Daily Routines Of Writers You’re Never Going To Hear About
Sometimes it’s okay to sleep in and not be immortal.
We’ve heard about Hemingway sitting down to write at dawn, but what about everyone else? Here, writers still waiting for that big break share the details of their daily practice.
David Beanings, potential novelist
Awaken at first light and begin. Unless really tired, in which case awaken no later than 3pm. Full body check-in: are we prepared to create timeless prose? Scan for red flags: soreness, lethargy, pins, needles, hunger, vertigo, listless hair, ennui — these mean the burden of world-building is too much for today. Restrict output to light journaling and inconsequential dialogue. Create conditions for future success with early bedtime. Stretch goal: workshop ideas in dreams.
Suzanne McHenry-Dunn, 117 short stories, many of which are nearly finished
Start with brief peek at social media for inspiration. Visit feeds of contemporaries to better understand current writing landscape. Hmmm. Contemporaries have a lot going on. Fact-check accomplishments of contemporaries, in case they’re not being completely honest about all these awards and residencies they can’t stop talking about. Everything seems legit. How did contemporaries get started, anyway…
