Since the writing vocation is non-traditional, most of the time it does not operate on fixed schedules. People are drilled in the traditional eight to five work pattern. Writing is often seen by the misinformed as a passion or a hobby that can be set aside for more financially productive endeavors. Against all odds, the writer must protect his writing time. He must make people around him understand that he is a working writer—that the time he sets aside for his craft is imperative. The writer does not have an obligation to explain to everyone what he does, but at least he should let the people in his life know what he is up to. The writer must shun any negative preconceived notions about his career. Even to a writer merely following his passion and yet to be published, his writing time is sacrosanct and disruption is a sacrilege. In the end, people who notice his commitment to his craft will give the writer the due respect he deserves.

People respect white and blue-collared workers. They appreciate the patterns in which these workers follow a rigid schedule to perform their duties. The concept of regular working time has been inculcated in our minds as the norm when we join the rat race. Some writers work under fix schedules, working for companies where they receive regular salaries. Any person who prefers to become an entrepreneur rather than work for someone else and sets his schedule in a way he deems fit is respected. He is even envied for his entrepreneurial spirit and for managing his own time. In the same sense, people will respect a writer’s “writing time” if he sticks to it with conviction and shows others that he has faith in his writing skills. Many people may be misinformed about the vocation of writing, but many people also love reading good stories.

The sense of commitment, the temptation to resist slowing down, must begin with the writer. Any type of attitude, positive or negative, is contagious. Whatever energy the writer exudes reflects and stirs people close to him to perform the same action. The writer must, therefore, exhibit his commitment and faith to his craft by example. In doing so, his family, friends, and relatives will be compelled to recognize his dedication and recognize the writing time he demands. The reclusive writer must learn to make adjustments. Seclusion can never be absolute. The people who care for him will make demands and will always have that curiosity to find out what he is up to. The most reclusive among us can no longer afford to abandon the world. The world is full of people, and we owe it to those who matter in our lives to get oriented with our objective.

People who interrupt the writer’s writing time do not intend to sabotage. They merely wish to keep in touch or spend time. They are not the writer’s enemies. They are families and friends that matter a great deal to the writer’s life—they can provide support in the most challenging times. The writer must learn to establish boundaries between his writing time and social life.