Spend the Day With Me

I’m often asked about how I approach writing and how I squeeze it into my daily routine. Full disclosure, I don’t have a conventional job which means I may have more time to concentrate on writing than most aspiring authors. I’m still busy as all hell though, constantly mulling over my manuscripts, thinking about characters and dialogue, brainstorming ideas for titles, memes, and articles, completing proofreading jobs, searching for agents in my genres, and taking care of five animals.

Though parts of my life may be mundane, I thought I’d share one of my typical writing days with you. I have a morning routine that has nothing to do with writing so let’s start there. After rubbing sleep out of my eyes and still feeling groggy, I let my dog out then feed her along with her four cat siblings. Once that task is complete, I head for coffee, which I consider one of the building blocks of motherhood.

Mug in hand, I sit in my favorite writing spot on the couch, sip my cup of morning magic, and contemplate my day with a focus on my writing blog and social media pages. I often take a moment to meditate and visualize the outcome I desire. With my laptop open, I begin posting for the morning. When morning posts are out of the way I check my emails and respond accordingly.

Then it’s onto household chores like straightening up, emptying the dishwasher, and starting a load of laundry.

Enough with the chores. It’s time to begin any proofreading jobs in my queue. I try to approach each task with a timeframe in mind, but I often surpass that limit when I’m on a writing roll.

Next, I turn to my WIP and edit a few chapters. At this point I’m on a trimming crusade, eliminating anything that doesn’t move the story forward. That includes ditching redundancy and busy words. You’d be surprised how many words you can get rid of if you pay attention. Again, I usually get so caught up in writing I don’t realize how much time has passed.

I preach that it’s important to take breaks, so I follow my mantra. This usually means a run on the treadmill, a few hundred crunches, and possibly outside to jump rope or execute several hundred step lunges, weather permitting, while listening to my favorite playlist.

Of course, after a productive work out, I stink, so a shower is in order. I’m also hungry so I grab my first meal of the day, a healthy low-calorie choice. Oh, and I drink lots of water. I try to drink half my body weight in ounces of water each day.

I feed the cats again and take my dog for a walk. Those pesky cats are always hungry.

Okay, back to writing and creating. I open a new document on my laptop, type out a working title for a new blog or writing tip article, and voilà, I’ve started the process. The working title helps get my writing juices flowing. A new article may involve research and finding images to go along with its theme. After working on that for a few hours, I head to Canva to create memes for the upcoming week.

Ding, ding, ding, it’s dinner time. I close my laptop, make a delicious meal, feed the animals again, eat, and relax while I watch a show, connect with the hubby, shoot a text to my adult sons or call to catch up, and check my social media.

Last but not least, I search for agents and publishers, in my genre, who are accepting unsolicited query letters. I may even send a few.

Before I pack it in for the night, I reflect about anything I've accomplished, big or small. Did I meet my writing goals? Did I get positive feedback from someone about an article? Did I secure an new author for an interview? If I answered yes to any of these questions, I give myself a mental pat on the back. Then, I relax with my favorite shows before hitting the sack. Of course I read a good book until the sandman visits. I’m finishing up A Dance with Dragons, the fifth novel in the epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. Before I know it, I’m off to dreamland. Getting enough sleep is paramount to me and my health.

There you have it, a day in my writing life. It’s not that exciting, but I’m fortunate enough to live my passion every day. I do switch it up from time to time when I hang with friends, go out for a date night with my other half, or when I have the opportunity to hit the beach. Holidays, or vacations are a double shift. That means I have to up my game and get double the work done so I can enjoy my free time. What is writing like in your reality?