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!