The Truth About Writing and Downtime
By Colby Marshall - September 3, 2012
The first round of Chain of Command’s edits are finished! It's exciting, but after several weeks of nonstop work, I suddenly have a lot of time on my hands and am not sure what to do with it. So, here’s a little blog for you guys about "downtime". I can't speak for all writers, but I can give you an inside look into what this author does during her off days.
Oh, wait. I forgot one important thing: writers tend to never have downtime.
In this industry, there's always something to do. It might not be working on the next manuscript coming to shelves, but that needn't stop us. The editing process can take a long time, which is why a writer can't always afford to hang out and not write between manuscripts. When I hand over edits, that frees me up to work on something new. Sometimes it's an entirely new project. Other times, it's something I was in the middle of when my editor sent me her editorial letter.
In addition to the actual writing and editing, another aspect of the career nibbles away at both a writer's time and focus on writing: social networking. Sites like facebook, twitter, tumblr, and everything in between have changed the face of the publishing world. Having a presence online might not be necessary for an author to succeed, but in a universe with so many books and many sold online, this networking is a valuable tool for authors today to connect with readers (by the way, another post is coming soon that will outline ways writers can best utilize social networking). Several panels at Thrillerfest this year focused on social networking alone, which goes to show how important this time is. Thank goodness for that, because otherwise, I'd have to admit I was only procrastinating. This way I feel less guilty and can classify all those hours tweeting as hard work.
And even when I'm not sitting at the computer, I'm usually working, even if I'm pushing a cart at the grocery store or tossing dishes into the washer. How? I'd say roughly half of my work on a story is done right in the 'ole brain. If I spend time just thinking about a story, be it driving around town or in the shower in the morning, my writing tends to move smoother and come out cleaner than if I try to put my rear end in the chair and force myself to write for eight hours a day. Not to mention, I enjoy the craft of writing much more if I've spent some time with the story in my head before I try to put it to paper. That’s a vital part of the process for me. Plotting is hard work. If I don't plot until I sit down at the computer, I am guaranteed to be frustrated as I try to work out the nuts and bolts of the story. However, if I plan the story's ins and outs before I go to the keyboard, I can let the words flow and enjoy the fun part--the words I use to tell the tale. After all, if you don't love what you're writing, how can you expect anyone else to?
Do you love your job? What do you do in your downtime?
FLASH POINT (Dr. Jenna Ramey #3)
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