Hail Murakami!

This Spring my fifth adult graduated high school. This means I only have one more kid to get ready to face the world. This was meant to be the moment when I reclaimed my life for my own work. This hasn’t been going as I expected. Cheaper by the Dozen notwithstanding raising six kids is tremendously taxing. Somewhere in there I realized I was alone in trying to meet certain goals, and I sat down. Not completely, I still demanded six hours a week to do something of my own, but even that declined when we moved away from my writing support system. I found myself struggling to get up in the morning. There are medical factors contributing, but it felt like my time was slipping through my fingers untouched. I tried all kinds of strategies to get up, but I haven’t had much luck.

Which is why when I heard about Haruki Marukami’s crazy writing routine I was willing to try it. For one thing he gets up at four in the morning, ok, I’m trying for five, and makes his breakfast after which he writes for four to six hours. I’d been trying to regain ground slowly, but I wonder what will happen if I just jump over the Maginot Line for neurologically fresh territory. It seems plausable at least. Marukami then does strenuous exercise before settling into reading and relaxing. He goes to bed at 9:30, something I am already doing in my efforts to wake up. 

So, I’m doing it. It’s only been three days, but five am is fresh territory. I’m all kinds of wobbly, but breakfast puts a positive spin on putting my feet on the floor. While my adherence to the official schedule is sloppy at best I have produced work. I’ve been a little desperate to produce work, and the work came with insight into my character and the voice of my novel. Five am is also free time because no one in my family needs me in anyway at all at that time. I’m not being selfish writing then. I’m reclaiming a vital resource. It may be crazy, but it’s worth a strong effort. 

 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/09/the-running-novelist