tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post979498516765862779..comments2024-03-29T04:38:14.302-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: A Day in the Life of a Writer – The Writing LifeLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-7251977668024495382017-06-27T23:34:56.382-04:002017-06-27T23:34:56.382-04:00Well done, Paul. I loved it. Seriously though, do ...Well done, Paul. I loved it. Seriously though, do you have any old CDs lying around? Hang them on wires in your peach trees. Birds and animals will all leave them alone. It works!Kaye Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596677617002735674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-45870317299816036332017-06-27T14:06:47.516-04:002017-06-27T14:06:47.516-04:00Thank you, everyone, for your responses. It's ...Thank you, everyone, for your responses. It's fun to hear what your writing reality is.<br /><br />I have to go to a funeral today, so I can't respond individually as I normally do. But I will tonight when I get home.<br /><br />Thanks again.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-63494362433073886892017-06-27T13:50:06.498-04:002017-06-27T13:50:06.498-04:00Oh Paul, what a great post. Not just because of th...Oh Paul, what a great post. Not just because of the creativity involved, but the look "inside." And though our schedules and approaches are not the same--there are the animals (of course!) and everything else in the "real" world. So glad I'm not alone in not living in Take One... Very enjoyable post!M.M. Gornellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05610211516010193111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-199101513024257082017-06-27T13:47:45.030-04:002017-06-27T13:47:45.030-04:00My writer's routine: up at 5 or so, depending ...My writer's routine: up at 5 or so, depending on how many times I hit the snooze button. Dither about packing lunch, making coffee. Write from 5:30 or so to 7. Remember the day job. Run around the house like my hair's on fire. Get out the door and to the day job. Harbor a resentful attitude for 8 hours. Then grocery shopping, checking on mother, running errands, running team workout. Home at last, turn on computer. Remember to fix dinner, water garden, do laundry. Sit down at computer. Husband needs something. Return to computer. Phone call. Return to computer. Read a couple chapters of someone else's work. Fall asleep wondering why I can't write 2 novels and a couple short stories a year, like other authors I know.Catherine Diltshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05772088568954159017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-8155093652082526062017-06-27T12:30:02.435-04:002017-06-27T12:30:02.435-04:00I enjoyed the first day enormously--satin sheets a...I enjoyed the first day enormously--satin sheets and all the rest of it. Unfortunately, I don't have enough energy for the second day, and the dog has learned not to be in too much of a hurry. When we decide we want (have) to write, we never seem to think about how uncomfortable some of this will be. For most of us anyway. I'm more of a morning person, so I work through the morning and early afternoon, and then fuss around and do a few errands, pretend to clean, and read or work some more in the evening. I fit in at least an hour of exercising. Notice the omission of cooking time. Keep it simple is my motto.Susan Oleksiwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693057997469296068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-34840851760691020872017-06-27T11:36:08.155-04:002017-06-27T11:36:08.155-04:00Enjoyed your post, Paul. I now know an important d...Enjoyed your post, Paul. I now know an important difference between writers with dogs and writers with cats. If you're a writer with a cat, your day begins at 5:45, because that's when the cat wants breakfast. The cat doesn't care about when you went to bed. The cat cares only about breakfast. If the writer ignores the cat's yowling for too long, the cat will proceed to the second phase: jumping up on bed stands and bureaus and knocking things off. We lost two pretty good alarm clocks that way. Of course, we don't really need the alarm clocks. We have the cat.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673578800047888317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-76681329370364192802017-06-27T10:52:36.554-04:002017-06-27T10:52:36.554-04:00A fun blog. The telemarketers remind me of a Dona...A fun blog. The telemarketers remind me of a Donald Westlake story I read many years ago. The narrator doesn't understand his wife's stress. He winds up at home alone one day. The phone rings constantly with sales pitches and foolishness, and he can't get anything done because of the sales people ringing the doorbell. It ends with murder, of course. If anyone knows the name of this story, I'd appreciate your sharing it. Paul, if you've never read it, I think you'd love it!Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-24824499768627889952017-06-27T10:06:36.515-04:002017-06-27T10:06:36.515-04:00I'm in the same screenplay just different hour...I'm in the same screenplay just different hours of the day. The dogs, the phone, and cleaning something that hadn't been touched in four or five years. That's the job description and I wouldn't change it for anything. A fun read, Paul.GBPoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12190573764848658894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-16963044495224147562017-06-27T09:57:44.086-04:002017-06-27T09:57:44.086-04:00Enjoyed the post. I teach at a local college. Duri...Enjoyed the post. I teach at a local college. During my summer months, I wake at 5:00 A.M., feed my two dogs, my cat, and my rabbit. Then I make coffee, let the dogs out, wash the night's dishes, and after an hour and a half of this, I sit at the computer. I work from 6:30 until about 11:30. I eat, run errands, do shopping, and God knows what else until around 2:00 when I hit the computer again. I work until 5:00 and start supper. My wife, who works days at the same college, comes in around 6:00. We eat, talk a little, and go to our separate offices. She works on her movie scripts and I work until 9:00 or so. When the semester starts, I have the same morning routine, but I don't get to do much writing because I need to be at work by 8:00 A.M. usually. I steal whatever moments I can at work to get some writing done, but that's an iffy proposition. I'm usually done by 3:00 P.M., run errands, cook supper, and sit at the computer from around 7:00 until I either fall asleep in my chair or just turn in. I have no house phone, only a cell phone, and I rarely give out that number. My kids and my wife know that I'm busy and will text occasionally, and if it's important, I'll text back right away. Otherwise, I wait for a break. It's a hectic life, and I look forward to retiring in a few months. Then it will be a summer routine year round.Judehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546475386751655756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-72287677434968013872017-06-27T09:53:19.384-04:002017-06-27T09:53:19.384-04:00Such a fun post! Enjoyed the screenplay format and...Such a fun post! Enjoyed the screenplay format and the contrasts here from one take to the next. Nice! Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-33611868287424594732017-06-27T08:56:01.269-04:002017-06-27T08:56:01.269-04:00Grin - so fun, and yet so clever, in that it is fu...Grin - so fun, and yet so clever, in that it is full of the things that drive writers CRAZY. If you're writing at home, you're not really 'doing anything' and thus can be interrupted at any time.<br />Thanks for my morning smile, Paul!Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54899780673174137042017-06-27T08:40:19.143-04:002017-06-27T08:40:19.143-04:00Paul, your day #2 sounds pretty typical to me. I ...Paul, your day #2 sounds pretty typical to me. I don't have assistants any more, but I did just move to a new place, and I'm always finding something else that needs doing. Or my husband tells me about it. Telemarketers, the lure of the internet, and I desperately need to get back on my old writing schedule... Which used to be from 9-10:30 AM, then a long break (exercise, lunch, reading) until around 1:30; 1:30-3:30 PM, go for a long walk; back to emails and internet and sometimes back at it for a while... <br /><br />And don't we all go out, pick up the mail and think "royalty checks! acceptances! movie contract!" Sigh....Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-82544786411207723122017-06-27T07:50:18.728-04:002017-06-27T07:50:18.728-04:00I like your assistants. Mine is fond of taking my ...I like your assistants. Mine is fond of taking my typing chair - now if I could teach the old cat to type my writers life might indeed be interesting.janice lawnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85368359152619183432017-06-27T07:23:35.515-04:002017-06-27T07:23:35.515-04:00Thanks, Jacqueline. We're kind of at opposite ...Thanks, Jacqueline. We're kind of at opposite ends of the day in terms of our working hours. But both consistent and I think that's the key. Now if we could only zap the telemarketers through the phone we'do really be doing good.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-651213575421519362017-06-27T06:10:36.560-04:002017-06-27T06:10:36.560-04:00Hi Paul,
I appreciated your "screenplay"...Hi Paul,<br /><br />I appreciated your "screenplay"--both clever and creative. I generally work from about 5 am to 9 am and then again in the evening as time and other responsibilities allow. But I am consistent. And I also get an awful amount of telemarketing calls which I mostly ignore thanks to caller I.D.Jacqueline Seewaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09177500620940251009noreply@blogger.com