Traci asked Michael Potts:

You say your advice for aspiring writers is to read, and then revise, I wonder, realistically, how much time an aspiring writer needs to devote to the craft on a daily basis to be on a sincere path to making a living as a writer? How to find time for it if you work: Lunch breaks, weekends, etc? How do you get motivated and disciplined enough to indeed write each day? I struggle here. Thank you!!

Michael Potts It is difficult to make a living as a writer; some write ad copy to help out; others write articles for popular magazines. There is no guarantee of success in writing. I don't think you have to write every day, though I tend to write a little every day on either a literary or academic project. If you want to make a living as a writer, at least find a minimum of four hours a day to dedicate to writing, preferably more. That means writing when you're not in the mood to write. It takes one hec of a lot of motivation. Find a time to read--lunch, an hour before bedtime, on rising--but you need to read the best literature. Each person is different; some have children, some don't, some have full-time jobs, others don't. That makes it difficult to give more specific advice.

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