Steve Martin

Most writers are curious about how other writers organise their time, their work in progress, and their writing spaces. (Just visit the General Gallery and take a look at the pictures of various 'writing spaces' that have found their way on to the site!)

Steve Martin first aroused my interest when he got back to me with a few suggestions for the Writing4Success Calendar/Planner. From what Steve said, I got the impression that he was a highly disciplined and organised writer - so I asked him if he'd like to share some of his 'secrets' with others. Steve was only too happy to oblige... so here you are: an insight into one other writer's life!

Steve says:

Steve's inside writing space

 
"I sit on the front verandah on Sunday mornings, and some evenings when it is fine and not too windy. I sit under the back pergola most evenings with a can of beer and either plot or plan a story for an upcoming competition or a publication I thought I'd try.

When it's cold and windy, too dark or I need the computer, I sit inside.
When I was doing a Professional Children's Writing Course with Thomson Direct Education, my tutor, Jill McDougall suggested I draw up a writing table to establish a patten.
 
[NOTE FROM MARG: STEVE HAS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED US WITH A COPY OF HIS WRITING TABLE, IN CASE IT'S USEFUL FOR YOU. YOU'LL FIND IT IN THE DOWNLOADS AREA]
 
I follow the timetable fairly religiously, unless something with priority pushes in - a competition deadline, for example.

Steve's timetable

 
That way I find I don't sit down to write without knowing what I intend to do. My day job helps as I am home at 3.00pm most days.
 
So between 4.00pm and 6.00pm I work on one of the book projects I am playing with - Monday is a satire, Tuesday a children's adventure mystery, Wednesday an adventure thriller. Thursday I leave free for research or reading writing related material, eg grammar. I love going to the library.
 
Between 6.00pm and 7.00pm Monday through Thursday I sit with a beer and plot or plan an upcoming short story.
 
From 7.30pm to 8.30pm I either network on Writing.Com, reading the work of others, reviewing or so on, or I'll surf the net for possible markets or other stuff like keeping my calendar up to date and so on.
 
Fridays I do no writing at all.
 
Saturdays I work on short stories for competitions until 10.00am and then again from 6.00pm to 7.00pm, in between I potter round the garden or bludge in front of the TV - sport only.
 
Sundays I read history works until 10.00am and then write until 12.00, when again I crash in front of the TV. After 3.00 I potter around the garden and then at 6.00 work for an hour at plotting and so on, and then again 7.30 to 8.30 I do the networking, market research stuff.
 

Steve's calendar

[And no, I don't have a social life because I really am a solitary person - but that's me.]
 
Occasionally we have a family night, but it's not all that often they're all home together - and when they are, it usually hinges on a meal.
 
I'm in bed by 10.00pm most nights, except Friday and Saturday because I'm up and off at 5.30am.
 
I don't find the timetable too regimented and can break it if I wish - but I try not to!
 
When I write I work towards making what I write as polished as possible right from the start, but also free-write a lot. For me, the storyline becomes clearer if I do this. I just let the story go where it wants to rather than sitting there trying to work out what happens next.
 
I've also attached a copy of the January 2009 calendar you gave us as an idea of how I use that. I don't try to cram it with every competition or market I have found only those that are coming up I think I will have a crack at.
 
I keep a seperate list, in expiry/closing date order, of all the others."
 
So there you have it... a quick peek into one writer's life!

[You'll find Steve's writing timetable and a copy of his Calendar/Planner in the downloads area, in one zipped file for convenient download.]