Joe. How Do You Do It?
Aug 28, 2023 by E. Joe Brown
I get asked this question a lot - "Joe, how do you do it?"
People who already know me seem especially puzzled about how I get my writer's time completed. I am busy because of my involvement with several organizations. My writing is number one though and I'll share what I do to protect enough of my time to continue to grow and improve as a writer. It starts with getting to bed (most nights) at an hour, allowing me to get around seven hours of sleep. You may need more or less. Protect whatever you need so that when you awake, you feel good. Maybe groggy, but good.
I always begin my day with a cup of coffee and writing my "Morning Pages." What are my Morning Pages, you ask? I took a class from the University of New Mexico Continuing Education program where Carol March taught Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way." Part of the basic tools you learn are the morning pages. You write three pages of long handwriting regarding whatever is on your mind. I have done this every day since March 2019. I haven't been perfect, but I'm close. This ritual opens my mind up and gets my juices flowing.
I also do my best work in the morning, so I transition into writing as soon as possible. You may find that you are more effective in the afternoon, evening, or the wee hours of the morning. Find what works best for you, and be consistent.
When my book tours took off last August, I had to learn how to adjust to a traveling schedule. Again, protect your writing time as much as possible, and forgive yourself for your imperfections. Find your way to putting words on a page every day, and remember surfing the net doing research is not writing. Writing means "words on a page" and I'm not saying the research isn't important or that book tours aren't important. I'm saying they aren't writing. Sorry, I'm getting preachy. {smile}
I'm still learning, and don't pretend to have it all figured out, but I'm working at it, and you can do anything I'm doing. Again, find out the what, when, and why that works best for you and be consistent.
Happy Trail,
Joe