[One Thousand Characters a Day] Writer's Routine <6> - Kim Junghyuk's 'A Day Writing Novels'

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1,000-character transcription content for the 'One Day Ten Thousand Steps, One Day One Thousand Characters' newsletter readers. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, notable columns, and famous speeches.
Starting today, we introduce the book , which offers a glimpse into how young novelists currently active live day by day and write, what their creative sources are, and the process through which brilliant works are born. The first excerpt is from Kim Joonghyuk's . Character count: 909.

I once learned how to swim. I still remember the first lesson. The time I changed into my swimsuit and hesitated while waiting, the awkward atmosphere during the warm-up before entering the water, and the chilling sensation when the water first touched my toes?all still come to mind. The hardest part was learning to swim while listening to the teacher. Although the teacher explained in detail, my body refused to follow the instructions. On the way home that day, I stopped by a bookstore and bought a swimming manual. It had photos, but I liked the method of learning swimming through printed text. Yes, I learned to swim through writing. Before going to swim lessons, I always prepared by studying the book. Did it help? I'm not sure, but it gave me peace of mind. Just knowing that I studied swimming in print before the teacher taught me was reassuring.

I rely on printed text for many parts of life. I hear that nowadays, when people are curious about something, they immediately search on YouTube, but I ran to bookstores. In bookstores, all knowledge was available. Printed text was knowledge, a tool, and a lifeline descending from the sky. Even now, I depend on printed text for many things. Is there a day when I don't read a book? Probably not. Thousands of books surround me at home and in my studio, and I live within them.

Whenever I have time, I open a book, and whenever I have time, I write. Sometimes I write in the form of notes, sometimes I write novels. There is one principle in writing: 'Sit down when you want to write.' When I forced myself to sit down because of a deadline even though I didn't want to write, the results were not good. At such times, I take a walk, travel into a book, or take a short nap. Then, at least a few times a day, the desire to write arises, and I seize those moments to sit down and start working.

- Kim Joonghyuk and 6 others, , &(And), 15,000 KRW