Honestly, it doesn’t make sense — and that’s why I’m doing it
I loved empty rooms as a kid. If you gave me a pen and paper, I could entertain myself for hours.
Writing stories was an escape; my happy place.
Sadly, I lost this hobby. Writing for fun got buried underneath exams, bills, and everything else that comes with adulthood.
Until now.
My days are mine.
I have enormous privilege.
Last April, I joined Avium as their SEO Manager. This work (around 20 hours a week) pays my bills. The rest of my time is free to play with.
For a while, I thought I’d fill it with more client work. But after sending 36 outreach emails over the past two months — and receiving an equal amount of rejections — I’ve decided to pause these efforts.
My focus is on writing.
Why 4 hours a day? (And how?)
I’ve always wanted to write a fiction story.
Usually, though, my ideas don’t spark anything.
So when I was chatting with a friend about my current book idea and felt excited by it, something shifted.
You should do this, Scott.
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve tried writing long stories before, but I’ve never completed one.
This time feels different, though.
To write it, I’m following the method Stephen King outlines in his memoir, On Writing:
“I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book — something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is down well and stays fresh.
“On some days those ten pages come easily; I’m up and out and doing errands by eleven-thirty in the morning […] More frequently, as I grow older, I find myself eating lunch at my desk […] Either way is fine with me, but only under dire circumstances do I allow myself to shut down before I get my 2,000 words.”
“I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words.”
My routine is simple.
It’s morphed a little from my old “Quiet Life”, but not so much.
I wake up at 5:30 am, do a couple of hours of client work, shower, have breakfast, and then walk to my local library (about 30 minutes away).
I then write until I have my 2,000 words.
Like Stephen, it usually takes me until lunch.
I’m currently at 7,921 words.
My girlfriend backs me.
This was the message she sent when I told her my plan:
“Story over outreach — exciting! DEFINITELY grasp the opportunity to write for fun.”
As Stephen explains, this is super important:
“Writing is a lonely experience. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.” — Stephen King
Why now?
I’ve tried everything to find happiness.
I thought money and freedom were the fix.
Honestly?
The only times I’ve really been in “flow” are when I’m writing. Specifically, when I’m writing about stuff I find interesting.
An essay. A story. Something that I don’t know the ending for.
Writing is the only thing I get consistently lost in.
Hours float by.
It’s made my main business feel like a side hustle.
And a side hustle = less pressure
I know it makes sense to focus on one thing and do that really well.
But that ain’t for me.
I like to have multiple things on the go. Writing. Podcasting. Football commentating. I feel most alive when I’m pulled from one project to the next.
If you want something done, ask the busiest person.
Life is too short.
It’s the oldest cliché for a reason.
My friend was recently fired from his job after seven years.
Another friend was just diagnosed with cancer.
I’m using these pain points to remember that every day is a gift.
Sure, making money is important, but if you haven’t got your health and loving relationships, what’s the point?
“A healthy man wants a thousand things. A sick man only wants one.”
— Confucious
Why am I telling you all this?
Simple.
We all need a little encouragement sometimes.
So if you have a project you keep putting on the back burner, this could be your sign.
Go get it!