The Write Life
In honor of THE UNDERCOVER SCOUNDREL'S release in two short weeks (!), I've decided to really make a commitment to blog more often. I'm a self-professed blog junkie – I read at least a dozen a day – and my two favorites seem to be literary/book blogs, and then fashion/foodie/lifestyle blogs. I'm hoping to combine the two in my own bloggity blog. If there's anything specific you'd like to see, don't hesitate to leave a comment! Hearing from readers is always the jam.
Every Monday I'll be blogging about The Write Life – stuff that's about my writing career, my books, lessons I've learned, everyday things that relate to the literary world. Since I get this question a lot, today I thought I'd detail what a typical day looks like for me. I'm always curious what other peoples' actual lives are like, so hopefully you can catch a glimpse of the not-so-glamorous daily life of a romance writer.
The Daily Life of a Romance Writer
So here's the scoop. I write full time from my lovely little gem of an office at my home in North Carolina. When my husband and I bought the house a few years ago, I knew I wanted to turn the front office into a super-girlie jewel box. It's a FAB spot; as much as I love day writing at Starbucks, this is where I'm most productive.
This is where I write about sex. Photo Credit: Cyn Cain Photography
I usually try to start the day with some kind of exercise. As much as I HATE to work out – right now it's, like, an existential crisis getting to the gym – I like to get it over with in the morning, so then I can feel good about it the rest of the day. When I work out, I tend to eat better, sleep better, and feel generally less shitty about life. I shoot for five times a week, an hour a pop. But let's be honest…if I make it three, that's a good week.
After that, I whip up a quick breakfast. Lately I've been into protein smoothies. Ben and I just finished Dr. Junger's Clean Cleanse (highly recommend it), and we had some leftover smoothie packets that I've been using in the mornings. Any kind of protein powder will work, though. It keeps me full, plus it's nice to get a big serving of greens and fruit first thing. This one is protein powder + heaping Tablespoon of almond butter + 1 generous cup coconut almond milk (unsweetened) + 1 cup frozen berries + 1 huge handful of spinach.
Gwyneth would be proud.
Then it's magic time. And by that I mean I sit at my computer and try to ignore the internet as I work towards my daily 2000 word goal. Some days it takes me three hours and it's a totally out-of-body, super-fun, this-is-amazing experience. Those days are what make this job worth it; those days I don't need a fifth of Macallan to break on through to the other side. (Just kidding, I had this Scotch out because I was writing a scene where Scotch is spilled all over the place and I needed to smell it…and maybe sample it, too.)
Scotchy Scotchy Scotch.
Most days, though, it's like swimming upstream against the current, dodging sharks and water snakes as my lungs fill with water. Not to be too dramatic or anything. But really, it's HARD. It's work that requires 100% focus. I need a quiet room and a big chunk of time to hash it out with my characters, my plot, and my themes. I'm a pantser – meaning I don't outline, I just weave together the story as I go. Lately it's taken me all day – eight hours, at least – to hit that 2000 word mark. I'm a slow writer, and I tend to edit as I go. Which makes the first draft pure torture, but usually means I have a pretty clean manuscript to work with once edits and revisions happen.
If all goes well, I'll usually have at least 1000 words down before lunch. I'll take a break, surf the internet. If I'm feeling especially productive, I'll get some stuff done around the house. Fold laundry, grab some recipes for dinner, empty the dishwasher. My apple did not fall far from my mother's very clean tree, and I try to keep the house as organized as possible during the week. Which is to say, not very organized at all, but still I give it the old college try.
After lunch, it's back to the grindstone. Afternoons are my LEAST favorite part of the day. That stretch between 2 and 4 is just brutal. I felt that way when I worked at the bank, too. I wish I could throw back to my study abroad days in Madrid and take a siesta.
And once I limp to the 2000 word finish line, I'm usually toast. I try to devote some time at the end of each day to publicity and marketing stuff, depending on how much energy I have. Yesterday, I only had energy to Instagram a picture of THE HOPE DIAMOND TRILOGY, together for the first time (!!!), along with my super cute pup, Martha Bean.
Martha Bean loves romantical books, just like her mom!
Once I wrap up emails, marketing stuff, blog stuff, and social media stuff, I commute from the office to the kitchen and start dinner. I try to wait for Ben to get home before opening a bottle of wine, but I'm only human. Lately we've been into this rosé – delicious! Since today is meatless Monday, I'll post a pic of my fave vegetarian meal – Giada's Quinoa Pilaf (I add basil instead of mint, along with a handful of freshly grated parm). It's DELICIOUS and makes for super healthy leftovers. Usually I'll try to roast up some broccoli or cauliflower to go with it.
Quinoa for the win
Ben and I will usually end the day watching an episode or two of our favorite shows – right now we're really into Game of Thrones (Jon Snow OMG) and The Americans. After that, it's early to bed.
THE END.
Hope everyone has a great week! We're super pumped that this weekend is Memorial Day. Anyone have big plans? We're probably just sticking around here, hanging with the dog and doing some spring cleaning.