Kelly L. Stone - Time to Write: Professional Writers Reveal How to Fit Writing Into Your Busy Life

More Than 100 Professional Writers Reveal
How to Fit Writing into Your Busy Life

Kelly L. Stone

Copyright 2008 by Kelly L. Stone
All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

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ISBN 10: 1-58969-438-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-438-3
eISBN: 978-1-44051-464-7

Printed in Canada.

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For Sasha and Bonaparte

Contents

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank the following people: All of the writers quoted in this book, for so generously giving of your time, ideas, and hard-earned wisdom. I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart. My agent, Jennifer DeChiara, and my editor, Jennifer Kushnier. My mother, who sacrificed many of her own dreams in life to ensure that Id have the opportunity to pursue mine. My late father, who taught me to cherish books and reading. My brother, for always believing in me. I miss you. My sister, for being there. The many friends who have spoken words of encouragement over the years: Melanie Walrath, Susan Walrath, Melissa Knight, Dan Bellor, Susan Sullivan, Jane Ferguson, Pat Wells, Franklin Abbott, Emily Simerly, Barbara Locascio, Craig Storlie, Jill Knueppel, Ladonna Benedict, Rhonda Berry, Diana Gordick, Sallie Boyles, and Shannon Wilder. Last but not least, Robert, for many years of unfaltering support. I couldnt have done it without you.

Foreword

by Kelly James-Enger

Writing seems like the easiest thing in the world. Chances are you already have an idea you want to explore. Maybe its the outline for a mystery you carry around in your head, or an essay about growing up youve wanted to get down for years. Or maybe you want to write for magazines or pen a childrens book.

Youve thought about it. Youve dreamed about it. Youve fantasized about seeing your work in print. Sowhy arent you writing?

Youre too busy. Youre too tired. Youre brain-dead at the end of the day. Youre afraid you have nothing to say. Your kids need you. Your partner needs you. Your spider plants need you. Youre afraid youll fail. Youre afraid youll succeed. Youre afraid your work wont be good enough. You dont think youll ever get published. So its easier to put it off and instead fantasize about the day youll find the time and finally pursue your writing dreams.

If this sounds like you, you need this book. Kelly L. Stone interviewed dozens of successful writersmany of them bestselling authorsand discovered that they had a number of attributes in common. They also had one critical element that set them apart from the would-be writers. The successful writers didnt just talk about writing, or think about writing, or dream about writing. They actually (gasp!) wrote.

And you can too. One of the first hurdles to get over is the idea that you need huge, uninterrupted chunks of time (think months-long sabbatical) to finally tackle that novel or book of essays or to launch your freelance writing career. Be real. Thats not going to happen, so ditch it as an excuse.

Thats the bad newsthat those long, luxurious stretches of time with nothing to do but write are a fantasy. The good news is that there is time for you to write. You just have to figure out how to make the most of it.

I learned this firsthand. When I got serious about getting published, I was working more than full time as a lawyer. But I had this urge, this itch, what Kelly calls the Burning Desire to Write. So I got up early in the morning and I wrote. During my lunch hour, at my desk, I wrote. Sitting in court, waiting for a motion call, I wrote. Lazy Sunday afternoons, instead of watching football, I wrote. And all that writing added up. I got published. You can do the same.

In addition to finding writing time, youll also learn why its so important to set goals. Like Kelly, I encourage writers to set two kinds of goalsoutcome goals (I want to write a novel) and production goals (Ill write a page a day, five days a week, until I finish my draft). She also provides writing inspiration, tips on staying focused, and ways to deal with distractions from seasoned, professional writers who were once in your shoes. They made the commitment to their Burning Desires to Write, and youll benefit from reading what workedand what didntfor them.

I found myself nodding my head in agreement many times as I read this book. Why? Because I believe and agree with what Kelly shares here. I launched a full-time freelance career more than a decade ago with two published clips. I had no connections in the publishing world, no experience, no journalism background, and no clue. But I made the commitment. I set goals. I made the most of my time, seeking ways to work more efficiently, get my work published, and make a living as a full-time freelancer. Along the way, I published two novels, hit the six-figure mark as a freelancer, and have been fortunate to teach hundreds of other writers. And much of that advice can be found in the pages that follow.

I believe succeeding as a writer has less to do with innate talent and more to do with commitment, dedication, and willingness to put the time in. But you dont have to launch your writing career alone. Youve got the advice of dozens of writers just waiting for you in the pages that follow. They too had family and work obligations. They too were rejected. They too were waylaid by distractions, were afraid that their work wasnt good enough, and that they might fail. They too struggled to stay motivated and committed to their writing.

But they kept pluggingand they succeeded. Follow their advice, honor your own Burning Desire to Write, and you can too.

Kelly James-Enger is the author of six books, including Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writers Guide to Making More Money and the novels, Did You Get the Vibe? and