I sometimes read the blog posts or articles published by authors who talk about their writing process. This includes those who write every day because they have to—they’re writers after all!—and writing is their lifeblood. They can’t let a day go by without writing.

Then there are the tireless scribes who pull all-nighters because they are just so inspired, and then go to their full-time jobs in the morning. And those perky early birds who set their alarms for 5:00 a.m. so they can write for a couple of very productive hours before getting the kids ready for school, running the carpool, managing their Architectural Digest-worthy homes, and creating their Bon Appétit cover-ready dinners. The ones who publish a book every six or twelve months, making them the darlings of their agents and publishers and leading to multi-book contracts because they are just bursting with original ideas and captivating characters.

I’m the other kind of writer.

I don’t have a set-in-stone daily writing schedule. I don’t write every day—sometimes I don’t even write every week. Shame on me! Sure, I write a blog post now and then, or maybe an occasional guest article, and I sometimes have editing jobs. But my relationship with my current book manuscript is best described as more of an occasional acquaintance.

Sure, I published a book, but that was four years ago! And so what if my book sales are better this year than they’ve been since it launched, I should have finished at least another book or two by now, right? I’ll admit that I’m a little—okay, a lot—undisciplined in my writing, but does that mean I’m not really a writer? After all, writers have to write. Isn’t that what we’re told?

I’m not lazy. I’ve worked hard most of my life, often holding two jobs, or clocking overtime, or having a side business, or going to school while working full-time—all while I was a single parent. Even now, when I’m supposedly semi-retired, I still work on something every day. It’s just not always my book-in-progress. My past experience is probably why I don’t want to work that hard at writing during this stage of my life. I want to take my time and write just for the pleasure of stringing some words together to create something lovely, entertaining, or at least interesting.

I’ll admit to feeling a tiny shot of envy now and then when I see the other authors cranking out books one after another, or when they talk about how their characters take over and write their books for them. It might be nice to experience that kind of enthusiastic propulsion, but not if I have to pull an all-nighter or set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. to achieve it. I think I’ll just be content to be the other kind of writer and enjoy my writing process.

21 thoughts on “I’m the Other Kind of Writer”

  2. I actually have a post on this exact topic written in my draft folder. This is a sign for me to post it haha.

    I think art should be done at our own pace and along with what out spirit desires. Each person has a different life and a unique writing process. I don’t have a writing process either. Somewhere in my soul, I know I could sit down for a few hours and crank out a bestseller–except that’s not what I’m supposed to be doing so I’m not going to. Or maybe I will. I don’t know. It’s strange. I’m just going along and doing the best I can day after day.

    By the way, if you want to read my full take on this topic of writers and their writing habits, I will be posting it next Monday on my Medium page that is linked below. Thank you for reading!

    View at Medium.com

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    1. sircharlesthepoet, my mom always used to say “Great minds think alike,” when we were both thinking along the same lines. You’re so right that art should be done at our own pace, and we all have a unique writing process. I’ll look for your article on Monday. Happy writing!

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      4. Thank you for reading!! By the way I am trying to reach 100 followers on my Medium account. It would help me a lot if you would give my page a follow. It is free for you to follow me and all that you need is an email address to create an account. Your support is appreciated tremendously 🙏🏾

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      6. I see it! Thank you sssoooo much!!! Listen, if you want to go a step further, you can turn on email notifications to get an email every time that I post. If not, it’s okay. I’m still figuring things out anyways haha. But I appreciate you ssssooooo much for the follow! ❤

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  7. Every writer should go at their own pace. I remember reading about the legendary Elmore Leonard and how when he was just starting out he’d get up at five am and start writing. The legend had it that he wouldn’t even turn on the coffee maker until he’d typed that first line. (This was way back when writers were writers and had to type out each page, and if they made a mistake, do it all over again.) Not everyone has Leonard’s drive, nor should they. Enjoying the act of writing is just as important. If you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point of doing it?

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    1. Mike, interesting comment about Elmore Leonard. Writing before coffee? Now that’s radical! I saw him speak years ago at the Bay Area Book Festival–interesting guy!

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      1. Yeah, Dutch was one hell of a writer. I forgot to add that Leonard would then go teach a full day at school after writing.

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