Saturday, January 12, 2013

Life as a Writer



My life as a writer consists of many things. There's the writing, of course. But the biggest part of my writing career actually revolves around finding inspiration and marketing my work. (For me, the two kind of go hand-in-hand.)
   Remember, I am also an active duty Soldier. It is hard for me to establish a daily writing routine since no two days in the military are the same. The mission always comes first, so there are times when I must go weeks, sometimes months, without writing. But during the times when I am not writing or marketing my work, I am watching and listening for things to get my creative juices flowing. Many of the things that I write about were inspired by life events, and many of my characters are based off of real people in my life. Writing is a job that never ends. Even when I am not writing, I am thinking about things to write about.
   When possible, my favorite times to write are either very early in the morning (before PT) or late at night. However, I have found myself jotting things down during staff meetings, in the middle of movies and during wakeful spurts in the middle of the night. Inspiration knows no schedule. It is a living, breathing entity of its own.
   In closing, I would like to say that life as a writer is a lot of hard work. People who are not writers will never know the amount of work and dedication that goes into writing. And being a writer is not for everybody. There are plenty of people out there who are very good at writing, however they choose not to be writers for the simple fact that the lifestyle is very demanding. In the competitive world today, writers must concentrate just as much attention on marketing themselves as they do promoting their work. This, among many other things, includes constant communication with fans, and that can demand many hours of work which can be both rewarding and fun!

   Thanks for reading,
   Casey Sean Harmon
   www.caseyseanharmon.com




8 comments:

  1. Hey, Casey--it's Amber Lea Easton from Kisses, Caresses & Whispers in the night. Excellent post. (I followed your blog now--I'm listed as Moxie Girl.) Write on, my friend!

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  2. Great post! Thank you for sharing. When I read about your routine, I immediately thought of one of the greatest soldier-writers of all time, J.R.R. Tolkein. Blessings to you and thank you for your service.

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  3. Hazel from W & A Blog Hop

    My Mum has to do a lot of her work late at night, as I'm a monster at going to bed and don't always take a nap during the day! I am a very hands on kid, but it must be real tough writing and being an active soldier.

    Makes you think about catching every spare minute you can and zero procrastinating (hope you are reading this and taking it in Mum lol).

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  4. "Inspiration know no schedule" couldn't have said it better myself. I've often dragged myself out of bed in the middle of the night because I can't get back to sleep until I've written down the idea that's popped into my head. I know a lot of writers who complaining about not having enough time to write but when it comes down to it, if you really want to be a writer, you find the time.

    Keep up the good work

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  5. Soooooo true. You never know what will trigger an idea so it pays to be prepared to jot down notes. Thank God for cell phones with recorders and notepads. Capturing ideas is a bit easier with this handy tool that doubles as a communication device.

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  6. Hey man, got your comment on my blog. Just out of curiosity three questions; how did you find my blog, when did you first get published, are you currently deployed and in need of anything?

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    1. Zeke,

      I like to blog hop; this one method I use to expand my "writer's/reader's circle. I ran across your blog while searching for other military-related blogs.
      I published my first novel when I was 17, however I have been writing since age seven.
      No, I am currently stationed in Germany, however I will be returning to the States soon. I am not in need of anything. Thanks, though! :)

      I read that you are no longer in the military. Thanks for your service!

      Casey

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  7. I would like to thank everyone for your awesome comments/feedback! I poured a lot of my heart in this blog post; I'm happy to see that you noticed. :)

    And thanks for following my blog!

    Casey

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