Every morning, the same seat, the same time, about 2,000 words — holidays included. He calls it boring, and it has produced more than 60 novels. Here is his imagined day, from his own book about the craft.
About 2,000 words, every day, including birthdays and holidays. Not when inspired — every day. A number you hit daily beats a mood you wait for. Set your own honest quota: words, calls, pages, tasks.
He works in the same seat at the same hours, and says the routine itself tells your mind it is time to work. Repetition is a signal. Your brain learns: this chair, this hour — we focus now.
His rule: do the first version with the door closed — no feedback, no interruptions, no email. Judgment comes later, in a separate pass. Close the door, silence the phone, and finish the draft.
His blunt line: if you don't have time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write. Input creates output. Schedule your learning like a real task, because it is one.
Sources: his own craft memoir On Writing (2000) — the daily quota, the routine, the closed door, and the reading rule. Details are simplified for illustration.
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