Writing Update #2

I’m so excited from your feedback last week! I’m really looking forward to sharing more about my journey to finish my first novel! I like my blog to be a resource, but I also love that I am able to document these seasons of life. My days are usually pretty jam packed, especially now that I’ve taken on teaching a couple days a week, but I still fit in time to write every day. I get lots of questions about this and while I may not be an expert in any sense (published authors are the authority here), I have found some things that work for me. 

My Writing Routine: 

Begin every day with journaling—This one has been hard since we moved, since now Nick is up before me and we try to have our coffee together before he heads to the office. Once he’s left for the day, I make a second cup and write in my journal for at least 10 minutes. Sometimes it’s a brain dump, sometimes it’s about my Work In Progress, sometimes it’s just “I’m tired and frustrated” over and over. But I make sure to do it every day. 

I work best in the early morning or late at night—I love to set the mood. I think as human beings, we do our best thinking and creating in the early morning or late at night. There’s something about those times of day that hold infinite possibilities. One the weekends, I love to write in the morning. Nick sleeps in and I can let myself get carried away. During the week, I LOVE to write at night. 

How to transition—If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’m a big proponent of the Shower Wine. I like to pour a glass and bring it into the shower. I don’t listen to music or an audiobook, but instead use that as the time to transition my day from work mode to writer mode. I let my characters speak to me during that time. 

I get out of the shower and immediately journal with any lines of dialogue, scenes, and thoughts I had about my story. 

I dim the lights, light a candle, and put on an ASMR room that fits the setting of the scene I am trying to write. 

Then I get to work! I generally give myself an hour, which is something David Sedaris is famous for writing about. No phone, no computer, no human distractions for one hour. If I write more than an hour, that’s awesome! If I hit a road block, I pull out my journal and brain dumb into there until I’ve hit my hour. 

I’ve learned something writers have told me for years: writing is discipline. You have to train yourself to write even when you aren’t feeling inspired because not every day is a perfect writing day. 

What would you like to see next about my current WIP? 

Photo by Noelle Fair Photography