One of the most significant revelations in my life was that if a person does something for only half an hour a day, in a year this is 365 x 0.5 = 182.5 hours. And if you do this at the time when you’re most productive, these 182.5 hours can be very effective. My advice to all future writers is to decide on the minimum time you’ll spend writing. Even if it’s just 15 minutes.
If at the very start you set yourself a plan that is unrealistic, you’re not very likely to realize it.
Needless to say, you must be very strict with yourself and dogged. Nowadays it hardly ever happens that I don’t write. Including Sundays and vacations.
But it wasn’t like this at first. Often, I simply didn’t feel like it and slept in. I’ll reveal another weakness, if that’s what it is. Every morning I have an energy drink to get my fill of caffeine. Coffee helps, too, but because of stomach problems I can’t have it. The fact is I can’t write without caffeine.
The first book was the most difficult. I spent a year writing it and it seemed I’d never be able to finish it. At least once or twice a week I didn’t feel like getting up early and if I did get up, I couldn’t start writing. I just didn’t feel like it. At first, I spent 20 to 45 minutes writing, now it’s an hour and a half each day. So I suggest you start with a minimum of 15 minutes. Try and be as strict with yourself as you can. There’s nothing wrong if now and again you don’t feel like it. If the results are good, this will serve as motivation and with years you’ll become more and more decisive and determined.
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