Q & A - #7 - "What's your writing schedule and how do you unwind when you're finished writing something intense, where you had to dig way down?" ~ ryan_field  

PART ONE

Since grad school requires an inordinant amount of weekly reading, I don't have a set writing schedule. I wish I did, and I plan to get one the day I graduate. The day I graduate! The day I graduate!!!

However, over the inordinantly long winter and summer breaks that grad school provides, I attempt to get much writing done. This last summer, for instance, I wrote over 2/3 of NORMAL FOR ONCE. I outlined my novel, guestimated how many words I would need to complete each chapter, divided that by the number of days left of summer, and wrote 750-1,000 words each day. Just like that. If I give myself a goal, I usually accomplish it, or at least get pretty close. 

Over winter break, I gave myself the goal of revising NORMAL FOR ONCE. A complete overhaul that took into consideration revision ideas from my thesis advisors from CSULB in addition to my good friends  robbiewriter  &  newport2newport . First thing in the morning, I would brew some of my takehome Starbucks Komodo Dragon blend, mix it with hot cocoa mix in my Starbucks coffee mug, and hop on over to the Starbucks coffee shop of the day (NOTE: One of the main reasons I choose SB is because they don't have free WiFi, and no Internet means I'll actually get work done).I'd work 4 hours before lunch and at least another 3 hours after lunch, depending on what I had going on that evening. 

PART TWO

When I finish writing something intense, I usually feel like running down the library steps or taking a flying leap with my feet tucked up behind me. I don't do that, but that's how I feel. I have writer friends who tell me they feel drained after an intense writing experience. Not me. I feel energized. I usually can't wait to get home, print out the first draft, and read it aloud to myself, making corrections where needed so I can read it aloud to my wife and get her thoughts on the scene. 

Similarly, I don't usually need an unwind when I'm done writing less intense scenes, either. I just love writing them, intense or not so intense. The time I get to invest in writing feels like a gift from heaven. I wish I could do it all the time.
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