We are thrilled that UK writer Sara Jayne Townsend is here at Anasazi Dreams, blogging about important inner tools a writer must have for success. Find out more about Sara Jayne here as she gives us insights into her own writing process…
All I ever wanted to be, since childhood, was a writer. I was telling stories before I even knew how to write – making them up about my favourite toys. I was about six when I started writing stories down – around the time I first learned how to put words on a page. Whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, “a writer”. They would generally frown at me and say, “you can’t do that for a living. You need a proper job.” But I never wanted to do anything else, and never thought I was actually any good at anything else.
I do know a few writers who manage to make enough money from the writing to do it full time. But the vast majority have another source of income. And for me, those early doubters turned out to be right – I still feel I’m a long way from being in a position to give up the day job.
Being a writer with a day job requires discipline. The writing has to fit round the day job, and for me it means getting up stupidly early a couple of times a week to fit in an hour’s writing at a coffee shop before heading to the office, spending lunch times writing, and often spending much of my time on weekends writing as well.
Then of course there’s the publicity. Books don’t sell themselves. If you’re with an established publisher with a publicity department, they will likely arrange readings and signing sessions at book stores for you. But many of the smaller independent publishers don’t have the same kind of marketing budget, and if your book is only available as an e-book, signing sessions can’t really happen. Internet promotion can be a valuable tool for the e-book author, but making time to write blog posts, contacting people about interviews, and keep one’s internet presence up to date is just as important as finding time to write.
This is where discipline comes in. We all have the same number of hours in the day, and how we use them is important. I rely on lists to keep me organised, and I am a person who likes routine. I try and schedule time for writing, and time for writing blog posts or whatever. I don’t have children and the salary from the day job allows me to hire a cleaner so I don’t spend time on house work, but I generally feel that I have to function on less sleep than I would prefer to get everything in.
I may not be a household name, but being a published author has fulfilled a childhood dream. I’m not a person comfortable with plunging into the great unknown. I’m a forward planner, in both my writing and the way I live my life. So being a writer with a day job is the right path for me. No matter how much sleep I have to sacrifice for it.
BIO:
Sara Jayne Townsend is a UK-based writer of crime and horror. Her horror novel SUFFER THE CHILDREN (e-book) and collection of short stories SOUL SCREAMS (print and e-book) are available from Amazon (UK link – http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B003QROE8S and US link – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003QROE8S ), and the first two novels in her amateur sleuth series, DEATH SCENE and DEAD COOL will be available from MuseItUp Publishing later this year (Summer and Autumn respectively).
Learn more about Sara and her writing from her website (http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com) and her blog (http://sayssara.wordpress.com).
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