How much time do you devote

[deadpunk]

to your writing, in a day? Or a week? Or, hell, even a month...?

Do you sit down at a set schedule and work on unfinished stories? Or, do you only go at it when you feel the worm of inspiration burrowing into your brainpan?

Personally, I try to give at least (bare minimum) one hour a night. I have a plethera of stories that I rotate between, trying to finish each one. I'm often overcome with boredom while writing, though, which is why I switch around so much. :dead:

[Exatreides]

Whenver the desire hits me. I don't like set sceduals, it makes me feel to hurried and I feel like idea's cant flow as freely as they should.

[deadpunk]

Personally, I've always worked better with a deadline. I'm lacsadasicle with my writing, and will spend forever working on things that should have been finished in no time. :(

[Giger]

I try to write every night, but that usually winds up as three times a week. Any night is between 5-8 hours depending on how things flow.

[Graebel]

I write whenever there is time, but not always on stuff I'm going to send out. I do a lot of practice type projects trying to improve my dialogue, etc.

More often I'll get the bug and write for 1-5 hours straight. But as 1 hour will net me 4 pages, I don't feel like its unproductive.

[elaire26]

I try to get as much time in as I can...

I got a great piece of advice from a playwrighting workshop several years ago... they said words to the effect of "write everyday. Whether its one sentence, one word, or ten pages...write every day!"

I found that to be true... when I was stalled in writing the sequel to "Down the Road" as I could not get in front of the computer as I'd hoped, I took a 5 subject spiral I had, tore out the dividers (when I got to them) and wrote... wrote during work when I could, wrote on the road, when I was waiting for my wife doing nails while the baby slept... write...

Those of you out there without a wife, kids, and mortgage, you have a very unique opportunity... listen to me...

I realized after playing and defeating Vice City that I could write a just as compelling story... I was wasting lots of time in front of that video game that could have been done writing... I had (have) lots of stories in my head that I wasn't committing to paper... then, the first book for "Down the Road" was eventually written...

Do yourselves a favor... take time away from the game consoles... If you enjoy writing, then you have stories that deserve to be put to paper... If you're single w/o kids, budget your time... ... bottom line...

write every day...

Bowie V. Ibarra

[rightwing401]

What a great piece of advice, elaire. As an aspiring writer myself, I didn't take up this philosophy until just recently. And it has worked like a charm. I'm starting to write more now in a day or two's time than what I would have in an entire week.

I will say that ideally, I prefer to write when the mood suits me, but I find more often than naught that is not the case. However, the beautiful thing about writing is that you can always go back and improve what you wrote later on.

In a given day now, I try to make my time last between 1 to 3 hours.

[dannoofthedead]

I used to try and devote an hour or two a night, then I got married, had a kid and got a job working 8-12 hrs every night. I make time for it when an idea strikes me (meaning I have at least a pen and pad on me at all times) and I try to sneak in some time late at night after the wife and munchkin are tucked away.
Generally, 3 hours to 3 seconds every day or month depending on how insane the universe becomes.
Best bet is to do what works for you and keep the motion going.
-Danno

[Todd Tjersland]

I devote as much as eight hours or more per day when I'm on a hot streak. I try and bust out a new chapter every day or two unless writer's block or real life get in the way (my chapters tend to run six to twelve pages). I try to write two pages minimum per day, but do as many as I can so long as the inspiration and energy is there...

As a bit of advice, end each day's writing on a cliffhanger. That way, when you pick it up again the next day (or whenever), you will begin at an exciting moment. That should help alleviate some writer's block! :)

If you end as many chapters as you can with a cliffhanger or some other bit that gives the reader something to chew on, I think your book will be all the better for it.