This Week’s Experiment

One Whole Week

So, as you know, I quit my job.

My next job doesn’t begin until next Monday.

You heard me right. I have a WHOLE EMPTY WEEK stretched out before me. Taking a bit of time for myself was excellent advice given to me by someone I trust. I’ve never had this much time to just … sit around and do whatever.

It’s heady stuff, I don’t mind tellin’ ya.

Writing, Writing Everywhere

So what’s a Tami going to do with five whole days of pure, unadulterated free time?

She’s going to put her money where her mouth is, so to speak.

For this whole week, I have been pretending that I am a professional writer. No day job, no interruptions I don’t give myself.

Just me and my manuscript.

The Reality

It’s nearly impossible to be a full-time writer. It doesn’t pay well unless you’re already making money for the publishing companies, there are zero health insurance benefits, and it’s pretty much a pipe dream outside of a few lucky folks whose significant others are willing to do the daily grind to support a non-working dependent adult.

So, pretty much all of the adult writers I know consider being a full-time writer the holy grail of writerdom.

Known pitfalls litter the path ahead. Internet distractions, writer’s block, lack of a structured workday, self-motivation … better writers than I have tread the path before me and failed.

The Fantasy

Yet I (like all those other writers I know) assure myself that it would be DIFFERENT for me. Given free rein and no work obligations, I would be SUPER DUPER PRODUCTIVE. I would prove them all wrong. If only I had a chance, I could write six or even ten thousand words per day!

… well, here’s my chance. A chance either to prove that I could be a good, productive stay-at-home-writer, or a chance to be humbled by my own behavior and learn a valuable lesson about dreams versus reality.

The Result

I’ll post a follow-up result after the week is finished (and it’ll take a few weeks to appear, given how far ahead I schedule my blog posts) but I’m reeeeeally hoping my biggest accomplishment will be wordcount rather than a game score.

Related posts:

Paying Yourself to Write
Laptop
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