My Writing Day
This sometimes varies, depending on what part of the novel I'm working on at the time. If it's the first draft, that's the most intense part for me, and my head will be full of ideas and mental notes from the night before, so I like to get an early start. I usually rise about 7 am and try to be at my computer by 8. I will work through to about 2pm before walking away for a half hour lunch break. Depending on how the draft is going, I might be back for a long afternoon session or take the time to go over the morning's work and plan for the next day. I might also go for a walk to clear my head and think about the next chapter.
When the first draft is complete, many weeks later, I'm more relaxed and not as disciplined with my strict routine. But I will still average a working day of five to six hours, unwinding in the evenings in front of the television, or reading.
I try to average around 2,000 to 3,000 words a day. Sometimes I'll struggle to write 1,000, though have managed 6,000 on an exceptionally good day. With my secretarial background, I've become fast on the keyboard. I passed a typing test at 120 words a minute some years ago, which is about as fast as my thoughts come.
There is no specific place I find my ideas. Mostly, they seem to find me, especially when I'm quiet, or mulling over the next chapter, and not necessarily while sitting in front of the computer. I've had to stop while brushing my teeth on occasion to jot down notes. But, listening to music definitely stimulates the free flow of thoughts and images inside my head, and looking out the window into my forest-like backyard helps immensely. My daughters love to read and write too, and our conversations are helpful in that we are always trying to motivate each other.
I always work from a plan, starting with thorough character profiles on each main, and slightly briefer profiles on the minor characters. I research using the Internet mostly, but make sure to use reputable sites for factual information. I then work on chapter breakdowns. These can be short or long, depending on how much imagery has come to mind by this stage and usually includes some dialogue. The whole planning process can take anything from two to eight weeks.
It's about this time I take the plunge and start the first draft, and I'll keep writing until it's finished. This is the time I kick my self-discipline routine into gear. I usually re-read the work from the previous day first thing the next morning, cleaning it up a bit but not spending too long on it. There's plenty of time for that during the polishing stage.
No one reads my first draft, which gives me the freedom to write whatever feels right. My word counts always end up exceeding the limit by several thousand. I generally have a lot of work to do culling back. I might end up deleting a hundred or more pages, but at least by then I have a thorough understanding of my characters and where the story should actually begin. That can be a difficult decision for a writer and should probably have a heading all of its own, The Beginning First Chapter. Hopefully, I'll write that when I have more time.
After finishing the first draft I will read it through without editing (much) to get a feel of the pace, tone and flow of the story. I will also jot down a list of areas needing further research. The small details are important to get right. Then I'll return to the draft and rework it over and over until I'm ready to pass it on to my first readers, which are generally my daughters Amanda and Danielle and Amanda's husband Chris. Their feedback is invaluable. I know I can trust they will tell me the truth and not just what I want to hear.
For me, the entire writing process of a novel I try to keep under a hundred thousand words takes approximately 12 months. But how I write may not necessarily work for you. Experimenting is the best advice I can give. Good luck. And now, stop reading this and start writing!