Ever wondered what a typical day looks like for an author? Let me take you behind the scenes of my wildly glamorous (read: caffeine-fueled, dog-distracted, occasionally panic-driven) life as a full-time writer. Spoiler alert: it’s not all book signings and swoon-worthy plot twists. Most days, it’s just me, my iPad, and a never-ending internal battle between productivity and procrastination. Buckle up!
Rise and shine: The battle begins
My day usually starts with the noble intention of waking up early, sipping a peaceful cup of coffee, and easing into my writing. In reality, it’s more of a chaotic scramble involving hitting the snooze button a few too many times, wrestling my cat for laptop space, and making sure I remember to take my ADHD meds. I tend to be a bit of a writing nomad – some days I sit at my desk, sometimes the couch or a cafe. I also love writing in bed, because it just feels so damn lazy and I’m here for it. Anything to get the words done!
Then I start my pre-writing ritual. Make coffee and get water. Go to the bathroom. Light some incense or a candle (or both, if I’m feelin’ boujee). Once I manage to claim my spot, I check emails, scroll social media under the guise of ‘marketing research,’ and attempt to ignore the siren call of whatever book I’m currently reading. Eventually, I crack open my work in progress, stare at the blinking cursor for an uncomfortably long time, and convince myself that writing just one sentence counts as progress. Sprints are my best friend, and I have these ones on Youtube that I absolutely love – so I use those to get my daily words.
Morning magic: Words, words, and… more distractions
I try to be at my keyboard and ready to go by no later than 9am, and then I try to remain ‘in the zone’ for a solid three hours until noon. This is prime writing time for me. If I’m lucky, the words flow effortlessly, and I get lost in the world I’m creating. If I’m not, I suddenly develop an urgent need to reorganise my bookshelf, research obscure historical facts that may or may not be relevant to my plot, or fall down a Facebook rabbit hole. Easy or not, though, I try to make myself hit my daily quote (which fluctuates based on my ability to make myself hit my daily word quota LOL).
When the writing does happen, it’s a rollercoaster. Some days, the characters behave, the dialogue snaps, and I feel like a literary genius. Other days, every sentence reads like it was written by an exhausted hamster, and I wonder if I should switch careers to professional dog cuddler. Such is life!
Afternoon projects: Bribing myself to be a boss
By lunch time, my brain starts to fizzle. This is where strategic bribery comes into play. I usually treat to an another coffee, a snack, or an episode of whatever show I’m binging—but only once I hit my word count. This method works about 50% of the time. The other 50%? Well, let’s just say my ability to justify ‘creative breaks’ is unparalleled.
Once the words are done, it’s moving on to project work. As well as running an annual romance book signing event (Wild Out West), I also do freelance book cover design (Covered Up), and am involved in both Witchy Bookworms and The Witchy Chicks – which are both loads of fun! Then I have my own author marketing, business admin, and general life stuff to take care of. I try to chunk this all up and have specific days for different types of work, to help deal with the overwhelm that comes hand in hand with being neurodiverse.
Evening: My creative second wind
If my partner is away at work, evenings are when the real magic—or absolute desperation—happens. There’s something about the quiet of nighttime that makes work feel easier for me. Sometimes I write, but if I’ve reached my daily word quota I don’t have to do that. I usually let myself work on any passion projects, fun design jobs, or other work that feels like a reward while I let something play on the TV in the background. My favourite go-to show to stream is RuPaul’s Drag Race (and Untucked). I also cycle through shows I’ve watched a million times like Hannibal, Lucifer, and The Vicar of Dibley or fave movies like Pride and Prejudice, and the Princess Diaries. As you can tell, my tastes are pretty eclectic!
Night thoughts: Taming tomorrow’s chaos
Before bed, I think about the next day and jot down notes on my phone, fully believing I’ll be a more organised human in the magical light of day. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient moment—like when I’m brushing my teeth or lying in bed at 3am. If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget it by morning, so I often end up scrambling for my phone to type out a half-coherent idea that I may or may not be able to decipher later.
Then I pass out, exhausted but grateful that I get to do this for a living. Being an author isn’t always easy, but despite the chaos, distractions, and occasional existential crises, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. So that’s a day in my life! If you’re an author, does this sound familiar? If you’re a reader, does this shatter the illusion of a perfectly romanticised writing life, or is it on par with what you’d expect? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts!