Freelancer to Base Camp:

24 Hours in the Life of a Freelance Writer

People always ask me, "What's it like to work for yourself? What's it like to be a writer?"

It's impossible to say what it would be like for anyone else—and I hate being asked these questions, by the way—but for those of you who are curious, below are some notes on the shape of my life, and then some true accounts of days and nights in my life as a freelancer.

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There's no such thing as a typical day in my life. Deadlines, projects, obligations, physical and emotional conditions, these all change from day to day. My schedule doesn't often conform to the clocks and calendars everyone else uses—unlike most Americans my Tuesdays are not distinct in any way from my Saturdays. As a result, I frequently lose track of time and I generally don't know where I am in the week- or day-structure everyone else uses. I frequently say "good morning" to people at 3:00 in the afternoon; I refer to something that happened "yesterday" when it really happened earlier the same day; I generally eat "breakfast" in the afternoon.

My landlord resents my methods because more than once, it has meant that my check did not arrive on or before the first day of the month because I really had no idea this thing called "the first" had come and gone. The two days I do manage to keep track of are Wednesdays and Sundays, because on these days, I play basketball with my friend Jon, and that's something I'm not willing to miss. (Plus, he helps me remember.)

You might wonder how someone in such a deadline-driven profession can have such a profound disconnection with times and dates. But somehow, it just works out. I put a lot of mental energy into keeping track, which I think is sort of wasteful, but I haven't figured out a good solution yet. Several times a day I have to check with someone or something to find out if a new day has come yet, without my knowing it. Jon is thinking about buying me a "day clock" that I can hang on my wall. It's designed for retirees who travel around willy-nilly in their RVs and have no sure way of knowing what day it is. Instead of telling you the time, it just tells you what day it is. At first I laughed, but now that Jon's introduced the idea, as absurd as it is, I think it would be very helpful and save me a lot of mental energy. Sometimes it takes me several minutes to find a way to decipher what day it is—and that's if I'm at home with my calendar and/or the Internet handy.

Anyway, the "days" described here were chosen completely at random. A day represents a 24-hour period, usually beginning either at midnight or at noon. No details or names of humans or animals were changed to make us seem more or less likable. (And yes, I double-checked when I was done to make sure I got the days and dates right.)

Tuesday, March 3, 2005

12:00 a.m. Read "The Fountainhead" in front of the fireplace. Wish sciatica would go away.
12:20 a.m. Realize is stupid to sit in pain and read when could be lying down.
12:25 a.m. Call Jon. Leave message. Read in bed. Write in journal.
1:30 a.m. Wake up when Jon calls. Answer question, "Why did you answer the phone if you were sleeping?" with, "I didn't know I was sleeping." Feel quite sensible and happy.
3:30 a.m. Hang up, intentionally fall asleep this time.
10:17 a.m. Wake up to alarm. Wonder why set alarm so early.
Ponder life.
Ponder day.
Ponder sleep.
Pray.
11:30 a.m. Feed cats. Give Cal his medication. Turn up heat. Put on yoga clothes. Read and respond to e-mail. Step outside for deep breaths of air. Assess temperature: 20 degrees in shade. Curse winter. Think longingly of spring.
12:00 p.m. Yoga and PT, then prayer practice.
12:30 p.m. More e-mails, story research.
1:16 p.m. Breakfast, coffee, daily writing practice.
1:35 p.m. Daily reading practice.
2:00 p.m. More e-mails, coordinate Class of 1994 Executive committee meeting, story research, write first e-mail to new mailing list.
2:30 p.m. Write interview questions, fiddle with html in new list message, remember am hack when comes to code.
3:00 p.m. Interview nice man about Wi-Fi topic.
3:30 p.m. Send follow-up e-mail to interview subject, begin daily requirement of 2 liters of water, revise meeting agenda for class of 1994, compile names and addresses for comp copies and send to editor at CE Lifestyles, consider sending gift to pregnant college friend, but what? Consider sending gift to college friend who recently had baby, but what?
Swiffer living room, office, kitchen.
Wonder if drank decaf by accident?
Wonder why body so sore?
4:00 p.m. Consider going to gym but realize must eat first. Sit down and write list of things have done so far today.
Wonder if paycheck has arrived for story filed in January?
Remember have not yet printed, signed, returned revised contract for CE Lifestyles story.
Wish could write for RealSimple or Bust.
Feel glad don't have small children.
Feel glad cats are sleeping peacefully instead of following me around crying for food when food bowl is clearly *full* of supposedly yummy organic food.
Wish had body of triathlete.
Wish had teeth of movie star.
Wish had housekeeper and nutritionist or boyfriend who would act as such.
4:26 p.m. Decide must eat something.
Remember have leftovers.
Eat lunch.
Watch part of Oprah. Topic: sociopaths.
Bring in trash, recycling bins from curb.
Feed neighbor's cat. Feel mad at neighbor for leaving cat outside all winter, think neighbor is sociopath.
Feel worried that new writing e-mail list will bother people.
Feel upset that waited so long to eat. Have low blood sugar. Headache; confused, irritable, lost, light-headed, feel as though will cry.
Try to print contract and feel will lose mind when can't make printer and computer cooperate.
Discover out of color ink.
Feel brilliant and well-prepared because have spare cartridge on hand.
5:00 p.m. Look for checkbook so can pay student loan.
Why can't find checkbook?
Where could checkbook be?
Find checkbook in living room.
Pay student loan.
Wonder if will have enough money for rest of month.
Review contract.
Search for correct address.
Do variety of bill and invoice-related tasks.
6:00 p.m. Worry about Calvin. Seems unwell today.
Must solve his eating problem. Perhaps if sprinkled food with something good-smelling?
Call Jon.
Change clothes.
6:30 Go to gym.
7:30 Get McDonald's drive thru.
7:45 Home, check messages, e-mail.
8pm-10pm, Watch Survivor, Apprentice.
Do house-cleaning, e-mail.
10:00 p.m. Revise and send first writing list message.
10:40 p.m. Do laundry.
Watch part of yet another Law & Order franchise show, pleased to discover almost entirely a strong female cast.
Worry about Calvin some more.
Take vitamins.
Watch Felicity on DVD (Netflix rules).
11:30 p.m. E-mail, art advocacy, pursue work, start thinking about bed.
12:00 a.m. Sleepy, prepare for meditation ritual and bed.

Wednesday, April 13th 2005

12:00 a.m. Take shower.
12:16 a.m. Make coffee, begin writing story due later today.
12:24 a.m. Wonder again if writing in first person is acceptable for this story.
Decide it is, and keep writing story.
3:00 a.m. Call Jon. Brush teeth while on phone. Clean up office.
3:53 a.m. Bed, journal, sleep.
12:00 p.m. Get up, feed and water cats, get dressed, make green tea as is better for self than coffee. Check weather. Damn—cold.
Proofread story.
Give in and make half-caff coffee.
Write/research two sidebars.
Make oatmeal with fresh strawberries.
Finish testing strange new hybrid sunglasses/MP3 player from Oakley for third sidebar.
Dance around singing while wearing strange new hybrid sunglasses/MP3 player from Oakley.
1:30 p.m. Call Jon.
Write last sidebar, on strange new hybrid sunglasses/MP3 player.
Proof story, total word count.
2:44 p.m. Submit story.
E-mail editor with some additional information.
Feel very tired, hungry, drained.
Watch accidentally taped partial episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Wonder what to do about sciatica.
Wonder how to celebrate finishing story.
Wish for nap, do 15-minute silent practice instead.
Write first draft of mailing list update.
Renew books online.
Jon calls.
Make lunch.
Watch TV, eat, lie down on couch.
Anna calls.
E-mail Linda who called earlier asking for help with something. Apologize for not returning her call sooner.
Jon calls—basketball is happening even though we're both tired.
5:27 p.m. Decide to take a Claritin and lie down for 15-minutes before basketball.
5:51 p.m. Leave home, stop at post office
Arrive to pick up Jon at his office wearing strange new hybrid sunglasses/MP3 player from Oakley. think will be funny.
6:00 p.m. Jon is held up with call at office. Nearly fall asleep while waiting in car.
6:05 p.m. Jon arrives.
6:08 p.m. Jon notices I'm wearing strange new hybrid sunglasses/MP3 player from Oakley. Turns out not to be as funny as had hoped. Take off hybrid sunglass/MP3 player.
6:15 p.m. Play basketball.
7:30 p.m. Home, hungry.
Snack.
Seinfeld.
Feed cats.
Dinner with girls—Beck and Sally at my house. They cook.
Wine, talking, post mortem on story I filed today.
9:35 p.m. Partly clean up dinner while Sally runs home to fetch toothbrush. Beck and Sal sleeping over.Sal finishes clean-up in kitchen.
Assemble chest of drawers in bedroom.
Change lightbulb in hall.
Take out trash, recycling.
10:37 p.m. Hard to keep my eyes open.
Put in tape of tonight's TV shows. Disappointed to discover Lost was a re-run.
Watch Alias. Feel renewed sense of profound disappointment about how crummy the show has become.
11:33 p.m. Try to check e-mail, can't connect.
Think about tomorrow.
Listen to voice mail from Jon.
Call Jon.
Talk to Jon.
12:00 a.m. Shower.

Tuesday, April 19th, 2005

(This day was scheduled to be a vacation day spent with my family who was visiting from Maine, but they left a day early.)

