June 29, 2005
Stephen King somewhere wrote about how to get a lot of work done. He, of course, has spent most of his writing career working a phenomenal clip, probably due in at least part to his former addiction to uppers, but also because he's a rapid writer.

I'm a rapid writer. Working full-time in the hospital with a one-hour to one-and-a-half-hour commute on either end, I still managed to write a novel a year, edit a technical journal and the occasional article, and still spend time with my wife and kids. I didn't watch much TV, get much exercise or other things, but I was productive.

King noted that he tried to write 10 pages a day, which is pretty high by most standards, though I suspect I write that much or more all told--all told being whatever novel I'm working on and whatever queries and magazine articles I'm writing. He also points out that William Styron took about 23 years to write "Sophie's Choice." And although neither King nor I would argue that "Sophie's Choice" isn't brilliant, I agree completely that Styron was probably dicking around. What, was he writing a sentence a day? Sure, clinical depression does tend to slow you down, but a 700 page manuscript, give or take, in 23 years, isn't working. It's ... it's dicking around.

The reason I'm talking about this today is because, well, I'm dicking around. Some of this is because I'm leaving for a well-earned vacation on Saturday and I don't want to get in over my head with immediate work. Also, I've been trying to wrap things up before Friday, so I can get the lawnwork done before I split town. So I've got one more article to write before Friday, which I've started--I'm working on it now, as a matter of fact--but otherwise I seem to be ... dicking around.

This summer has required me to be more flexible in my otherwise very straightforward work schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays my kids have track in the morning, and they're different ages so they're at staggered times. The eldest's is from 9:00 to 10:00. The youngest's is from 10:15 to 11:00. As you may know, my typical work schedule is approximatley 9 to 5, although I'm at my computer at 7 to check e-mail and get my day organized, then I walk the dog. So on Monday and Wednesdays I now get up, hit the computer at 7, etc., eat breakfast, get my kids going, then drop my oldest son off at track, return home, get the youngest one fed and showered, then I work a bit, then I grab the dog and while the youngest is at track I walk the dog, sometimes with my oldest son. All told, in many ways my work day doesn't really start until noon after lunch. I try to work pretty much more or less straight through to 7, give or take on these days. But they're not great productive days for me.

Combine that and I feel like I'm dicking around. Of course, procrastination is another word for it, and I've been putting off wrapping up this simple article for no known reason, but it will be finished by tomorrow. Of course, with no deadlines pending, I either market like crazy, work on the novel, or ... dick around.

Maybe it's good to do this from time to time. Idleness, and all that. I just hope it doesn't become habit forming.

Best,
Mark Terry