What an interesting meme Amanda has begun, what with detailing a day in the writing life. Here’s mine.
I’m very tired this week since I have been staying up to 11:00 PM…
4:15 am: Alarm goes off. Oh, Lord. No way. I disturb the cat to re-set the alarm to 5:25 am and skip the gym. I am going to hell. This also means I lose 45 minutes of writing time since I would otherwise have taken the WIP with me to the gym…
5:25 am: I’m up. Shower. Dress, grab lunch for work, make the bed and head out.
5:50 ish: Drive to work. It’s possible I’ve turned off the radio to think about plotting issues with the WIP, but since I am in revisions with murderous deadline, my writing worries are not amenable to mentally drafting scenes as I drive through the wine country. Instead I listen to bad news on the radio and get depressed.
6:25 am to 1:00 pm Day job. Breakfast, lunch (at desk) snack. Database stuff.
1:00 pm: Lunch Hour: Sit in car with MacFang and revise.
2:00 pm: back to day job.
3:15 pm-ish: drive home. I turn off the radio and think about the WIP instead of revisions. Bad me.
3:55 pm: Arrive home. Determine that progeny has made it home safely and ask whether he has homework. May or may not need to speak sternly about NOT waiting until the last minute to write a paper or study for a test. Depending on the day of the week, I may be taking progeny to tennis lessons or his math tutor. If I think about this I get annoyed that I take my son to a “tutor” because the school is fine with him sitting in geometry doing NOTHING because he did geometry on his own ages ago. Instead, apparently, he does his homework or helps the other students. I pay to get him into Math that doesn’t bore him silly. Sigh. If it’s math day I sit in the car and revise. If it’s a tennis day I sit in the car and revise. If it’s Tuesday or Friday, I sit in my room and revise. If it’s Monday, I probably have to go grocery shopping THEN sit in car and revise. Return home with Son.
5:00 – 6:00 ish: cook dinner (unless it’s late tennis day, in which case, son got a burrito on the way home. Feed progeny. Also feed the dogs. Progeny and I talk about the funnies, politics or school, or his friends etc. Or else I suffer through eye-rolling from him because I am such a lame parent to even ask about his life. Every now and then it’s apparent that he is more politically aware than the eye-rolling would suggest.
6:00 pm-10:00 or 11:00: Possibly making sure son is getting his homework done or helping him study French. Doing laundry. Also making sure elderly parents are well, make note of household supplies in need of replenishment. Petting the cat, the dog etc. Checking email etc. In between revising. If I get done early enough, I might read a bit before I fall asleep. I might read anyway just to wind down from the revisons.
There are no Kit-kats in my day because if there were I would eat the whole bag the same day.
There you have it.
Your day makes me TIRED, Carolyn!! Mine is fairly similar without the kid stuff. I do have dog and cat stuff from time to time which involves wrestling them into a carrier and / or the car and then listening to them whine and / or drool all over the car as most of their car trips involve the V-e-t. (Yes, that word must be spelled at my house.”
Going to take a nap now. Your day wore me out!
Kids will keep you on the run, no doubt about it!
What’s a day without Kit Kats???
I used to write in the car at lunch when I had the day job, too. I may have to go work in the car in the garage here if this book doesn’t do what I want it to do! 🙂
I’m EXHAUSTED!!
Of course, I used to do that, too. Actually, I was less busy when I worked full-time and went to social work school (which you might remember from your grad school days)than when I worked full time and started writing.
Amanda: Well you might ask. For me, a day without Kit Kats is a day without 8000 calories. 😉
Diana: oh heavens yes. It’s not easy to juggle things. But so many writers must.
Frighteningly reminiscent of the days when I was still doing theatre. I look back on those years and wonder how the hell I managed to stay sane. Hmm, maybe I didn’t.
Carolyn, I don’t know whether to feel guilty for the times I’ve lured you away from your schedule for food, ice cream, or sipping chocolate, or to pat myself on the back for making sure you took those breaks!
Inspirational! Even the part about the Kit Kats, I don’t buy chocolate either cuz I don’t have an off button.
What a schedule.
Teen children can make you feel so incompetent and like a 5th wheel. They will outgrow it, eventually. Mine are in their mid 30’s and late 20’s and I’m still waiting.
How do you manage getting up about 4AM! I get up at six and still feel tired. I am in awe…