EXCERPT from "Time Management: Creative Paths to Productivity" by Lee McClain in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction
Time management? Ugh. Sounds like a seminar topic at a business event.
Careful management of time doesn’t come naturally to most creative writers, but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Figuring out this skill often means the difference between success and failure as a writer.
I can hear the protests now. Many writers assume that their possibilities of success depend on skill, talent, and creativity. While these qualities are important, none of them can manifest themselves unless a writer is willing and able to devote time to her craft. That means time to read in the genre, time to draft, time to revise, and time to study the market. When I directed Seton Hill’s graduate writing program, I saw many talented writers fail due to not managing their time; conversely, I saw writers who started out with what looked like very moderate talent improve and succeed—and publish—due to the massive time they devoted to their craft.
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Dr. Lee Tobin McClain happily divides her time between teaching and writing and finds that the two pursuits enrich each other. She writes romantic suspense, fiction for children and teens, and nonfiction essays and magazine articles. Among her novels are My Loco Life, My Alternate Life, and Sizzle. Her teaching interests include children's and YA literature, magazine writing, composition, and creative writing. The former Director of the Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program at Seton Hill University, Dr. McClain now mentors graduate students. Find her on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Lee-McClain/e/B001KIDROM
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