Writing and Working Full Time

Posted by Colin Harvey Oct 16, 2008

Back in August, I posted about sharing a panel with several experienced authors.

One of the points that cropped up was that most writers enter periods when -for whatever reason, be it lack of expected funds, or due to an unexpected emergency-- they find themselves working full time.

It happened to me sooner than I expected.

A combination of twelve months of vet's bills leading up to the big one when Chloe died, and Kate's employers deciding not to pay her left us little choice but up my hours.

Sixteen hours a week extra; not so much extra, surely?

Not if you decide to give up writing. But if you have a novel to deliver, it can lead to some real crunches.

This was my typical Monday in September:

05.30 am Get up, shower/shave, breakfast, read e-mails, put rubbish/garbage out

06.50 am Walk dog

07.40 am Put out washing, more mails

08.00 am Start writing (3 x 40 minute blocks, with 2 x 10 minute breaks)

10.20 am Change for (day) work, pack lunch

11.15 am Arrive in (day) work

18.30 pm Leave day job

19.15 pm Arrive home; bath, dinner

20.00 pm E-mails, reviews, blogging (maybe watch TV at same time)

22.00 pm Bed -- read for half an hour before usually falling asleep

It's not such a long day, but what comes out of it is that there was no margin for error at all; miss a bus and I lost a half-hour's pay. I became a relentlessly obsessive clock-watcher and didn't relax.

The other surprise was that I had no time to promote. Unsurprisingly, that affected the sales of the new books -- not disastrously, but enough to be noticeable.

The upshot of this is be very, very careful if you find yourself in that position; in future, I'll clear the decks of writing commitments, or delay the deadlines.

Finally, though, it looks as if the relentless grind will be coming to an end.

Not before time.