A New Daily Rhythm

I’ve been thinking of the New Year as I transition from my 9 to 5(+++) job, to a focus on writing in 2023 and beyond.

What should my daily rhythm be like?

Is there a best practice?

The one thing that I’ve heard over and over is that you need to write every day. Dan Brown (author of The Da Vinci Code) notes that he writes every day from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. Others don’t stop until they complete a certain word count or number of pages.

I enjoy Stephen King’s approach to writing—he’s a straight-shooter and not afraid to be blunt! In his book, On Writing, he notes, “Once I start work on a project, I don’t stop and I don’t slow down unless I absolutely have to. If I don’t write every day, the characters begin to stale off in my mind—they begin to seem like characters instead of real people.” King’s goal is to get 10 pages per day, which is about 2,000 words.

So, while I’m finalizing my novel, I’ve been considering the next project(s) and how I can incorporate the writing rhythm into my daily routine. I’d love to pen further stories involving Joshua Grayson (my novel’s current protagonist). But, the feedback will be a good barometer as to if Joshua has a future…I am always happy to hear suggestions and inputs.

Lastly, as I move into the last few days of my current career, I am often asked why I am retiring relatively early. To which I reply, “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” Which is a quote by Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker.

Lincoln also notes, “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Countdown to lift off!

Cheers and Happy Holidays,

Tom