Wednesday's Writing on Writing

First thing in the morning is the best time for me to write, before anything else has begun to cloud my brain. What I write before noon is usually my best work, and the most I'll complete all day.

I always start by editing the previous day's pages. Then my goal is to write half my allotted pages before lunchtime. If I start early and things go well, I can occasionally get all my pages done before noon. I resist the temptation to try to knock out another batch to make the next day easier. That's it for the day.

But if I start early and things have been difficult and it takes till midnight to finish my pages, I do it. I don't want to fall behind and be forced to write more the next day.

Whether you are a morning person or a night person, or both, it's best to write when you feel fully rested and awake. But how many people ever wholly feel that way? If you tire while working, take a nap. But if you wait until you're completely cogent, coherent, and inspired, you may never get to the keyboard.

You become a better writer by writing, by flexing those writing muscles.

When my writing cave was a hotel room, my time away from my wife Dianna was far less productive because it was so lonely.

Nowadays, when I'm in the cave, she's 100 feet away in the house, and we're together for meals, and when I'm done each day. She is my reward for finishing. Plus, I love talking about scenes with her before I commit them to the page.

Most novelists fear losing their creativity if they utter even a word of the story before getting it on paper.

But every time I tell my current story, I embellish it. Characterizations flesh out, the plot grows. I hone the details and get instant feedback about whether I'll be able to keep the attention of my reader.

Ideas for scenes and stories seem to hit me most often in the shower. Maybe the streams of water stimulate my brain. Or maybe it's because I can relax alone and think.

Words come slower to me at the keyboard some days, but I learned years ago to trust what some call the Muse. My muse is spiritual, a vital part of the creative subconscious I have surrendered to God. Foreshadowing and plot threads appear as I write. I may not be sure at the time why I include certain things, but later in the manuscript, the reasons become obvious.

Again, the key is writing when your mind is most alert. It's all about timing.