While I was at Worldcon more than one person asked how I managed to write so many books and so many words.

So I thought I’d explain a bit of my process in greater detail for those of y’all who are interested.

First of all, writing is my fulltime gig. That means I get three to four hours per day to write. That right there is a big part of why I’m able to write so much. I have the time to do it. It’s a scheduled part of my day, every day.

Next, I know myself. The time of day when I write the best is in the morning. And because I set my own schedule, I’m able to write in the mornings. There are writers I know who are also morning writers, but because of their day job, they can’t write in the morning. It’s very difficult if not near impossible to switch around your writing schedule if your nature time is at one point during the day.

When I had a day job, I was able to negotiate with them that I didn’t start work until after ten AM. I explained to people that I had a “life conflict.” Most people assumed that meant that I had kids and I didn’t necessarily always correct them. So I rarely had to have meetings early in the morning as well. (It was a different time, and I recognize that such concessions are a lot more difficult to come by now.)

Another thing. Because I am a morning writer, I’ve come up with the mantra: My words first. I don’t check email. I don’t check social media. I don’t look at the news.

My words come before anyone else’s.

I do like working out in the morning. I had tried going to the gym first thing. However, because the gym has music playing and that music has words, it was too much like other people’s words in my head first thing.

No. My words first.

In addition, I no longer have a TV. I do watch/listen to reality cooking competitions while I’m doing brainless work, such as formatting books or publishing. Mostly, however, the only media I consume are other books.

And again, I can’t read someone else’s words before my I start writing my own. I won’t write if I pick up a book first thing.

Many years ago (more than a decade) I taught myself to write clean first drafts. Before then, I was missing up to twenty-five percent of the final word count and I had to fix a lot of things.

I also went from handwriting my entire first draft then typing it up to writing the first draft fully on the computer.

Now, probably ninety-five percent of what is in the first draft makes it to the final draft. It took me a couple of years to figure out this process for myself. (If you’re interested in more detail, I have an entire chapter on it in the Business for Breakfast book: “Improving Your Craft for the Professional Writer”.) (https://www.knottedroadpress.com/products/improving-your-craft-for-the-professional-writer)

Though I do not plot out my books, I do think about them, what I’m writing, what’s about to come. One of the things that really works for me is to get up a good head of steam thinking about what I’m going to be writing next.

I maintain a level of excitement for my writing. If you’ve ever talked with me in person, you know that I’m ALWAYS having fun with the book I’m currently writing, am always excited about it. That I think is key for helping to maintain momentum when it comes to writing.

I’ve always written fast. There’s nothing wrong with that, particularly because I am always aiming for what’s called flow state. This is a condition that artists reach when they’re able to go quickly and make fewer mistakes. (There’s actual science behind this.) Painters, musicians, and writers have all been studied and proven that this state is not only possible, but desirable.

Regularly reaching flow state is one of the ways that I’m able to write more words per hour.

As I mentioned before, I’m a fulltime author. I’ve also trained myself to be careful about the language that I use when I talk about my writing.

I never HAVE to write. I GET to write. It’s my escape, my happy place, the state of creation that I love the most. I’ve chosen the right writing project, the one that drags me back to the keyboard as opposed to having to force myself. I write best when I’m happy, and I maintain a state of happiness while I’m writing. Even if that’s maniacal cackling as the bodies pile up.

Will these techniques work for you? Probably not as I’ve written them out, no. You’re going to have to look at my words, at how I do my writing, then adapt it to fit your own style.

Does it take work to write all those words every day? Yes and no. I put my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard and I write. That part’s really important.

I am also not dreading it. I’m looking forward to it. Yes, it’s important for me to write, but I don’t make it IMPORTANT. I’m not creating deathless prose. I’m writing to entertain. Making the piece I’m writing important is one of the fastest ways to kill the joy.

It’s a writer trick that you’ll have to learn, how to make sure that you do the work, without ever feeling as though it is work. You’ll have to figure out your own emotional gymnastics for that.

Any questions? Comments? What works for you?