Perhaps because I had a mother who instilled in me a love of reading, perhaps because I could never commit myself to learning to read music, perhaps because the fullest extent of my artistic talent was the drawing of stick figures, or perhaps it was because I could never master the mystery of science, but whatever the reason, I have always been intrigued by letters…how to form them into words…form the words into sentences…form the sentences into paragraphs…form the paragraphs into stories.
I have written my entire life. Like millions of other writers, I’ve juggled my day jobs in a way so that I can concentrate on my passion for writing.
My first published work was a nonfiction sports book that I coauthored with Jack Fried. It was a great experience, but it convinced me that nonfiction projects weren’t my cup of tea. I wanted the freedom that writing fiction gives you. So, for the past five decades, I’ve put my efforts into writing short stories and novels.
How I write is to compose, edit, rewrite, and turn the product over to a professional editor before rewriting again and again and again. Then I put each work away in a vault of sorts and start on a new project. The process has resulted in over 50 short stories that I have retained. I’ve probably finished close to 300 short stories before mercifully sending the bulk of them to the Graveyard of Fiction Failures. And I have six novels that are in various stages of completion.
I have writing rituals that I try to follow, because I’ve found that rituals and routines serve as guardrails to keep me focused on one project at a time while also allowing me to peek around the corner at future work. Here are a few of those rituals and routines:
I write or edit my current novel for two or three hours per day on Monday through Thursday mornings, organize and outline my future novels on Friday and Saturday mornings, write or edit my short stories on Sundays, and do social media and marketing work every afternoon. As I write, I have music playing in the background (music without words—lyrics get in the way of my own words). I’ve found that my playlists on the wonderful Hearts of Space site provide a perfect writing mood. I drink tons of coffee each morning and afternoon (only decaf in the afternoons). I will often light a scented candle (especially in colder weather and during the holiday season). I write in longhand when organizing a short story or preparing a novel, then I move to the computer for first drafts (I hate first drafts!) and editing. I write no more than 10-15 pages per day, sometimes only a page or two. Television, radio, phone calls, texting and emails are verboten during my writing periods (a rule that I violate too often). My evenings are free of any writing task. Oh, and I always have plenty of red pens handy.
As to my favorite writing spaces, I like to camp out inside one of my little cubbyholes in Naples, Oklahoma City, or Kennebunkport and get lost in a world of words. And for a change of scenery, I’ll enjoy a cup of decaf and pull up a chair at the closest Barnes & Noble or local independent bookstore, where I can always find enough inspiration for a day’s worth of writing.
That is how I write. I’m consistent in my writing. I write every day and put the work away. What I haven’t done is submit my work for publication. That is what I am doing now.
You can learn more about my work in the section titled What I Write.