Think of what they achieved!

From John Forde
August 27, 2007

In John Forde's always interesting Copywriter's Roundtable, he talked about writing under pressure and setting deadlines this month. His main point was that you can get a lot of writing done if you sit yourself down in a chair and get to work. You don't need lots of time. You don't need inspiration. You just need a strong work ethic and a willingness to work under the pressure of deadlines.

John lists the following people as exemplars:

- Trollope, the novelist, churned out volumes of worthy fiction, writing in the few hours before work every day.
- Einstein discovered the theory of relativity during lunch breaks and evenings, while working as a postal clerk.
- Wallace Stevens, the poet, did his best work in his head, while walking to his office at the insurance company.
- William Carlos Williams, on the other hand, wrote his poems on the back of prescription pads - while waiting for patients in his medical practice.

Even celeb author J.K. Rowlings - John points out - wrote her first Harry Potter book in short daily bursts, while her kids took naps. Now she's the world's first writer-billionaire.