For fun today I decided that I would let you guys know what a typical day looks like for me. I’m not only a YA Fiction Writer, I’m also a stay-at-home mother of two! Here’s what my days generally look like.
I wake up at 5:35 EVERY morning Monday- Friday. I’m sure you’re probably wondering why on earth I would subject myself to waking up that early when I’m a stay-at-home mom, right? Well the answer is, because that’s my time to take a shower and get my cup of Wild Berry Green Tea before I have to wake up my son for school. This is pretty much the only ME time for the entire day.
At 6:10 I wake up my 8 year old for school. Make him breakfast. Let me stop you right here for a minute, I am not Betty Crocker first thing in the morning, although I am technically a morning person. Breakfast Monday- Friday is usually a bowl of cereal, oatmeal, frozen waffles, frozen pancakes or something like that with either yogurt or fruit and a glass of juice.
After slaving away to make that breakfast I’ll begin packing his lunch, to which I will be promptly interrupted by my just-turned-five darling daughter who will also want breakfast. After making her the EXACT same thing so as to avoid a meltdown argument about how he has this and I don’t, I’ll continue with packing that lunch.
My husband is there in the kitchen with me attempting to pack his lunch while he checks his iPad stuff, but really he’s just standing in my way unintentionally. Which means we end up looking a lot like we are dancing in our small kitchen while we try to maneuver around each other for the things that we need.
After lunch is packed and breakfast is served, I then have a small moment to breathe while I grab up my iPod and check my email, Goodreads, my sales ranking on all three titles, and Twitter as fast as I can.
At 6:45 I kiss my hubby goodbye and help my son gather up his book bag stuff before we head out the door at 6:50. Darling daughter, our Boston Terrier, Baily, and myself walk my 8 year old to his bus stop. When he’s on the bus safely we walk back to the house and I turn on my daughter’s morning shows- Little Bear, Franklin and Friends, Tom and Jerry- which ever she wants to watch.
While my daughter is entertained for a moment I hop over to my laptop and check my blogger account and respond to any emails or messages I may have had. My time here only lasts for an hour before that darling daughter of mine needs something again.
At around 8:00 I get a call from my mother and we generally talk for about an hour.
And that is the first few hours of my day!
I’ll not get into every little detail of the middle part of my day, but instead get to the writing part. When do I have time to write? Well, I have what I like to call “Quite time” in my house. This is at around 1:00 in the afternoon and lasts until 2:30. During this time my daughter goes to her bedroom and can quietly play, look at books, or lay down for a nap.This my friends is my writing time. Yes, I only write for 1 hr and 30 minutes a day.
This is all I give myself because I do not want to neglect the other things that I have to get done like housework, bill paying, grocery shopping, etc. But most of all I do not ever want to neglect my daughter. Guilt weighs in on me heavily if I overrun that time when a scene or chapter is too intense and going too smoothly for me to walk away after quite time is over.
How long does it take me to write a book at this pace? Well, typically it takes me 3-4 months to write a rough draft. I’m hoping that when my daughter starts school in the fall I’ll be able to focus more time on my novels.
At 4:00 my husband and son come home from work and school and my morning rat race begins all over again just with a different meal-dinner, which I DO cook something like Betty Crocker. Hamburger Helper anyone? I’m just kidding, sort of. I am not the best cook in the world. Every recipe I attempt NEVER turns out the way that it should, but at least I try.
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Well, why don’t you stay up until the wee hours of the morning like me when everyone is sleeping and write.” The answer: Because I enjoy sleeping just as much as that family of mine.
And that is a typical day for me!