WARNING! This is an edit-free zone.
When you write full-time, you spend a lot of time alone. That’s especially difficult when things are going really well or really badly. I’ve been at this since 1987, and truthfully, I can’t tell you which is worse. When there’s news to share, you want someone who “gets it” to share that news with, and that means another writer is required. Because as much as family and friends can fill that square, they can’t define the square they’re filling like another writer.
Today was a good writing day. I found out that Body Double was Number 8 on the Walden’s Bestseller series list. Still riding that high, I learned that True Confessions magazine had named Double Vision as one of the books they’re promoting this month in a contest (where they are giving away free books). hey’re celebrating the military and their families.
I’ve been trying to do the same thing in my books since 1995 when Shades of Gray was published, so this was a very big deal to me and an honor I don’t take lightly. When I went to their website and read the editor’s note, I felt even more privileged. She, too, wants to celebrate the military and their families and she shared a personal story that was very touching.
On a typical day, I receive about 400 emails. Some days fewer, some days more. Many are questions from other writers on writing, and I’m happy to answer them as best I can. It does, however, consume a great deal of time. I give it, trusting that the things I must do will get done. I’m not sure how it happens, but they do.
Still, this was an extremely heavy email day, with many congrats coming in as well as questions that needed answering and normal business correspondence. I thought to myself that I wouldn’t make my writing quota today. Then I cut myself a little slack because honors and joys should be celebrated, and if doing so requires one to work a little later the next day, or to start a little earlier, then that’s what a writer has to do.
So all day, I dribbled a little writing in here and there and answered the questions and gave the advice and sought answers and celebrated this good news and then celebrated the second batch of good news and reconciled myself to starting work at 2 a.m. tomorrow. But the oddest thing happened. I checked to see how much I’d written today in these snatches, and I was totally stunned. Thirty pages. Thirty!
Isn’t it amazing how much actually gets done when you’re dribbling it in as you go through your day?
So today is a very good writing day. I’ve written, been honored, realized a dream, helped others where I could and celebrated.
In a writing life, days just don’t get much better than this.
The moral of this post?
Even when you don’t think you’re accomplishing all you need to, and you’re worried about diverting time to help someone else, have a little faith and take that outstretched hand. Things have a way of working out–and adding up.
Here’s wishing you many good days in your writing world.
Blessings,
Vicki
Vicki Hinze
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Trust is earned, one book at a time.”
–Vicki Hinze https://vickihinze.com
Note: I edit books and professional correspondence. But I do NOT edit email or this blog. This is chat time for me, so if the grammar is goofed or a word’s spelled wrong, please just breeze on past it. I’d appreciate it–and salute you with my coffee cup. 🙂
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Copyright 2005. Vicki Hinze
Vicki Hinze is a multi-published author, who has a free library of her articles on writing–the craft, business and life–at https://www.vickihinze.com.
