7:00 A.M.
Wake up. Dress for the day (includes styling hair and applying makeup); sometimes I'll listen to a podcast or one of my Spotify playlists while I do this. Review daily planner.
8:00 A.M.
Make a cup of coffee. Light a candle in my office (aka Writing Nook) and get to work. I start by reviewing the last scene that I wrote and any notes I may have. I usually try to write until lunch but sometimes I reach a point where I know more research or plotting will be necessary and then I'll transition to working on those aspects if needed.
11:00 A.M.
Make any notes needed for the next writing session. Take a break for lunch. During this time I'll also check any social media notifications and respond to emails.
NOON
Typically when I'll make any social media posts for the day, unless I have something that I want to post or be online for at a specific time of day. I'll try to run any errands that I have for the day at this point.
1:00 P.M.
Our daughter is homeschooled so I typically check in with her to make sure she's on track and see if there are any areas that she needs extra help in (She's a teenager and her courses are online so she's pretty self-reliant but I make myself available the entire afternoon in case she needs tutoring or supervision for special projects.). I'll usually get any basic house cleaning that needs to be done out of the way during this time as well.
2:00 P.M.
If everything is on track, I'll fix a second cup of coffee (or grab a Starbucks) and sit down to work on any "book biz" tasks that I have. This includes marketing, promotion, site updates, etc. If there's nothing of that nature for the day then I'll take some time to do some writing research.
3:00 P.M.
For the next two hours, I focus on any intensive cleaning/organizing that needs to be done or any other non-writing projects I may have. Sometimes we'll do field trips or just go out for a fun activity.
5:00 P.M.
It's basically "Family Time" from here on out. Occasionally, if everyone else is preoccupied, then I might get another hour of writing in during the evening but if I'm too tired then I'll just read a book or catch up on a show (My current favorite is Schitt's Creek).
Before bed, I'll take a quick glance at what I have in my planner for the next day and add any final notes of story ideas that I've thought of so that I can refresh my memory the following morning.
And that's it! My usual Monday-Friday routine. Sometimes I'll write on the weekends but I mostly try to use those days for family activities and relaxing. When I was working full-time, I was a "Weekend Warrior Writer" so I enjoy actually designating Saturday and Sunday for other things now.
NOTE: One big improvement in my schedule is no longer allowing myself to look at social media first thing in the morning. I realized that I write better at the beginning of the day without having any outside emotional influences. I have become so much more motivated with this simple change! I definitely recommend not checking your notifications or reading any news until later in the day once you've already had a chance to make your day feel like it's been a productive one.
Your Busy Writer,
Dez
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OUT NOW
It's time to face your nightmares.
Soon To Be Released
- HUNTER (ROAM: Book Two), coming April 8, 2019 through NineStar Press.
