Author Life: Morning Writing Routine

Confession: I did not start out as a Morning Writer by any means.  When I first began my writing journey, I was a Midnight-3AM Writer.  I would say this was because I was trying to live that Gothic-Dreampunk-By-Moonlight-Creative-By-Candlelight lifestyle but the truth is that it was the only way, at the time, to fit a solid chunk of uninterrupted writing time into my day.  I'm a wife, mom, and had a full-time job (I was a graphic designer for a decade and then did a brief stint as an Executive Assistant at a Fine Arts museum).  Now that I have the opportunity to stay home (which I am extremely grateful to my husband for being so incredibly supportive), I've been able to figure out what time of day I'm actually the most creative when it comes to writing.  You guessed it--mornings!

I like being able to start the day with a fresh mind so I can truly focus on whatever story I'm working on.  Also, knocking out a writing session first thing in the morning makes the rest of the day feel like a breeze no matter what I have going on because I'm already starting out feeling as though I've accomplished something.

Here's what my typical Morning Writing Routine looks like these days:

7:00 A.M.

Wake up.  Get morning chores out of the way.  Check emails.

8:00 A.M.

Make coffee. Review where I'm at in the story and then begin the morning's writing session.  I know a lot of author's like to take breaks every half hour or so but I'm more of the type to set a parameter for a session and then solidly work through it.  I'll either give myself a world count goal to meet or just a time frame (usually an hour and a half to two hours) depending on my progress versus whatever deadline I've given myself to complete the draft.

10:00 A.M.

Get dressed for the day and review my planner and To-Do lists.  I usually get some laundry going around this time and return any calls/messages/etc.

11:00 A.M.

My husband and I meet up for lunch every day which is nice and I'm incredibly happy that we're able to do that.

11:30 A.M.

MORE COFFEE!  And back to writing.  I'll finish up whatever scene or chapter that I was working on that day or use this time to do any needed research.  If I've already met my writing goal for the day and I don't have the energy to jump into a new scene then I'll use this as Administrative time to work on the more "business" side of things like marketing, promotion, and brainstorming content ideas.  This session usually lasts until about 1:00 P.M.

That's my Morning Writing Routine!  I have no clue how interesting/dull you all might find it. haha  But if you enjoy these sorts of posts then be sure to let me know in the comments or on social media.  I love to hear from you guys and if there are any topics you'd like to see me cover in terms of writing or publishing then please feel free to ask!

Thanks for reading!

- Dez -

HUNTER is now available at:

AMAZON | B&N | NSP

Writing HUNTER: Special Extras

(Special thanks to @aparanormalromance for providing this photo)

HUNTER has been out in the world for a little over a month now and I'm so thrilled with how well it's been received!  For those of you that have already read it and are wanting more of the ROAMverse, here are some Special Extras:

WRITING HUNTER: A Dreampunk Author's Journey

If you've been following me for a while then you know that HUNTER was originally self-published in 2017.  Once ROAM was picked up by NineStar Press, I submitted HUNTER shortly afterward and they signed it as well.  So, even though HUNTER is now seeing its official re-release through a publishing company in 2019, I actually wrote the story around this time two years ago.

I'd initially written ROAM as a stand-alone novel but, just a few days after completing it, I knew there was an even bigger story to tell.  Not to mention the characters wouldn't leave me alone!  And I mean that in the best way.  At the time, Dacey was speaking volumes so I decided to go ahead and write his story, The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett.  Once that prequel was finished, I had already set some major story arcs in motion and was ready to play them out with a sequel.

Other than the obvious desire to explore Ethan and Grady's relationship further, I began to really flesh out what I wanted from a Dreampunk story and how to continue the original message of the first book in a way that would still feel fresh and unique.  HUNTER owes a lot to the creative journey that I took in writing The Revelation of Dacey Sinnett.  It honestly wouldn't be the same without me having dived into that prequel first.  I had the chance to make the story so much more complex and to bring back some of my favorite characters.  It also allowed me the opportunity to set the stage for what's to come next...

HUNTER: Bonus Content

A HUNTER-inspired Mood Board on Pinterest.

What I listened to while working on this book: HUNTER Spotify Playlist

A fun Character Interview with Ethan, Grady, & Chris

Still want more?  Add some ROAMverse Merch to your collection!

HUNTER: Feedback

Readers have been incredibly supportive of this book!  I think I've received more positive messages on this one than any of my other books so.  Most people are excited about an event in the book which is a spoiler--so I can't mention it; but I'm glad it made so many people happy.  Readers also love the Dreampunk aspect of the series and the continued world-building.  I've also had a lot of lovely comments about Benny which, honestly, makes my heart soar every time because Benny is the first ROAM character that I ever created.  He predates the story itself because he's actually based on an original character that I used to roleplay as many many years ago.  haha  :)

Thanks again to everyone that has grabbed a copy of the book and also to those that have taken the time to send me messages and/or leave reviews!  If you have any other HUNTER-related questions or topics that you'd like to see me cover in future blog posts, please leave a comment or email me through my website.

Haven't read HUNTER yet?

No worries!  It's available here:

AMAZON | B&N | NSP