Here’s How I Work

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From Nora Roberts via Facebook:

I write every day. It’s just my job, and I’m very fortunate to love my job. Not everyone is half as lucky to be able to make their living doing something they love.

Every day is, at this point in my life and career, mostly a regular work week. I will, if necessary or I just feel the need, put in a few hours on the weekend.

I am disciplined–that’s my wiring. I have a fast writing pace–also just wiring. I was educated (nine year of Catholic school) by the nuns. Nobody lays a foundation of discipline like the Sisters. Trust me on this.

I was raised by parents who instilled, and demonstrated by example, the responsibility of doing your work, doing it well, meeting your responsibilities.

I don’t miss deadlines.

In the normal course of events, I work six to eight hours a day. Some of that is staring into space–writing requires this, or mine does. Some of it’s spent looking stuff up because how do I know until I know? I don’t use researchers because they’d annoy me, want to talk to me, expect me to be able to tell them what I was looking for. And again, how do I know until I know?

I don’t have ‘staff’, which just sound so pretentious to me. I don’t knock anyone for having staff, but I don’t want staff. They would annoy me, want to talk to me at some point. They’d be in my space which includes my entire house. And the land around it. The air.

What the hell would I do with staff? They could open the door for the dogs, I guess, or bring me another glass of water or Diet Pepsi. The trade off would be too great. In My Space. That’s a deal-breaker.

Link to the rest at Nora Roberts-Facebook and thanks to Meryl for the tip.

8 thoughts on “Here’s How I Work”

  1. Thanks for highlighting this, PG. It’s always helpful to see how other people work, whether or not I think there’s something I can borrow and adapt for my own process (such as it is).

    I’m only sorry she felt the need to write it because of the whole plagiarism drama. She shouldn’t have to explain herself.

  2. Her three tips for writers: Desire. Drive. Discipline. I reorganized them into a mnemonic for myself. Also love her other suggestions:

    Stop making excuses and write.
    Stop whining and write.
    Stop fucking around and write.

  3. But I’m usually in work mode by 8. Sometimes before, sometimes later, that’s just usual.

    I work. Stare into space, wonder WTF should happen next, look stuff up, and somehow by around 3 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later) I’ve actually written a decent chunk.

    I have always felt bad about doing the same thing during my equivalent of the 8:01 to 2:29 block. It’s nice to know that this is normal. I wish I was an early riser, though. I’m a natural night owl, and I love 2 am because every one who would interrupt me is asleep. The problem is being out of sync when I have to deal with “daywalkers.” But this post is giving me ideas for how to approach that problem. Thanks for posting this!

  4. Robert A. Heinlein’s advice was appropriately pithy:

    Rule One: You Must Write. …
    Rule Two: Finish What You Start. …
    Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order. …
    Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market. …
    Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold.

      • Roberts put caveats on all her advice, saying that it’s the way she writes, but it isn’t the right way for others. She sounds like she’d be a hoot to know, but she also sounds like an introvert who would hate company.

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