Writing is a job. And, like all jobs, it requires a schedule. It can’t be done whenever we want, or whenever we can, or a little now and a bit more later, or whenever we make an appointment with inspiration. To be precise, there is no inspiration. There is no such thing. There is only work. And a schedule. And when we say schedule, we don’t mean one or two hours. We mean many hours: to avoid being intimidated, keep the magic number 4 in mind. Four hours are enough. Most likely, more won’t benefit you: you will be tired and your performance will be low. Less than four hours is simply too little.

Writing is a job and requires dedication to this task, just like any other job. Therefore, a specific space is also required. A desk – or a “workshop.” Don’t have in mind an exotic job, something rare, original or different. Keep in mind something mundane and everyday: something ordinary. An ordinary job. Also, don’t think of a café or a bar as a workspace. We don’t write in cafés or bars once we reach adulthood. We don’t write in parks, on benches or at train stations. It’s quite foolish and can only bring harm.

Writing is a job, and every absence of yours is noted and deducted from your salary. You understand what that salary is, there’s no need to analyze it. And it is a job, a project, with a deadline. We don’t write indefinitely, randomly or casually. We have decided in advance roughly how much time we need to dedicate in total to this particular project, this specific job we are doing now, this specific project.