My Life as a Full-time Writer

For one week each year, usually in October, I take a week of vacation to work on writing projects. This week has been my annual opportunity to live as a full-time writer. I have not slept in as I do on most vacations. I get up early as usual (6:30ish) and go through my normal morning routine, i.e., walk dog, coffee, Bible, prayer, coffee, write. Then I get cleaned up and ready for the day except instead of going to the office, I go to the computer for a full day of writing, reading, editing, revising, pondering, or dreaming.

I could get used to this but I won't. The life of a full-time writer is hard to achieve. The picture of the contemplative writer in his sweater at his desk smoking a pipe leisurely penning crafty phrases and quotable quotes day after day is a fantasy for most writers. Most authors aren't able to work at their craft as a full-time job. It takes years of work to generate enough interest in your work and royalties to make it as a full-timer. Though certainly, many writers are doing it, many more are not.

I'm in an ideal situation because I love my job and calling as a pastor at TrueNorth Church. I have an awesome boss, Stevie D, and a great staff to work with. As one of my co-workers Travis likes to say, "I don't have a job. I get to do ministry for a living."

But I have to say that it would be nice to devote more time to this writing thing. I try to give it at least an hour each morning but it would be awesome to have more time. For now, I must be content with my schedule as it is - and, believe me, I am content. In many ways, I am living the dream!

"So what's going on with the writing career and what is in the works?" only a couple of you may wonder.

Monday, I put the finishing touches (hopefully) on a journal/day-planner that I created. You'll probably hear more about it soon. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I worked on an ebook, 2 Big Questions, 1 Amazing Life, that will be one of the anchors for a new website that I am creating. More about that later too. I will continue to work on that ebook today and tomorrow as well as a second one that is near completion.

I have a novel that is being considered by a small publishing house and a literary agent is taking a look at it too. Agents are usually necessary to get into the larger publishing houses so a contract with her would be huge.

I'm sitting on a non-fiction book that I wrote a long time ago. It has been endorsed by some well-known people. I need to get it out of the computer at some point.

I'm halfway through another novel. Here's the synopsis:

Lesley Crumpler is an 81-year-old white widower and a former minor league baseball teammate of Jackie Robinson who finds himself helping out the baseball team at the local black college. D'Ante Cook is a thug from Washington, DC on the crossroads between a life of crime and a pro baseball career. When tragedy strikes the team, Les and D'Ante have to deal with the sins of their past in order to face the future.

Would you be interested in reading more?

I would LOVE to finish this book - mainly because I want to know what happens!! I don't even know yet. Which is the fun part about writing fiction. You can do whatever you want with the story.

Right now, however, my focus is on a new website. It will be a blog but the focus will be completely different than this. I hope you'll like it and spread the word. It's still a month or two away from going live. It may even be January. I'll let you know.

For now, I'll tarry on. This is my last day of vacation so I need to get busy.