Christopher Pike's Writing Advice

Chapter Fifteen: The Secret To Writing

I've already spoken about the need for a beginning writer to work hard. In turn, I've already received many emails from people asking what exactly does that mean? How hard do they have to work to sell a book?

I suppose I can answer that question in a number of ways. But I think the best way will be to simply explain what I do -- each day.

I'm a night person. If I had a normal job I'd be in trouble. Before I was able to support myself with my writing, I was always in trouble. This will sound silly but my single greatest motivation to sell a book was so I could -- hopefully -- one day be able to quit my day job.

The thing I hated most about my life was the alarm going off in the morning. I hated that feeling of having to get out of bed early every morning. The second thing I hated most was having to drive through traffic to get to work. And the third thing that I hated was having a boss. As I mentioned before, I programmed computers before selling my first books. And for me, having a person -- who wasn't even a particularly awful person -- having so much power over me that he could tell me what I had to do every single day...well, I absolutely hated that.

That's what inspired me to keep on writing. The hope, the prayer, that one day I'd sell a book and make enough money that I didn't have to wake up early, leave my home, and be ordered around all day by someone else. It was that desire that made me WRITE A LITTLE EVERY DAY.

There! I just told you the biggest secret to getting published.

Work on your book -- and hopefully you're writing a book and not a short story -- every day. Even if it's only for a half hour, it's important to spend time on it. Why? Because if you set aside your book for two days, the two days will turn into two weeks, then into two months, and then you'll never finish it.

Never.

I've seen it happen to hundreds of wannabe writers and I can guarantee it will happen to you if you break this rule. Even if you come home totally exhausted, and all you can think about is going to bed, stop and sit at your computer or your laptop of your iPad and write for ten minutes. Yeah, sure, I know you can't get much done in ten minutes. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you stay in contact with your book.

There's an old belief -- I believe it comes from the Greeks -- that great writers are inspired by muses. They're defined in various ways but basically they're supposed to be angelic beings that give ideas to struggling writers. I personally happen to believe in muses. And because of that belief I worry if I take a day off from my writing, and my muse shows up, and I'm not there, she -- I like to pretend my muse is female -- will be hurt and possibly go away and never return.

That's why I write a little every day.

Like I said, I'm a night person.  I usually don't start work until ten at night. If I'm out with my girlfriend, I won't start until midnight. It doesn't matter, once I begin writing I'll work for six hours. Straight -- I don't even get up to pee.

As I near the end of a book, my six hours lengthens until I'm writing twelve hours a day. While writing the last few chapters of Strange Girl -- my latest novel -- I was writing eighteen hours a day and feeling wonderful. There's nothing like the high I get from finishing a book. No drug can touch it. I'd even go so far as to say it's better than sex... But my girlfriend would kill me.

Write a little each day.

It's the golden key to becoming a successful writer.