Portrait of a Writing Session

The intent is to get to work early.  Well, okay…early-ish. So I strive to eliminate all the chores that have cropped up in order to approach the writing session without the clamor of “you should be doing this, you should be doing that” in my head, like bats flapping and screeching at me.

4:30 a.m.

Return from walking dogs.  Feed them. Answer emails.  Leave email window open just in case the President suddenly decides he cannot survive another day without my input.  Check Facebook to see if there are any comments to be left.  Read through my blog list.

Oh, it’s time to take the pups outside again.  While we’re walking, think about the day’s writing.  That’s quickly driven from mind by the gorgeous sunrise.

5:30 a.m.

Return home.  Breakfast.  Egg whites and an “everything” bagel.  Rinse dishes and put them in dishwasher.

6:00 a.m.

Time to shower.  Can’t stand my own stench.  Dogs hide in case I suddenly decide they need baths, too. Pretend I’m Ferris Beuller and make funny hair-dos.   While standing under the warm flow of water, think about how to approach the next scene in the novel.  Ow, holy crap! Soap in my eyes!  Soap in my eyes!

6:30 a.m.

Answer emails.  Check Facebook.  Read more blogs.  Aimlessly surf the web.  All the while, an idea tickles at the back of my mind.  Need to give it room to breathe, to flourish.  Decide to nap.

8:15 a.m.

Answer emails. Check Facebook. Check Reuters for news.  Get depressed, switch to comics.  Open last document on computer in novel, read through previous days’ writing.  Make some minor alterations and changes.

9:30 a.m.

Put load of laundry in the washing machine.  Look around, decide I don’t feel like cleaning house.  Pull out vacuum anyway to get up dog hair from carpet before it grows into a fourth dog.  Sit down at computer again.

10:30 a.m.

Time for lunch.  Salad with baked chicken, sunflower seeds, and non-fat ranch dressing.  Iced tea.  Dogs sit impatiently nearby, hoping a morsel falls from my mouth and dares to reach the floor, tails a-wag with anticipation.  They scoot ever-closer, unable to control themselves until Yaz is resting her chin on my forearm.

11:00 a.m.

Look at clock.  Holy crap, is it 11 o’clock already? Sit down at computer.  Pull up word document.  Re-read previous days’ writing.  Return changed parts back to original.  Open new document.  Slip on headphones.  Middle-eastern electronica.  Very soothing and trance-inducing.  World disappears.

3:00 p.m.

Yaz pokes me with cold nose, snapping me out of trance.

Look at page count.  20.  I look again.  No, 26.  Wow!  Read through it, expecting to find a giant pile of steaming crap on the page.

Am very surprised.

Did not expect that to come up today.  Did not know that character would need to relive birth of her son in order to move on to the hanging scene.  But it all makes perfect sense.

Read it a second time.  And a third.  Dogs remind me that they’re still alive, if only barely, having suffered through so long without my undivided attention.

Save document to hard drive.  Back up to flash drive.  Sigh contendly.  Shut down computer.

Get dogs into car. Time for dog park.

5:30 p.m.

Return home.  Feed dogs.  Niggling plotline in my head.  Turn computer back on.  Check emails.  Check Facebook.  Re-open documents from earlier.  Read through.  They’re good.  Maybe not perfect, but very good, and I’m quite pleased.

Make notes at end of chapter as to where the next scene will pick up and where it needs to lead.

Check emails.  Shut down computer.

6:00 p.m.

Time for dinner.  Non-fat cottage cheese, an apple, steamed broccoli with fresh tomatoes and a vinaigrette dip.  Very tasty.  Turn on television and surf the show guide.  Interesting program on the Discovery channel.  Watch for awhile.  They’re talking about supernatural investigations. Fascinating, even if the program does pander to the lowest common denominator.  Perk up when a factoid is presented that catches my writerly attention.

Hurry to desk and grab notepad and pen.  Hurry back to television.  Make copious notes.  Realize that my next novel has just presented itself.  Leave television on and continue writing.  While making notes, figure out a concerning plot point for current novel.  Make notes on that.  More notes.  Make sure to put notepad on desk so I will see it in the morning.

7:30 p.m.

Exhausted.  Lie down to read someone else’s writing for a bit.  Grow too tired to keep eyes open.  Fall asleep.  Have bizarre dreams which will require jotting down in the morning.  Sleep deeply for eight hours.

Lather, rinse, repeat.