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There’s a phrase I hear quite a bit from other authors. It always strikes me as funny, because – many times – it feels like an accurate statement. Mainly because I’m usually busy promoting a book, or writing one. Or doing group takeovers. Or research. You get the idea. Anyway, the question….
When do you sleep??
The truth of the matter is, there are nights I don’t sleep much…if at all. There are plenty of reasons behind this. Insomnia is a big one. Too much to do, not enough hours in the day. When you’re working full time, raising teenagers, running a house, and trying to write your next novel, things pile up in a rapid fashion. And sometimes, the night hours are the only chance I have to get things done. The story of every mother out there, am I right? It’s a good thing I’m a night owl.
Here’s a peek at my typical work day. Sundays and Mondays are different beasts, since those are my days off from the day job. But we’ll stick with the weekday crazy for the purpose of this post.
6:45-7:15 am (depending on how many times I hit snooze): Drag myself out of bed. I am not a morning person, so this is a process!
7:25: Drag the kids to school
7:40: Get my first hit of coffee, some breakfast and get ready for work. All while checking sales reports, emails, and Facebook.
8:25: Drag myself to work (notice a theme here?)
12:30-1:30: Lunch hour. This is typically when I run errands around town or, if I’m lucky, work on writing stuff. I can get a lot done in an hour, locked in my office and ignoring everything else.
4:00pm: Quitting time (most days…some are a bit earlier or later).
4:15: By now, I’m in my comfy clothes, I’ve heard all the day’s drama from the teens, and I’m settled in at my computer. I spend the time between now and getting dinner ready catching up on email and social media.
5:30(ish): Start or supervise dinner. My kids both cook (hallelujah!), so it really depends on what’s being made and who’s cooking. Lol
6:30 - 9:00: this is the time I set aside for takeovers, research, etc. Things that I need time for, but don’t require 100% of my attention if something pulls me away for a chunk of time, like projects and homework, or dealing with more teen drama. lol
9:00-10(ish): writing time. Longer than an hour if I’m really rolling, or don’t have work the next day.
11(ish): This is the time I try to turn in at night…it doesn’t always work. Sometimes the insomnia kicks in hard, and I’m awake until the early morning hours, if not daylight. Makes for a rough next day, but that’s what coffee’s for. ;)
This is pretty much my day during the week. Saturdays I’m off early, so the after-work process starts earlier, too.
And remember how I said Sundays and Mondays were different? Well, that’s because Sundays are my only to day to sleep in (and I take advantage of that fact every chance I can. Seriously, my kids know the motto by heart….unless the house is on fire, or someone is bleeding or dying, don’t wake Mom up at risk of life or limb.). Sundays are also the days I set up/maintain social media, work on newsletters. The first Sunday of the month, I schedule my daily posts for the rest of the month so I don’t have to worry about it. I spend time with the kids, and when they’re sick of mom and wander off to do their own thing, any time left is for writing.
Mondays are my take-the-kids days. Take the kids to the dentist, the doctor, the orthodontist, etc. On the rare Mondays where I don’t have something that requires me to leave the house, those are my write-or-die days. lol
Yes, the routine gets grueling at times. I’ve learned it’s okay to take a day or two, recharge the batteries, let the brain rest. But then I get itchy and ready to get back to it again, to get into the routine and get things done. After all, these books won’t write themselves.