I know we have weekly themes here at Fierce Romance, and I might be bucking the system since what I decided to write about is probably an upcoming topic, but I'd love to know what other writers routines are. For a writer (or for anyone, really), I believe a routine is very important. You slip up once or twice and start wandering off from your daily set-up, and things can go wonky. Trust me on this -- I know a little something about it.
Granted, there are things that can go wrong that are out of our control. Your kid forgot the homework project he'd been working on all week, and mom!! It's due today. Can you pleeeease bring it to me? Or your husband's at work and he's locked his keys in the car. Or your mom needs to be taken to the store. All those little things can wreak havoc in a writer's life.
But say the day is a normal one. Husband goes off to work with no issues, kids are now off to school (for the next few weeks anyway. Summer, well summertime in a writer's life can be pretty interesting...) and you start your day. What do you do?
Let me tell you about my day.
Times are never really set for me, so I'll leave the clock out of this. I'm a VERY lucky writer in terms that I get to do this full time. I don't have an EDJ (evil day job) to work around, and understand that my kids are older and very much self-sufficient. That being said:
Hubby strokes my hip to wake me and tell me he's leaving. That's somewhere a little before 7 every morning (that's the only time I'll throw in, because that's the only time that's set!). He kisses me good-bye, and depending on the night's sleep, I either roll over and check my iPhone for email and whatnot, or I roll over and go back to sleep. Being somewhat of an insomniac can be a real pain in the ass :)
After that, it's out of bed for me. First things first, of course. Coffee. Oh, and feeding the dog. Little guy hounds me like, well, a dog, if I don't feed him right away. Then it's me, sitting at my kitchen table, sipping my coffee and flipping through the Chicago Sun-Times while the pupper is outside doing his thing. That's typically the only news I get for the day, other than what pops up on my homescreen when I bring up the internet.
The day can go one of two ways after this. Either down into the basement with me on the treadmill (which I started up again this week after all the heart tests I had earlier this year. Don't worry, everything is fine :)), or upstairs in my new office to get the day started. Either way I go, I end up in my office.
I check my email, blogs, facebook, twitter, etc. Some may think it's strange that I do all that, sometimes I may even write a little (either on my WIP or like today, this blog) before I hop in the shower. But, it's become routine for me to do it that way. After the shower, I'm really ready to get my day started. Back into my office I go, and if my muse is kind and liking me that day, I write. And write. And write. If that's not the case, I research, promo, just something related to my writing.
Lunch is at my desk, which is usually another chance to check email, blogs, facebook and twitter again. Then, hopefully, it's right back into the current WIP. I can go like that until 5 or 6, depending on how things are flowing. Then it's time for the big decision of the day: What to have for dinner! Nighttime is spent with my family (as are most weekends), and away from the book I'm working on. After that, it's bedtime, only to get up and start all over again the next day.
So that's it. Exciting, isn't it? Actually, for me it is. To a lot of people, sitting in front of a computer typing away all day sounds like a boring life. But for me, it's like going into another world -- one where I get to have the say of what happens. My stories take me away and more than anything else, I love going along with that.
So, that's my work routine. I'd love to hear about yours, how it differs or how it's the same. I'm always up for some inspiration on how to make things flow better and I'm not opposed to implementing new ideas!
Have a great holiday weekend! Hoppy Easter, everyone!
Kristin
www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels
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2 comments:
I love to hear about other writers' routines. Unfortunately, I do have that EDJ that I have to write around. In the morning before work I check e-mails, twitter, etc. but have never been able to get up early enough to get any writing done before edj. So I try to put in a couple hours in the evening, headphones on. The weekends are never routine, but I try to get a few hours in each day. If hubby has a NASCAR race to watch or work on the house, so much the better. :)
I'm looking forward to the time when I can get into a daily writing routine.
Thanks for sharing yours.
Thanks for sharing yours, too, Natasha. I'm like you, I like to know how other people do basically the same thing I do!
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