When people learn that I'm an author they usually are amazed by the idea. They usually explain, "Wow! That is so exciting!" It is like I have turned into a super hero or something hehe. Responses like these often make me feel weird because I'm just me... I just have ideas pop into my head so I write them down so other people can read them!
Being an author isn't all that glamorous. I promise you that. We work very hard for the money and recognition we receive. So today I am going take off my super hero cape and let you see what my life as an author is really like.
I get up at 5:30 most mornings to begin my day. I do not get up this early to write. Heck no. My daughter has to be up for school so I start my day at this time. Promotion and marketing is a big part of being an author. No, publishers don't do most of this for the author. It rests on the author's shoulders. Being an author is a very solitude profession. During this time of day, I write emails, chat with my friends, do promo/marketing, and blog. I take a break for breakfast before starting my "day job" which I also do from my home.
My day job happens to be editing manuscripts for other authors. I am swarmed by the craft of writing all day long. I love this! I edit a manuscript for several hours straight. When I need a break, I usually end up doing chores, running errands, or chatting with my boyfriend on the phone. After I take a break I'm back at the computer for several more hours of editing. I have deadlines for these manuscripts so editing them takes a lot of time.
In the early evening I'm ready for some outdoor activity and exercise. We have a pool so that is usually where you'll find me. Swimming lasts about an hour before I'm inside to do more chores and cook dinner. I hang out with the kids for a bit. They are teenagers so they only like so much "mom time" before they are off doing their own thing.
Late evening is spent working on my own novels. If I have an editing deadline, I will focus on getting my edits finished and will not write any new material. Otherwise I balance it out... edit for awhile, write for awhile. Research is squeezed in there somewhere! I work on my book until my brain is numb. I talk to my boyfriend on the phone while a movie is playing and then I pass out. I do get to do fun author stuff occasionally. I belong to a writing association so the meetings help me feel all author-like. We also get to take fun workshops like How to Process a Crime Scene. I get to meet interesting people like homicide detectives, scientists, and male cover models! This stuff is the glamorous side of being an author but these are special events.
Don't get me wrong. Being an author isn't a fancy job. It is hard on most days but there are so many rewards. Getting a good review, having a fan email you to say how much they love your book or to ask when the next one comes out, and seeing the final product of all work you put in is the best.
I might not really wear a super hero cape and that is fine with me.... I just want to be an author.
Oh, I so know what an author's day is yes - work work work! But if you want to be one, as you say, no choice. What a crazy, wonderful time it is for us now to be authors. I am up at 5AM working on the PC until 11:30pm between "author" work and real job and with a few waking hours in between for family and exercise. Dont you just love it though?
ReplyDeleteI do love it. I wouldn't want to be different. While I wasn't writing at all because of school (for 2 years!) I was sad because an important part of me was missing. I didn't wake up one day and say "I want to be an author". I had these ideas (characters, plots, and scenes) pop in my head for as long as I can remember.
DeleteWendy
I know that look of awe on people's faces. And then I tell them the truth, I get to work in my pyjamas, and then the look of awe transforms to envy. We don't sit around daydreaming... much. And no, our mailboxes are not overflowing royalty checks of humungous proportion. Writing is hard work, and the deeper you get, the less time you have available to actually write.
ReplyDeleteBut when we hold a new book in our hands for the first time, rest our fingers on the cover... that is glamour. That is magic!
Great post, Wendy!!! Yeah, I know exactly what you mean about that hero stuff. They actually look at us like we're celebrities. And it's actually a cool feeling for a while, but I don't know how long that impression would last if they saw what I looked like in the morning. LOL
ReplyDeleteBeing an author is truly an awesome job that is more work than you ever imagined. But the rewards are too GREAT not to do it!