Greetings! Today I am back with a post about my writing routine. This is my day to day writing routine, starting when I’m preparing to sit down to write and ending when I’ve reached my word count goal.
1. Make tea.
To begin the writing process, every author needs creative fuel. For me, that is tea–if I’m writing at night. My favorite is Celestial Seasonings’ Herbal “sleepytime” tea. XD But if I’m writing anytime before 4 p.m., I may choose decaf coffee.
For the writing session we are observing, I used my camera lens mug. It is very good at keeping drinks warm. Shout-out to my tea kettle Alice in the background. She’s a nice tea kettle.
2. Start listening to WIP playlist.
I sit down with my steaming mug of tea or coffee. A blank page stares back at me. Unless I stopped in the middle of a page last time. In that case a half-empty page would stare back at me.
But never fear. I click on the little Spotify icon on my taskbar and start listening to my Ready or Not playlist (click the link to listen). Each song has been hand picked for its relevance to the story I’m writing. As soon as the music reaches my ears, future scenes for my book flash through my mind, hitting me with a wave of inspiration.
Okay, maybe not that easily. The music brings me back to my story and gets me in the mood, but it’s not the only thing needed to prepare me to write the scenes that lie ahead.
3. Reread the last scene.
I will often forget exactly where I left off, so I always reread the last scene to remind myself of what already happened. This also gets my mind reeling with the possibilities of what I could write next.
4. Word-sprint.
The timer starts, and the writing race begins. A word-sprint is when two writers challenge each other to see who can write the most words in a determined amount of time. It can be very intense.
My brother (on the left) was challenged to a duel by me (on the right). Our fingers fly across the keyboard, our wordcounts rising by the second. Every now and then I take a sip of tea. But determination fuels me, and into my story I disappear.
5. Keep writing.
Even after the timer goes off (and I have been declared the winner), I keep writing. I have been successfully transported into Silverton, Colorado, and am watching Amara, Asher, and Rowan’s lives unfold. There’s no going back now. Silverton is a home of mine; my characters are my family. How could I not tell their story?
. . .
I hope you found this post inspiring! If you’re procrastinating writing right now… go write. It’s rude to keep your characters waiting. 😉
I actually am procrastinating while reading this post. 😂 Thanks for the encouragement! *Resolves to set phone aside and get writing*
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XD You’re welcome! Procrastination is difficult to tackle. I procrastinate a little too much. I’m glad this encouraged you!
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Great post! It’s fun to see your writing process– every author does their own thing. xD
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Thanks! They definitely do… some wake up at 5 a.m. to write, while others are churning out words at 2 a.m. Some write 24/7.
Okay not really but some of us wish we did. XD
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ugh not me I can’t sit still for more than 1 hour at a time! xD
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I like really love the last sentence of this: “my characters are my family. How could I not tell their story?”
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Thanks!
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I loved reading this! I enjoy watching those routine videos online, so I loved seeing one in writing format. Could I possibly do something like this on my blog?
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Thanks! And of course!
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Ooh it’s so fun to see your personal process, Mya! And you used some very lovely language throughout this post! ❤
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Thanks!! Aww, I am glad you thought so. 😄💕
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This is cool! Most of the time, I drink coffee while I write, but I do like tea too, especially if it’s later. 🙂
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Thanks! Coffee is good! I especially love caramel lattes.
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I love mochas 😃 We should get together and have coffee and writing sprints sometime! 😜
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I love mochas too. That sounds fun! 😅
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Hi, Mya!
I love tea and coffee. And coco. Like… I drink too much sugar thanks to those 3 things? 😛
Lovely post!
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I love all three of those. I agree… I have way too much sugar. 😆 Thank you!
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Great post, Mya!
I nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award here: https://swordmaidenoftheking.home.blog/2019/07/08/the-imaginary-assistant-tagthe-sunshine-blogger-award/. (I did just tag you for the Fictional Character Tag a little while back too, so feel free to skip this one if you want. 🙂 )
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Also, sorry for my really late comment. *facepalm*
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Thanks, Amelie! I’ll check it out. 🙂
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