12 noon Yoga, prayer. Don't do PT or pilates b/c feel so sick.
12:15 p.m. Can't find anything to wear. Make coffee.
Wonder for tenth time since waking if I'm sick or if have developed allergies.
Get dressed, apply sunscreen, bring coffee outside.
Do daily writing practice outside.
Wonder if Oprah will pick my sciatica problem for her "pesky problems" show.
Sneeze. Feel glands. Wish could feel better now.
Go inside and get tissues.
Think about yard, where to plant what, and when.
Think about adding excerpts of essays to Web site.
Wonder if logging my actions like this is a waste of valuable time.
Wish owned a cute, comfortable pair of shorts, something not intended for sports.
Wonder what purpose ground bees have, other than being gross and annoying.
Wonder if my crocuses died so quickly b/c too dry?
Wonder if applied enough sunscreen.
Wonder how will afford to go to Montauk if get accepted.
Wonder how will pay for trip to Teresa and Adele's wedding this fall.
Make breakfast.
Make green tea.
Do miscellaneous house-cleaning while cooking.
Set aside coffee grounds and eggshells for garden.
Read Real Simple.
1:09 p.m. Eat breakfast.
Do daily reading practice. Today: Sarah Vowell.
Make notes on essays for next book.
1:42 p.m. Finish reading practice. Feel sick. Go inside.
Wonder if could justify nap just two hours after waking?
Feel glad for sunny day, but too sick to do much with it.
Glad family came to visit, even though am so tired and seem to have caught kids' cold(s).
Wonder if should turn vacation day into work day—realize is odd to surrender planned day off on gorgeous day when also sick. But work is what I do; productivity makes me feel good so is hard to give it up.
Ponder options, drink tea, peruse new library books.
Make grocery list.
2:00 p.m. Check e-mail.
Respond to new story offer with questions.
Price out options for energy-boosting PEP nutritional supplement.
Discover is too expensive. (Rats.)
Peruse weekly schedule. Make updates, changes.
2:24 p.m. Decide to sit in sun and read (The Fountainhead.)
Check voice mail first.
Message from Jon.
Call Jon, leave message.
Floss, brush teeth.
Go outside with phone, water, book, journal.
2:49 p.m. How to keep going without a nap?
Go inside. Make lunch. Eat lunch.
Watch taped episode of The Apprentice.
Flip through latest issue of magazine from high-paying client.
Drink water.
Feel graced, balanced, blessed. Love my office.
Think about painting office before Sister Spit tonight.
Decide to paint one wall with supplies purchased a few days earlier.
Change clothes, move furniture.
Learn as go—first time painting a wall like this.
Run out of paint, go to paint store.
Question judgment re: decision to spend money on paint/supplies when should spend on so many other things.Decide is important b/c is office where spend so much time, and b/c have been wanting it for months.
Take break. Eat bowl of chocolate Soy Delicious.
Apply second coat of paint.
Finish painting.
Clean up.
Feel tired and grouchy.
Wonder if C. is coming to Spit, and if we have plans or not.
Feel sick and tired.
Still have sore throat.
Hate cleaning up painting project.
6:31 p.m. Sit and enjoy new wall.Like it very much.
Think (again) of calling police (again) on neighbors' constantly yapping dachsunds.
Wish could take nap.
Wish had something easy, filling, delicious to eat.
Wish C. would call and tell me if we have plans.
Decide is very incosiderate not to return calls. Decide will feel better if make other plans.
Call Becky, make plan to go over for dinner.
Call C. and discover he is on his way. Think this is bizarre behavior. Wonder why he came without calling first. Tell him will meet him after dinner with Beck and girls.
6:52 p.m. Shower. Dress. Go to Beck's for dinner.
8:45 p.m. Sister Spit, meet up with C.
9:30 p.m. Walk around town, get ice cream with C.
Go home, hang out with C.
Feel very tired.
11:20 p.m. Brush teeth. Say goodnight to C.
Call Jon, leave message.
Get in bed, read. (So tired.)
12:02 a.m. Wake up, write in journal, turn off phone, sleep.
5:59 a.m. Wake up very sick. Sore throat, stuffy head, achy, headache, hard to swallow, hard to breathe, feel unable to sleep or to move b/c hurts too much, unable to form cohesive thoughts, glad C. didn't stay over, try hard to think of something to do to make self feel better.
6:02 a.m. Call Jon. Leave message. So confused and slow-talking that use up all of allotted message time and have to call him back. Cancel basketball.
Get up. Feed Calvin. Take ibuprofen, drink water, move TV/VCR to bedroom, watch L Word tape.
8:02 a.m. Feel very sad and alone. Want very much to call someone and ask them to bring me soup and orange juice. Want to curl up and cry. Want someone to comfort me.
Can't believe I'm awake at 8 a.m.—and have been up for two hours!
Dial nine of C's phone digits, but hang up instead of finishing call.
Snuggle with Calvin.
Write mental draft of letter to President Christ (at Smith) regarding irritating Lawrence House/Sargent incident with students. Fall asleep.
12 noon Wake up. Still sick. But less upset about it.

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