“I don’t write novels, I write pages.”

As I walked to work this morning, I listened to a podcast of  FRESH AIR that originally aired last week.  I would say I listen to about as many episodes as I skip – if it’s about war – skip, if it’s a music review – skip.  I like the celebrities (her Russell Brand interview had me rolling on the floor) and I like the obscure stories that terry gross seems to pull out of no where – the story of the guide dogs trained within prison walls who go on to support and insure veterans’ safety or the autistic veterinarian who struggles to understand human connection but can literally talk to the animals.  I look forward to the interviews with authors too.  Most of the time I have never read their books (because apparently she doesn’t interview STEPHANIE MEYER) and in all honesty I’ve rarely heard of them – but I like listening to what authors have to say about how their real life effects their work and their writing process in general. 

 So while walking to work this morning, and listening to TERRY interview DAN FANTE about his life (really messed up) and his writing process I was intrigued by what he had to say.  While he was in recovery (he’s been sober now for 23 years), one of his sponsors asked him to take an hour everyday for twelve straight days and to just write about whatever was happening during that time.  1 hour a day, the same hour a day, for 12 days.  At the end of those 12 days he had written like 36 pages, single spaced.  And then he sort of just never stopped.  He continues to just write pages. 

 As someone who gets overwhelmed and anxious at the mere suggestion of packing a suitcase, the idea of taking on a project like writing a book – a real book – in completely unrealistic.  But when I think about by page – as someone who writes pages, the idea seems less anxiety inducing and like a much more cathartic process.  I think that writing during the same hour, each and every day, is an essential part of the plan…at least at the beginning.  And it’s going to have to be separate from the blog – although maybe sometimes I will share. 

 I think I’ll start tomorrow.  And as we all know – morning is the only time this is going to happen.  It means setting my alarm for 30 minutes earlier and not snoozing.  Shower (hey this might even help my hair do!); coffee (so much for giving up the stuff) and then I’ll still have time to work.

I write pages….this might just work out for me. 

Stay tuned….