Finding time to write¶

Tags: book

According to the documentation the pragmatic programmers gave me, “seat time” is important. If you don’t sit behind your keyboard, you’re guaranteed that no writing takes place. So whatever you do or do not do: sit behind your keyboard or nothing happens.

This reminded me of BIC HOK (pronounced “big hog”). A podcast from three years ago from the “writing excuses” podcast. I listened to that for a while as my favourite cartoonist from schlock mercenary also speaks there.

BIC HOK? Yep, Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard.

This also means you’ve got to find the time. And a fixed time apparently works best. Committing to a daily fixed amount of time behind the keyboard? One hour? Gotta plan that. I had basically two alternatives:

• Get up real early and do that hour before going to work in the morning. Drawback: I’m not a morning person.

• Do it in the evening. Drawback: two evenings per week are already filled, so that’d be late at night on those evenings.

Luckily my wife Annie had an alternative idea:

• Get up earlier and go to work early. Half an hour of bicycling sure wakes me up. Go home early (16:30) and cycle back. You’re awake then, again. Get cracking for an hour and have dinner at 18:00.

Sounds good! So I’m trying that this week :-)