Beep…Beep…Beep…

It’s 4 a.m. and my relentlessly punctual alarm clock heralds the start of my day. I glare at the evil device from blurry eyes before striking it soundly to cease it’s annoyance. The house is quiet, and the dogs barely glance at me as I roll from under my warm blankets. My fuzzy Lion King slippers wait for me with far more faithfulness than my dogs will show. The black and white Merle Australian Shepard quickly occupies my vacated place in the bed, while the larger liver-colored Shepard stretches out to enjoy the extra room; neither will follow me to the kitchen, knowing ‘morning treat’ time is still hours away, and no amount of begging will sway me.

I set the coffee to brew and head for the front door with misplaced hope that the newspaper will have magically appeared on the front porch — it is not, of course. I grab the broom kept next to the door and head out into the morning to fish for the paper religiously deposited somewhere under my car.

The coffee is ready when I return, and I flop down at the table to begin my daily dissection of newspaper articles I wish to keep. I check the time; 4:16 a.m. I have fifteen minutes left to leisure over the newspaper, separating news stories, or sometimes just a headline, and tossing them into the ‘Ideas Box’ for later retrieval. I check the time again; 4:30 a.m.

I pour a second cup of coffee and head for my den. My computer is waiting; Scrivener and several Word documents are already open and waiting. The words ‘Chapter 9’ stare at me from the top of the page. I check my notes to remind myself of what I wrote yesterday, then plunge into a make-believe world of fantasy. The words pour from my fingers, fueled by a caffeine stimulated brain. The hours slip past unknowing until a wet nose pushes against me. I check the time; 9:00 a.m., it is time for ‘Morning Treat.’

I dress while the Milk bones disappear with the crunch of enthusiasm. My two little time-keepers are finished and waiting at the door by the time I return in jeans, shirt, and comfortable shoes. I won’t need their leashes, whatever children occupied the walking path are now safely tucked away in school somewhere. The dogs will have the walking path to themselves, as well as the park. We spend the next forty-five minutes playing and getting our daily exercise.

I check the time; 9:52. I’m running late now, and we hurry back to the house. I settle back at the computer and pick up where I left off, and continue to work until 1 p.m. Time for a 30-minute lunch and back to work. The morning was occupied with writing new words, but the afternoon is strictly for editing previously written chapters.

The shadows grow longer across my den, and I check the time; 5:00 p.m. and time for a nap and an episode of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ I have recorded and waiting. 7:00 p.m. starts dinner for my dogs and me. This is leisure time and used to eat, read, cruise YouTube, or any other fun activity.

8:00 p.m. and the T.V. and internet is again shut off. This is now ‘Free writing time.’ I may write something for the forum, or something to post in the Writers Gallery, or just some little vignette that has been playing at the corner of my mind. But, even though it’s Free Time, it is just as strictly scheduled as the rest of my day.

Writing is a pleasurable activity that stretches the boundaries of your mind. You can write anywhere and anytime you like. But, to be a published writer is a business that must be as strict in its schedule as any nine-to-five job. There are perks to being a writer. I’m in my comfy Lion King slippers for most of the day. I’m in the comfort of my home. I take a nap during the day.

If you want to be a writer — write. If you want to be a published writer — make a schedule and treat your business with the professionalism it deserves. This is the best advice I can give you. I wish you the best of luck.

R.L. Wolf

:Wolf:

I would love to hear your experiences and suggestions on writing.

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Wolfenshire, Moderator/Community Leader