, June 06, 2007

A Day In My Life

Danny Stack's recent post about his daily routine as a paid writer has prompted me to do the same, so that you lovely people out there can see life from the view point of non earning writer.

12.00: Got up an hour later than normal and shoved a bowel of Bran Flakes down my throat, along with a pint of Dr. Pepper. I don't drink coffee because it sends me mental - just think of the effect on a small child who is force fed a 1kg packet of sugar and then is made to wash it down with five 2 litre bottles of Lucozade. Not pretty is it?

You will also notice I haven't showered. I won't be leaving the house until I have to go to work tonight so what's the point; it only distracts from writing. Besides it isn't Friday. Friday is wash day.

12.35: After a quick check of my emails, work starts on more pages of my new feature Faith.

13.25: One important scene down. A short toilet break and a quick check of the emails. I check my emails quite regularly while I'm writing. When the creative right side of my brain has to fight the rewrite hungry left side I quickly check my emails so the left side of my brain goes back to sleep. At this point I'm writing, not rewriting. The left side of my brain will be dominant later.

13.57: I'm having to fight the urge to go back and rewrite really hard now. I've reread some scenes I wrote last week and they are quite horrendous. I must resist.

14.09: Phone call from the wife telling me all about her lovely new haircut. I'm so excited - NOT!

14.14: Back to work. Boy that woman can natter when she wants to.

15.03: Written four pages so far. Now I need to pop up the post office. Will grab a sandwich to eat on the way. Back in a bit.

15.33: Nice walk in the sun to post the letter, listening to AC/DC on my MP3 and munching on a cheese and salad sandwich. So that's what daylight looks like. I might try some more tomorrow. Check the emails then back to work.

16.17: Seven pages done, time to move on to something else. Need to write a letter, but need to check the emails first.

16.41: Job done. Check the emails again and then on to my one pagers for my agent's pack.

17.17: Gave all three one pagers a quick read through and a polish. I'll send them out tomorrow to get people's opinions. That's the writing done for today. Time to cook my dinner as the wife is out tonight and I have to be at work by 18.30. Bye.

4 comments:

Phill Barron said...

"shoved a bowel of Bran Flakes down my throat"

Ouch.

Dominic Carver said...

Ooh, typo. That's 'bowl' not 'bowel', coz that would just be stupid.

And of course I didn't eat the bowl, that would also be stupid.

Phill Barron said...

You say that, but I suspect edible bowls are the way forward.

Edible bowels, however, are just plain wrong.

Dominic Carver said...

Indeed!