Wednesday 2 May 2012

Aaaahh, The Lazy Days of a Writer (Guest Blog by Hunter Shea)

A couple of months back I read Hunter Shea's first novel Forest of Shadows and loved it, so when Hunter asked if he could invade my blog to promote his new novel Evil Eternal, I offered a delighted yes....



Aaaahh, The Lazy Days of a Writer by Hunter Shea

Back when I dreamt of one day becoming a published (horror) writer, I envisioned a typical day to consist of a few hours writing my next bestselling novel, followed by a nice nap and maybe a three martini lunch with my editor. I’d also buy a smoking jacket and pipe so I could look the part while I lounged about in my study.

Like all dreams, this is utter fantasy and has nothing to do with reality. I’ve been asked many times what a day in the life of an author is like. Allow me to peel back the curtain for a moment and let you in on the real deal. I figured I’d use a recent weekend as an example, since I had all day to work on my to-do list. (Here’s secret #1…most writers have day jobs, so we have to grab whatever time we can to work on our second, full-time job)

Bear in mind, I’ve been busy as can be with the release of my new book, Evil Eternal, but this is pretty standard.


• Wake up at 6:30am on Saturday, allow my eyes time to adjust and turn on my laptop.
• Go through my three email accounts to correspond with my agent, editor, colleagues & fans. (about 30 minutes)
• Work on the blog tour, which involves looking at various blogs to find the best stops on the tour (like Cate’s wonderful blog!). Then I have to reach out to each blog owner and outline my proposal. (1 hour)
• Stop for breakfast of toast with butter and orange juice. Do a quick clean of the bathroom and stare at the cat, exasperated that she has once again peed in the tub.
• Go to the various social media sites where I post and get information (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.), make updates, comment on others. (45 minutes)
• Work on the first draft of a book I’ve been writing for tweens who need their horror fix. R.L. Stine needs some competition! (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Feign surprise when my kids wake up at the crack of noon. Make lunch for the family.
• The sun is out, so I move the laptop into the yard and work on revisions of my next adult horror novel. (3 hours)
• Go back to email accounts & social media to see if I need to reply to anything that’s come in since the morning. (30 minutes)
• Talk to my designer about plans for new logos, banners, etc. (15 minutes)
• Update my blog, including editing my Books page so Evil Eternal is listed first. This is maddeningly difficult to do and I consider pitching my laptop against the house. (1 hour, 30 minutes)
• Exhausted, trudge inside to eat dinner and, since I’m a horror writer and huge fan, line up a couple of horror movies to watch with the wifey so I can recharge.
• Pass out in the middle of the movie Devil Dolls. According to my wife, I missed nothing.

And there you have it. This is what I do on my leisurely weekend. If I win the lottery tomorrow and can leave my day job behind, this is pretty much what every day would look like.

The best part is, I wouldn’t trade this in for anything in the world. I worked well over a decade pursuing this dream of mine, and even when I’m flat on my rear, I’m over the moon knowing that I’m doing something I love. That I love to scare people for a living is a topic for another day, and possibly a few months on my therapist’s couch.

4 comments:

Deborah Walker said...

Oh I love posts like this.

That was a very productive day. I'm impressed that you got so much writing time in, and didn't let all the other writing related stuff overwhelm you.

Congratulations on your new book. And well done for cracking on with the next ones in line.

Hunter Shea said...

Thank you so much. My publisher has given me so many projects, I can't afford an unproductive day at this point. LOL Although I do plan to do zippo on my bithday.

Cate Gardner said...

Thanks for an awesome post, Hunter

Lily Hillyman said...

You should make it a habit. A writer like you must be very busy everyday. Anyway, I suggest you have a vacation. Relax. It'll help you though.