Since a few people have left me nice comments and I've been asked before about my schedule, I thought I'd tell you about my day. Trust me, I really am not some kind of wonderwoman but I am the queen of multi-tasking lol
I get up half an hour or so before the kids, make breakfasts, pack lunches, find uniforms, sign homework books etc. I have my laptop on and read emails, check in my groups and often write this blog while I eat my cereal.
Then, by quarter past eight, I get the kids to school, if it's my turn to do the drop offs. Older one to the high school then the two littles to primary school. If I stop at the primary school I invariably see clients. (I work 9-5ish 5 days a week, some evenings and some Saturday mornings if I have a lot on.)
My typical workday would be doing development checks with under fours in the morning - usually I schedule 8 of those or I'll be out visiting new babies or clients with other problems. Lunch is usually eaten at my computer in the office, ten minutes while I check emails, then afternoon is clinic, followed by more developments or paperwork.
I get home just after five and supervise homework, make tea, do a load of washing, tidy the house. In between all this once I'm home I check my email, groups, etc and gradually switch my brain over to writing. About seven I start to write - my target is anything from 500 words to 2000 words depending what I'm working on. Blue Remembered Heels was a 2k per day target. I also need to get the girls supper and into bed, talk with my teenager about her latest angsts.
So, my day is pretty much like any other working Mom's. I am very disciplined in that when I'm working on a project I set strict but realistic goals and writing is my second job. To me, I treat it the same way I treat my day job - as a professional.
I read, but don't watch much TV, and my family come first but writing is up there with my day job in my priorities. I think the key is I write every day, I set goals, and I plan ahead.
So, blog about your writing day - I'm curious - is yours different to mine?
Hi Nell - you are awsome but I thik everyone gets things done in their own way. I sometimes get all day to write my books but I still rarely manage 2000 words. Well, I do a lot more than that in reality - but that's on the other projects I write and frankly, I've often had more than enough of writing by late afternoon and have to get out of the house. Anywhere! I agree writing is important but these days I put going to gym (which takes care of my physical and mental health) or getting out with my dd or PH above it. In 2006 I attacked writing my first book and getting published with a single minded purpose that scared me - now I've tried to put into more perspective!
ReplyDeleteI think (from your writing and your description) that you have the gift of 'perspective' in your books. You seem to know exactly where you are going whereas I rarely do. I muddle along, racing through great chunks of story without thinking. Anything to get it down. Then I edit and edit and edit so I end up rewriting my books about three times, I rewrite pages and sentences dozens of times - so I waste a lot of time but that's the only way I know how. I'm not an efficient person and I never will be!
You are superwoman - I'm a chaotic slob in comparison...
I agree with Pip: you really are a Superwoman! I'm not really writing at all at the moment, but when I am, I'm a lot like Pip.
ReplyDeleteJess x
Thanks for doing this Nell. I find it really interesting.
ReplyDelete2K per day target. That's amazing. I manage 500 and that takes me several hours. Usually from 10pm -1am.
I'm guessing you don't write for much more than 3 hours a night if you have an early start for work the next day (?)
I don't have a job but but cook a dinner for 4 from scratch every evening and have mountains of ironing and washing up. I do an hour's dancing or swimming most days and that's it ---my day gone.
I need to train myself to write more in those 3 hours. Do you freewrite and edit later? Plan scnes or go with the flow?
I'd say I'm a bit different :o) I don't usually start writing till about 1 in the afternoon or later and I'll go straight through till I hit a block or the muse says I've had enough.
ReplyDeleteOutput varies, with editing it can take me an entire day to retype 4 pages because I have to move scenes around. When I'm straight writing I'm trying to get a couple K a day -- which usually happens if I can hit a working chat *g*