I am very grateful to the staff at Vocal for creating four new pages for the writers out there who want to discuss their craft, be critiqued, learn that there are others out there who are creating work that is remarkable, and to discuss how they do it. And how do we do it? I have written a little about the writing lives of the ones I have admired. Much of what I have taken for my routine comes from the advice read and heard online, from the biographies that I found and reviewed, and other teachers. Rarely – and I blame myself for this – I never spoke directly to writers to find out how they did it. I have received a few autographs at many readings and conferences, but I never found or made an opportunity to pick their brains about their work.
And I intend to correct this.
Here is my writing routine. I encourage you to contact me if you have something that I have missed and need to add to my list. And some of you might recognize your own method in my madness and have a few other pieces of advice (please share…and enjoy):
1. Wake up; wonder if I have to teach today and realize that I have such a free schedule that I can stare down something beyond my cellphone and the latest novel or book on my nightstand. I have to get to it.
2. Coffee! Usually, I will have a little coffee ready in a cafetiere on my stove with my special mix of coffee grounds, hot chocolate powder, nutmeg and cinnamon powder, and topped off with mint leaves (yeah, it isn’t something I would recommend making in the morning when you are groggy and tempted to go the bathroom first). Then, make sure that it does not boil over as you are staring at your phone. You will end up running to the kitchen and letting some of that precious brew sink into the elements. Have it steaming at your desk in a special mug only you know and love.
3. Running! Yes, as I have mentioned in another piece, I go running; my routine is in the morning when things are quiet, traffic is light, and no one is likely to think that you are a thief or robber trying to get away from the scene of the crime. Remember: you do not need to carry a cellphone or fanny pack when you are out for a run. You really don’t.
4. Look at my prompts. I am a member of Vocal+, and also Reedsy. With both of those pages available, I find it easy to pick the one I think will provide the more interesting distraction. Short stories only work with the latter; brain droppings, my narratives, and other effluvia end up here.
5. Wonder about my stationery. Yeah, I have listened to Stephen King’s advice about notebooks. What he does not understand that many of us, of a certain generation, were told to always carry a pen and paper in case we had an idea worth saving (thank you, Ms. P; life was interesting pre-cellphone). I have plenty of notebooks that I cannot fill up after heading right to the laptop…and I cannot give them up. I still have plenty of memories and notes with great ideas in them and I know that can always draw from that well if necessary. A real temptation…sometimes.
6. Turn on computer (rather important). Stare hard at that white page on Microsoft Word. Start to tap away. Get up to at least 500 words a day…if possible. With short stories, essays, and articles, this works…and I am done for today (What?)
7. I do not let a 500-word-a-day limit take away my sense of humour. I am a writer who needs to find some laughs if I keep contributing to the same pages again and again without anything more to show for it than a few Top Stories and some kind comments. Laughter is better than medicine.
8. I never get resentful. Never. My job is to write and not worry about whether I am getting a reward for my efforts. Stats, a well-stuffed Wallet and comments are all pleasant; they are not the final story.
9. A long walk is always good in the afternoon or evening. Staring down a screen and a pile of notes tests my resolve. I am very fortunate to have guitars (acoustic and noisy), plenty of books, comix, music, and a limited pool of friends. The parks await my steps.
10. I make sure to write almost every day, as long as I am not spending all that time making lists... ;)
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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.
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About the Creator
Kendall Defoe
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page.
And I did this: Buy Me A Coffee... And I did this:
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Comments (12)
Sir, we are quite similar, but very different really. I have no regular routine, other than I write everyday (That's a given as my job is currently a content writer) So when I am not writing for work, I am writing for me. I love number 8 - I find that one hard, but as much as I want to be the best, I don't mind if only a handful of people read something I write, or only one person reads it and connects with it, laughs at it, agrees with me, disagrees, all reactions and interactions are welcome. That's been my thing recently. As I've been trying to tap more into SoC writing...I am not looking for people to agree with me all the time - I find it boring if they do haha. Coffee/caffeine are important and while I don't do as much walking as I did at start of the year or towards tail end of last year, I still take breaks and try to stay moving, keep on top of other tasks and responsibiilities. Have been doing work in our garden with Ruth the last few weeks, so that's made sure I've been active. I try not to can my sense of humour. I try not to filter my writing as best as I can, which is why for poems right now, unless I'm following a strict format, I prefer to SoC it first. I would much rather have a serious peom with a silly quip or line in there that some might go "I'd have removed that" if it feels genuine. So I agree with that aspect too. Notebooks have been a must for me. Although predominately I write on the computer...when I've not been near the computer or didn't wanna fire it up, writing in a notebook in my eligible nonsense handwriting has helped me retain ideas. Funnily enough the first point in your routine, waking up...I am not sure I am ever really fully awake lol...thanks to bad sleeps. Trying to work on that though...:) Enjoyed this a lot...loved the honesty and touches of humour in it and sorry I missed it first time around!
Kendall, I love this! It's simple and such a great way to encourage both productivity and the flow of creative juices!
Ah, daily writing. How I wish I could stick with it, lol. Your routine has inspired me to give daily writing a go again! Also, I have so many journals (mostly empty) now that I call them a collection. Have you ever noticed a difference in your writing between typing it out or handwriting it? I almost always feel like my typed work's quality is better?
I love how coffee earned its own place on the list! Nice!
Nice summary and very similar to mine. I do keep Google Docs open on my mobile phone all day and just type in random story notes or dialogue snippets throughout the day as they occur to me.
I love number 8! Words to live by. Though my routine right now is the opposite of having one (pure chaos, not necessarily by choice). The only constant being the need for coffee.
What a fun little peek into the process of a diabolical artistic genius! Thank you for sharing this with us, Kendall.
I loved reading more about your process. We do things soo differently lol. That's the great thing about writing, there's no one right way to do it. I wish I had the discipline that you do! Nice article :)
Enjoyed reading about your process and I agree about enjoying the coffee. That Java really gets me going. It’s so easy to get discouraged, and that’s what I love best about the community I’ve found here.
I mainly, exercise, read and write
Interesting. I’ve never had a routine, so I like knowing what other people’s are.
I have a similar approach, I just make sure that I write, and don’t have too much coffee…..