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?
4 comments:
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!
I 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.
Jess x
Thanks for doing this Nell. I find it really interesting.
2K 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.
Output 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*
Post a Comment