Aaaahh, The Lazy Days of a Writer (Guest Blog by Hunter Shea)
A couple of months back I read Hunter Shea's first novel
Forest of Shadows
and loved it, so when Hunter asked if he could invade my blog to promote his new novel Evil Eternal, I offered a delighted yes....
Aaaahh, The Lazy Days of a Writer by Hunter Shea
Back when I dreamt of one day becoming a published (horror) writer, I envisioned a typical day to consist of a few hours writing my next bestselling novel, followed by a nice nap and maybe a three martini lunch with my editor. I’d also buy a smoking jacket and pipe so I could look the part while I lounged about in my study.
Like all dreams, this is utter fantasy and has nothing to do with reality. I’ve been asked many times what a day in the life of an author is like. Allow me to peel back the curtain for a moment and let you in on the real deal. I figured I’d use a recent weekend as an example, since I had all day to work on my to-do list. (Here’s secret #1…most writers have day jobs, so we have to grab whatever time we can to work on our second, full-time job)
Bear in mind, I’ve been busy as can be with the release of my new book, Evil Eternal, but this is pretty standard.
• Wake up at 6:30am on Saturday, allow my eyes time to adjust and turn on my laptop.
• Go through my three email accounts to correspond with my agent, editor, colleagues & fans. (about 30 minutes)
• Work on the blog tour, which involves looking at various blogs to find the best stops on the tour (like Cate’s wonderful blog!). Then I have to reach out to each blog owner and outline my proposal. (1 hour)
• Stop for breakfast of toast with butter and orange juice. Do a quick clean of the bathroom and stare at the cat, exasperated that she has once again peed in the tub.
• Go to the various social media sites where I post and get information (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.), make updates, comment on others. (45 minutes)
• Work on the first draft of a book I’ve been writing for tweens who need their horror fix. R.L. Stine needs some competition! (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Feign surprise when my kids wake up at the crack of noon. Make lunch for the family.
• The sun is out, so I move the laptop into the yard and work on revisions of my next adult horror novel. (3 hours)
• Go back to email accounts & social media to see if I need to reply to anything that’s come in since the morning. (30 minutes)
• Talk to my designer about plans for new logos, banners, etc. (15 minutes)
• Update my blog, including editing my Books page so Evil Eternal is listed first. This is maddeningly difficult to do and I consider pitching my laptop against the house. (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Exhausted, trudge inside to eat dinner and, since I’m a horror writer and huge fan, line up a couple of horror movies to watch with the wifey so I can recharge.
• Pass out in the middle of the movie Devil Dolls. According to my wife, I missed nothing.
And there you have it. This is what I do on my leisurely weekend. If I win the lottery tomorrow and can leave my day job behind, this is pretty much what every day would look like.
The best part is, I wouldn’t trade this in for anything in the world. I worked well over a decade pursuing this dream of mine, and even when I’m flat on my rear, I’m over the moon knowing that I’m doing something I love. That I love to scare people for a living is a topic for another day, and possibly a few months on my therapist’s couch.
Aaaahh, The Lazy Days of a Writer by Hunter Shea
Back when I dreamt of one day becoming a published (horror) writer, I envisioned a typical day to consist of a few hours writing my next bestselling novel, followed by a nice nap and maybe a three martini lunch with my editor. I’d also buy a smoking jacket and pipe so I could look the part while I lounged about in my study.
Like all dreams, this is utter fantasy and has nothing to do with reality. I’ve been asked many times what a day in the life of an author is like. Allow me to peel back the curtain for a moment and let you in on the real deal. I figured I’d use a recent weekend as an example, since I had all day to work on my to-do list. (Here’s secret #1…most writers have day jobs, so we have to grab whatever time we can to work on our second, full-time job)
Bear in mind, I’ve been busy as can be with the release of my new book, Evil Eternal, but this is pretty standard.
• Wake up at 6:30am on Saturday, allow my eyes time to adjust and turn on my laptop.
• Go through my three email accounts to correspond with my agent, editor, colleagues & fans. (about 30 minutes)
• Work on the blog tour, which involves looking at various blogs to find the best stops on the tour (like Cate’s wonderful blog!). Then I have to reach out to each blog owner and outline my proposal. (1 hour)
• Stop for breakfast of toast with butter and orange juice. Do a quick clean of the bathroom and stare at the cat, exasperated that she has once again peed in the tub.
• Go to the various social media sites where I post and get information (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.), make updates, comment on others. (45 minutes)
• Work on the first draft of a book I’ve been writing for tweens who need their horror fix. R.L. Stine needs some competition! (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Feign surprise when my kids wake up at the crack of noon. Make lunch for the family.
• The sun is out, so I move the laptop into the yard and work on revisions of my next adult horror novel. (3 hours)
• Go back to email accounts & social media to see if I need to reply to anything that’s come in since the morning. (30 minutes)
• Talk to my designer about plans for new logos, banners, etc. (15 minutes)
• Update my blog, including editing my Books page so Evil Eternal is listed first. This is maddeningly difficult to do and I consider pitching my laptop against the house. (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Exhausted, trudge inside to eat dinner and, since I’m a horror writer and huge fan, line up a couple of horror movies to watch with the wifey so I can recharge.
• Pass out in the middle of the movie Devil Dolls. According to my wife, I missed nothing.
And there you have it. This is what I do on my leisurely weekend. If I win the lottery tomorrow and can leave my day job behind, this is pretty much what every day would look like.
The best part is, I wouldn’t trade this in for anything in the world. I worked well over a decade pursuing this dream of mine, and even when I’m flat on my rear, I’m over the moon knowing that I’m doing something I love. That I love to scare people for a living is a topic for another day, and possibly a few months on my therapist’s couch.
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