I start my day in the same way as, I would assume, any other person.  Personal hygiene, shower-shave, the usual stuff.  Ordinarily it wouldn’t be worth mentioning except that without it I manage to think about a lot of things.  It’s just that none of them equate to writing.  Being freshly showered seems to energize my mind and allow it to do other things besides wallowing around in a fog.  Coffee is on the menu between 7 and 11 in the morning.  I rarely stop for a lunch break, but occasionally snack here and there while I keep working.  From 11 on, I usually drink tonic water and ginger ale – my ginger tonic.

I have two dogs, so periodically during the day they need an outdoor break.  Then there are the two cats who definitely don’t want to feel ignored.  Pets have their own ways of letting you know when they need your immediate attention.  Not always in a good way!

If I’m writing dialogue, I often have conversations back and forth with my characters to determine what sounds awkward or unrealistic.  If I need to clear my head, once in a while I’ll watch an episode of a Sci-Fi show just to keep a fresh mind and then its back to writing again.

For me to get into the spirit of writing, the mood of the room is actually quite important in the scheme of things.  A good desk lamp tends to set the stage, casting an ambience that is conducive to seeing the story before I write it, or at least doesn’t take away from the ability to begin writing.

Music is the single most important ingredient to my writing, and it has to match the feel of the story.  I write more fantasy than anything, and I’ve found that epic instrumentals work every time.  I can almost see the characters being inspired right along with me.

 I try to write 8 hours a day, Monday-Friday, and rewrite the bits and pieces I don’t like in the evenings between 10:00 p.m. and midnight.  I don’t sleep as much as most people, and it just seems logical to do something constructive during a time when very little happens otherwise.

I’ve been asked many times about taking breaks and I advocate them, of course, but I rarely remember to take them.  Once I get caught up in the story, it tends to take on a life of its own.

Oh, and then there’s that full-time job that I work from home for thirty-two – sometimes more – hours per week.  I’m a pretty busy author these days.

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Thanks for reading!

Solitaire