Notebook and Pencil, by Terry Freedman
It’s often useful to read how other writers get their work done. Some, for example, will tell you that they always aim to write 5,000 words a day.
Others will insist that you have to sit down at your desk at the same time every day, in order ro get your mind used to the idea that that is when it’s expected to be creative.
Many writers manage to spend two hours on their writing before setting off for work in the morning.
You may glean some good ideas and perhaps even some inspiration from reading about such things. I have to say, though, that these things always make me feel inadequate in some way, or guilty.
I think you have to find your own discipline. By all means try to write for two hours before going to work, but be open to the possibility that you work best in the evening when the kids have been put to bed, or instead of watching tv.
Be attuned to your body clock. I used to be able to write for several hours in the morning, especially at the weekends. But these days I find I need to do some form exercise first, whether that’s walking to get the paper, doing some housework or whatever. In the pre-Covid days, I used to go swimming first thing on several mornings. Then I’d come back and be amazingly productive.
It’s axiomatic that when it comes to writing style you can learn from other writers but there’s no point trying to copy them, because they are them and you are you. I think the same consideration applies to developing a style of working.
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