A local college student, who wanted to know more about writing as a career choice, recently queried me by email about my typical day, and I replied:
I rise early (it’s 5 a.m. at the moment), and assess what assignments need attention that day here in my home office. As a Sunday newspaper columnist, longtime national sporting magazine contributor, website content provider, writer who shoots and sells photographs, and outdoors book author, I tend to multitask through the morning. This allows me to complete work on deadline, but also to manage a variety of tasks—that’s essential to a working writer’s approach. Around noon, I take a power nap with one of my English setters, who seem to enjoy this ritual as much as I do. After this, I tend to work on another assignment, or call/email editors, make notes, whatever. At 2:30, I pick my daughter up at school. Some evenings, I teach. The teaching is rewarding in that I get to share what I’ve learned over the years as a writer in my courses. I hunt. I fish. I run the dogs. Honestly, I do little that doesn’t contribute to my career. I tend to work most days of the week. It’s the best lifestyle for me, but not for everyone, I suspect.
I never heard back from her . . .
--Steve Hickoff
