Writers and the daily commute...

One of my favorite authors to follow online is a talented gentleman by the name of Manuel Melendez.  I not only admire his well-crafted stories and heartfelt poetry, but I also admire the sheer volume of his work (11 books and counting!).  He is the type of prolific writer that I, and I'm sure many others as well, aspire to be.  Now, if memory serves me right, I'm pretty sure that I remember him mentioning that he has done plenty of his writing while on his daily commute to and from work.  And if you live and/or work in New York City, that means that your commute probably includes taking the bus and/or subway.  Many, if not most, of us grab our newspaper, bagel and coffee, and make that mad dash for the mode of public transportation that will take us to or from the place where we make our daily bread.  It's just the way it is; heck, it's practically a tradition!  Personally, I live in Queens, NY; and my daily commute to work was almost 2 hours long, with another 2 hours thrown in for the trip back home.  Most of that time was spent riding the subway, where I used to juggle my paper, coffee, and bagel on my lap (if I was lucky enough to get a seat!), while I lamented the waste of time this commute was.  Then one day I brought along a story I was working on and a pencil, and as I delved into writing, the time just seemed to melt away.  The commute seemed to go by faster and much more interestingly, and instead of viewing it as a waste of my time, I was able to see it as an opportunity to write.

  And I'm not the only one.  As I've mentioned earlier, prolific writer Manuel Melendez uses the opportunity offered by his commute to get some writing done.  I actually finished my first novel while commuting back and forth from work.  I also notice lots of folks working on their laptops or other devices while sitting on the train, and I like to think that they're taking advantage of this time to work on their latest poem, novel, or book.  But is this a good idea?  Can someone actually effectively use this sometimes chaotic block of time to work on their writing?  Is it realistic to think that you can concentrate and "get into" your writing while surrounded by hundreds of your fellow commuters; not to mention all of the other distractions that public transportation has to offer?  The answer is, and has been for many of your fellow writers, a resounding YES!

Here are some other examples...

Fiona Mozley, the author of Man Booker shortlisted and Dylan Thomas Prize longlisted Elmet, wrote her debut novel while travelling between Peckham, in South London, and her nine to six job in Central London.

Peter Brett's first novel is a dark, demonic fantasy - the Brooklyn author wrote it while riding on the F train.  Brett, 36, tapped out most of "The Warded Man," which hit U.S. bookshelves last month, on his smartphone on daily trips from the Fort Hamilton Parkway stop near his Kensington home to his job in Times Square.

Gabriel Gambetta, author of the Golden Legacy, says, "It is said that everyone has a book in them. Ask around and you’ll find most people have an amazing idea that would make for a great story — if they only had the time to write it! Having a full-time job, family, friends, and all these annoying “adult” responsibilities leaves little time to write. But I found the time I needed in the otherwise dead time known as “the commute”.

Anthony Trollope commissioned a knee-mounted desk to extend his morning writing session into the train journey. John le Carré squeezed in his first novel en route to his office. Jeffrey Deaver used the trip to his Wall Street law firm to crack one of the few things that pay better than a Wall Street law firm: bestselling crime novels...

And there are so many others!  And really, there is no reason why you can't join them.  So next time you're lamenting about what a waste of time your daily commute to your daily grind is, whip out that story or poem that you've been working on or thinking about and make that time productive.  Who knows, it could be the next commute-driven best-seller!

Making Pasteles

There's a traditional Puerto Rican dish that outgrew its humble beginnings to earn the status of culinary legend.  Pasteles, a tasty compilation of yuca, plantains, and various other ingredients, often occupy a place of honor at the tables of millions of Americans.several times a year.  If you've ever had one (or more!), or prepared them, then you know that not only are they delicious, they're also quite labor intensive. In fact, they take so much work to produce that they're usually relegated to the role of "holiday" food. Writing can also be labor intensive, but unlike the aforementioned (and delicious!) pasteles, you want your writing to be the opposite of holiday fare.  Just realize that if you want to produce writing that is enjoyed by your readers (delicious!), it will take more than just the casual rattling of those figurative pots and pans, you have to make pasteles...

Jane Trombley, a well-known travel writer, gives you 5 reasons why writing is so labor intensive:

 1. Writing requires focus
It sounds simple, right? But here’s the first catch: topics don’t fall from trees. You have to think them up. And think them over. It’s one thing to say, “here’s a topic”….and quite another to say, “Here’s what I have to say about this topic that is interesting, fresh, and authentic.”
Writing is hard.

2. Writing requires practice
The pros, the charlatans hawking writing e-courses, they all say you’ve got to write practice, a lot. And post frequently, here on Medium or a platform of choice. Practice your craft, they all advise.
The first week or so, that’s easy. The second week, not so much. By the third week the only thing that’s easy is to say, “not today”.
Writing is hard.

3. Writing requires diligence.
If you’re serious about writing you have to be all in. Or don’t bother. It’s too hard to be half-assed about it.
That’s where diligence comes in.
Diligence is not quite like focus, not quite like practice. Even worse, diligence is like commitment.
It’s about being dedicated. You’ve got to do it every day. You’ve got to be committed to getting better, to wrestling this tiger to the ground. It’s hard, the diligence thing.
Writing is hard.

4. Writing requires courage
Writing requires exposing your most vulnerable and insecure self…and that my friends, takes courage.
Taking up the mental exercise of focus, gingerly attempting to practice with diligence until the practice is a practice, you’ve revealed something essential about yourself.
You’ve revealed you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone.
Writing, whether as a rookie or a veteran, requires the courage to be emotionally susceptible. Writing the courage to put your own insecurity — that uncertainty and anxiety that comes with the new and unfamiliar — aside in the service of the endeavor.
Writing is hard.

5. Writing requires humility
There are days when you’re just humming along. “Oh, I’ve got this,” as the focus is crystal clear, the muse is bouncing on your shoulder spewing garlands of poetic prose. The sense of accomplishment may be a bit premature or it may be valid, but it is probably short lived.
Writing not only requires humility, it demands humility.
To be good at writing is to take your ego out of the story, or at out of least the headline and certainly out of the lead. And that’s hard because at the same time, as confidence grows, the ego is encouraged as well.
There is a fine line between your creativity, the fruit of your ideas, your communications skills and your self-importance. It’s not about you. You, as the writer, are the vessel, probably not the source. Your gift is one of expression. Ideas themselves, most good ones at least, are also timeless.
Writing is damn hard.

So, now we're sure that writing is hard.  Does that mean you should give up?  Find something easier to do?  No, not at all.  It just means that you square your shoulders, hunker down, and get the job done!  As Stan Lee would say... "Excelsior!"