Writing Life

I’m jumping off the cliff. I said I was jumping off the cliff in February and becoming a full-time writer but I didn’t really. I edged my way to the water. Stuck a toe in. Then a leg. Then got out. Too scared. Then put a toe back in.

‘Eff it!

I’m done with all this hemming and hawing!

I’m shutting down my Prelaw Guru business in July. I’m committing to writing full time for the next ten years.

If my money runs out, I will get a job. But as long as it hasn’t run out, I’m going to keep on keepin’ on.

Dividing my time between writing and trying to run a separate business tears me apart a little bit each day. It’s a drain on my energy. It’s a drain on my creativity. I don’t want to be torn between two things any more.

People often comment on my ability to make a decision and then go for it. To turn on a dime. But they don’t realize that I agonize over big decisions for years. Not days or weeks or months. YEARS.

I’ve been seriously contemplating being a writer since 2003. This is something I’ve headed towards for 13 years. I’ve reached for it, gotten scared, avoided it like mad, then reached for it again, rinse, repeat. It’s often been two steps forward, ten steps back.

I realized that the last 13 years have been all about planning my next career move, saving up money to support myself, developing my skills, talking to people (and reading their blogs) who have made the dive into full-time writing, and then talking myself into actually making the dive.

I know many people in my life will be surprised at my decision. Some will marvel at it. Some will support it. Some will despise it but won’t tell me that. Some will show how they feel in passive-aggressive ways. It’s all part of the territory. No matter how anyone reacts, it’s alright. It’s a reflection of them, not me. This is my decision to make and the person that it most effects, my husband Marcus, is on board with it. Most importantly, I’m finally on board with it.

The water looks beautiful but it can turn choppy at any moment. I know this and still, I know I need to do it. It’s time.

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel centered on the question, can enemies become friends? She is also the founder of Prelaw Guru, a law school application consulting company, and the author of The No B.S. Guides for prelaw students.

Cliff diver photo by Jarek Tuszynski. Skateboarder photo by SandroSum.

 

Seems right that I’m setting my writing goals today for 2016 and it’s also the first day of the Chinese New Year, Year of the Monkey.

I’m thrilled to be launching my writing career this year because this Fire Monkey Year is supposed to be a great year for taking risks. Like the playful and energetic nature of our furry friends, this year has the potential to be filled with lots of activity, movement, big strides, being inventive, and making things happen. It is also a year that will reward individual effort. Hooyeah!

With that, here are my writing goals for 2016.

1. Write (outline, plan, revise, edit) for 2-3 hours a day, five days a week.
2. Write one blog post per week, 48 weeks of the year.
3. Write and publish my adult suspense novel, SEVEN DUDES DOC AND THE SEVEN.
4. Write and publish my prelaw book, THE PRELAW GURU GUIDE TO APPLYING TO LAW SCHOOL.
5. Write and publish my personal finance book for college students.

I think I’m definitely going to need the energy of the monkey to help me reach all these goals, but I’m not one to shy away from big goals. I’d rather aim for the moon and miss it by a few hundred miles, than just reach for a tree limb and get it. After all, one of my favorite quotes is this one by Picasso.

I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.  — Pablo Picasso

And with that, I leave you with this greeting that my family members give each other on the Chinese New Year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wishing you prosperity and good fortune in the new year!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel centered on the question, can enemies become friends? She is also the founder of Prelaw Guru, a law school application consulting company, and the author of The No B.S. Guides for prelaw students.

Photo by Epic Fireworks.

This is the bulletin board that hangs above my desk. It features a favorite quote and three questions that I ask myself every day.

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron

Have you read for pleasure today?

Have you created today?

Have you walked or exercised today?

What’s been frustrating me for years is that I often don’t answer “yes” to these questions, and yet, they focus on three of the most important things to me: reading, creating, and good health.

But all that changed yesterday.

Yesterday, February 1, 2016, was my first day as a full-time writer.

I now have the flexibility and the motivation to create a daily schedule that reflects my values and my passions. Here’s how it went.

8:30 AM: Wake up, brush teeth, eat breakfast, read the newspaper, meditate, and shower

10:30 AM: Answer emails and tweet

11:40 AM: Go for walk (twice a week, go to Qigong class)

12:45 PM: Lunch and read

2:00 PM: Write, plan, revise, edit

3:30 PM: Break

4:00 PM: More writing, revising, etc.

5:30 PM: Cook

6:30 PM: Dinner with the Hubs

7:30 PM: Administrative tasks and last emails

8:30 PM: Relaxation and Free Time

11 PM: In bed

So, how did it feel to be on this new schedule?

Absolutely heavenly.

It was heavenly because it fits who I am, what I like to do, and when I like to do it.

Unlike so many people who say you should always do the most important thing first (as in, write!), I don’t work on my writing until I’ve read for pleasure, eaten two meals, and exercised. Why? A couple of reasons.

First, I’m not a morning person and it takes me a good while to get going. Second, I’m a very strong J in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). In case you don’t know much about MBTI, let me tell you that J-people love closure; they love to check things off their to-do lists. It gives me great pleasure and makes me feel really good when I do this. So, I’d much rather finish certain things from my list (emails, tweets, exercise, read) and then have an uninterrupted period of time when I can delve into my creative endeavors without thinking about all the other things I need to do.

The older I get, and the more experience I have, the more I realize that in order for me to be successful in anything, let alone as a writer, I need to know myself and follow what’s right for me.

Not every day will conform to this ideal schedule. Some days (like today, only my second day!) won’t go smoothly due to appointments that can’t be rescheduled or sudden emergencies or Mercury being in retrograde (I have no idea what that means but it seems like whenever I’m having hard days, I’ll hear that Mercury’s in retrograde). But that’s okay. As long as I know what I want to do every day, I have something good to reach for. Over time, if I stick to a schedule that works for me, I’ll be able to produce my best work. And that’s good enough for me.

September 11, 2017 UPDATE: Over the last 19 months, since I first started writing full time, my writing schedule has changed a lot. A LOT! Sometimes I wrote in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes at night. It took me a long time to figure out a schedule that was best for my writing and my personal preferences. I now write mostly in the morning and early afternoon, sometime from 10am-2pm, preferably from 10am to noon. Because writing requires me to make hundreds of decisions, it’s best for me to write when I have the least amount of decision fatigue. That’s why I switched from writing in the afternoon/evening to writing in the morning/early afternoon. For more details, watch my vlog, How to Feel the Fear & Write Every Day.

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel centered on the question, can enemies become friends? She is also the founder of Prelaw Guru, a law school application consulting company, and the author of The No B.S. Guides for prelaw students.