Thursday, June 17, 2010

Two Hours a Day?

I named this blog "An Hour a Day" because throughout my entire career thus far, I have written all by books by spending just an hour a day writing them. As many of you know, I use my lovely cherrywood hourglass, turning it over to create my magical hour of writing. I have relied on the wisdom of my literary role model, Anthony Trollope, who wrote most of his very long novels while working full time for the British post office. He said, "A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules."

But now, if I'm going to meet my book deadlines for my new contract, I am going to have to have a somewhat larger daily task. I am going to have to write for - gasp - TWO hours a day.

My new role model is going to be my sister, Cheryl, who wrote an entire 50,000 word novel last November for National Novel Writing Month while working a grueling full-time job as a tax specialist in New York City, with a lengthy bus commute on top of that - oh, and with swine flu on top of THAT. She wrote 50,000 in one month under nightmarish conditions. I have two months to write my 50,000 words, without her competing pressures.

I can do it. My only question is: can I do it in two hours a day?

2 comments:

  1. Wow that is CRAZY. I finished NaNoWrimo with 72,343 words and I don't even have a job-- I'm 14 :) I can't wait to read these new books!!

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