Choosing to be a Professional Author

As I get up each morning to write, I think about my choices. As a writer you are self-employed. You must have discipline and keep to a schedule just as though you were going to work outside the home. I choose to get up early. I have several dogs that need to be taken care of before my own day can start.




I choose to get dressed and fix my hair, put on make-up and ready myself as though I’m going out to work. I do this for many reasons. One is that it helps me mentally prepare to work. But, it also keeps me ready in case I want to go out for a walk, or maybe have lunch with a friend. It’s important to have some kind of exercise during the day, and some social interaction. So, I dress like I’m going to work and I’m prepared for whatever comes my way.

I choose to have a set schedule. I know myself, and I prefer to have a schedule that I keep to so that I know the rhythm of my day. I keep to that schedule. I try to be very disciplined in this because it helps me stay focused, keep deadlines, take care of myself and move forward in all that I do. I write a lot of books each year, as many of you know. I’m often asked how I do it. I am lucky that I am a relatively fast writer and that my environment is set up to accommodate my work, but the biggest reason I can write so many books each year is because I dedicate time to doing it. That’s me. That’s how things work in my life. It doesn’t mean it will work for everyone.

Writing is my job. It’s my profession, my career, my livelihood. It’s not a hobby. I would love to say that it’s all about the art of storytelling, but it’s not. Not entirely. Yes, you want to enjoy your art, your ability to tell stories, but as a professional, you have to dedicate yourself to being strict about deadlines, commitments, research and putting words to the page. I sometimes write when I don’t really feel like it. Just like I’m sure there are other professions where you show up to work on days you wish you didn’t have to. But, you still show up. As a writer you must show up. Yes, there are times in which you’re sick, or have had a family issue and you can make exceptions. But, you stay disciplined so that, when those days come that you need to have a day off, you can without feeling bad about it.

I choose to treat my writing as a professional career. I take it seriously. I work hard at writing, research, marketing, social media, staying in touch with readers. And when I’m not doing those things I get to be me; Christine Feehan, mother, grandmother, sister, friend and all those things we truly live for.

If you are a writer you know how dedicated you must be. You choose to be professional, you suck it up when you have deadlines, and you write even when you don’t feel like it. And in the end, when a reader contacts you to say they loved your book, character or a particular scene, in that moment it’s all worth that extra effort. And in that moment you are glad for your choices.