Writing Time

In a workshop I taught this summer, an attendee asked me how much time should be spent writing each day to pursue a career in the field. The answer is not a one-size-fit-all. Every person has his/her amount of available time and tolerance.

Writers who gain contracts usually spend a few hours each day writing, revising, thinking, revising, reading, and revising. Do you notice a trend? Revision is the key. Successful writers keep writing and revising until the manuscript sparkles. That takes time. Spurts of inspiration are wonderful to motivate a person to write, but successful writers have a regular schedule. Some days inspiration much be given a nudge and that happens when we sit with BIC (butt in chair) and write even when we don’t want to, don’t feel like it, don’t know what to write. Yet, we write anyway.

In Stephen King’s book, On Writing, he states “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” There are no shortcuts. Garnering a publishing contract requires learning the craft of writing and crafting a quality story. Both take time. Some people have a solid knowledge of the craft and have read widely in the genre in which they are writing while others are just beginning the journey to publication.

Don’t be concerned if someone you know spends twice as much time writing as you do. You’re not in a race with anyone. Concentrate on what works for you and the time you have to devote to your manuscript; then write, read, write, revise, write, revise, read, write, revise, read…

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. The OddContest is an annual competition for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, or horror) stories or prose poems no longer than 500 words. The contest has been sponsored since 2008 by Odyssey Con. The contest offers cash prizes, convention memberships, and books in both Adult and Youth divisions.

The entry deadline is January 15 this year and results are announced by March 15. An awards ceremony and reading of the 2016 winning entries will be held at Odyssey Con on April 8-10, 2016; they will also be published in the Odyssey Con program and on this website.

Submission guidelines at http://odysseycon.org/contest/contest.html

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

"Third Flatiron Anthologies. "It's Come to Our Attention" or "Scratching the Surface" - Under
the radar: things that are happening quietly, without a lot of
fanfare, that may still be extremely significant or make a big
difference.

Reading Period: August 1 - September 30, 2015
Writer Deadline: September 30, 2015
Publication Date: December 1, 2015

Submission guidelines at http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/