Striking While the Iron Is Hot – A Regime

Striking while the iron is hot?  What’s all that about? It’s about me getting hold of the book edit I’m engaged with and making it happen, forging ahead (and other inspirational clichés). Quite an apt metaphor, I’d say, given the name of FT Publishing.   Just stand in front of the damn mirror and repeat this mantra as if it’s the thing that will save your life.

So anyway, here’s the regime/mantra:

6.00 (Yes, that’s in the a.m. category) Rise from bed. Hard now it’s winter, but if you’ve written it down on paper/computer, maybe it will happen.  If it doesn’t you aren’t worth the name ‘author’.  Go back to cultivating bonsai trees and/or gardening (yes, I kept bonsai trees for a while, but they always died; I figure I’m a better author).

6.05 Make 1 cup of coffee; 1 cup of tea. You know you’ll need both in the next hour, so utilise ‘economy of scale’ savings in the production process.

6.10 Start work on editing masterpiece.

7.10 Three days a week, exercise is necessary.  Yes, even natural-born authors are subject to embolisms, heart disease etc. if they don’t take regular exercise, so quit at 7.10, put on running shoes and amble around local reservoir while paths are not too muddy.  Other days of week: just keep typing (there’s a calorie or two in finger movement, though perhaps lacks the cardiac benefits).

8.00 Breakfast, shower and get changed out of pyjamas (or out of running gear, as day dictates)  .

8.15 Go to work (real work) or resume writing (not real work)

Repeat daily for three months.  That ought to do it.