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 -

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Author Life: Daily Routine

Getting back into the swing of things the past few days since I took some time off over the holidays to recharge.  Now that I'm back on track, here's what a typical weekday looks like for me:

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

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It's time to face your nightmares.

Soon To Be Released

- HUNTER (ROAM: Book Two), coming April 8, 2019 through NineStar Press.