Often I see authors write blogs and even books on this.  It helps readers to understand the process, giving a little insight into the author’s working progress.  And for fellow writers it is inspiring and encouraging to see how other authors write.

Now if I tell you how I write you might understand totally why my characters are as wacky as they are and why I might need more than one editor or proofreader at my beck and call.  As it is they have their work cut out for them.

You think of writers having these big swatches of time and quiet to create.  And you think of them having tons of alone time to do so….so much so that you worry about them feeling lonely… too much solitude.

I can say without any hesitation or doubt that lots of time, quiet, and alone time are definitely not issues for me.  In fact the opposite is usually quite true.

I sit down to write.  The telephone rings.  I ignore it.  My cell phone rings.  I ignore it.  My text goes off.  I ignore it.  The phone rings again…this time the answering machine plays in the background…”How come you’re not answering your phone?  Call me.”…husband is worried.  So I call him back to reassure him that all is well.

I sit back down to write.  Mark needs me for something.  I get up to help him.  Then its back to writing.  A little while later its time for lunch.  I fix lunch.  Ready to write some more, I sit… ready to write some more.   I fix lunch….wait didn’t I already say that, do that?   I sit back down to write.  Frank and Michael come home.  “What’s to eat?”  I make them lunch.

I sit back down to write.  Finally all is quiet and I can get a little work done, uninterrupted.  I write a sentence.  Maybe two and now the cat needs my attention…more treats and a clean up on aisle 4…(garage)…she’s old, has lots of accidents.

I sit back down to write.  The bell on the washing machine and dryer go off simultaneously…I let it go for awhile or until or before the mildew sets in…then I get up switching the clothes from the wash to the dryer after taking the clothes out of the dryer and putting them in the basket to be folded at a later if ever date…  I sit back down to write; but first a quick look at FB and emails.  Two hours later, I sit back down to write.

Mark, Michael, and Frank want to talk to me.  It doesn’t matter that I’m typing…or that I’m clearly ignoring them…not even smiling at them…they still want to talk to me.   So since I’m not looking they sit across from me and say…’don’t worry…I’ll wait until you’re done.  Or they ask, “Are you listening to me”  Mark doesn’t care…he just keeps on talking and talking and talking and if I don’t pay attention then touches my chin to get me to look at him-reminding me of the days when we did the program and we did the same to him to get his attention.

Or they’re talking to each other.  Sometimes I go to another room…a couple of states away…but they either find me or I can still hear them….

A little while later ….I sit back down to write……….

But now its time to walk….Sonny’s ready…patiently waiting …and can’t wait anymore.  So we – Mark, Sonny, and I walk.

And then I hear “What’s for dinner?”….

I close up the computer…………..to begin again…………..another day…………..

And this is how I write……full of life and love swirling all around me, touching, inspiring, driving me a little crazy, sometimes a lot…loving the process.  Most days I write…sometimes not…………but when I do it’s always an adventure.