What is your daily writing routine like? (With Sara Ella!)

Sara Ella is with us this week! (Hooray!) She is the author of the amazing Unblemished Trilogy. If you haven't read it yet, you must! She created this fabulous multi-universe kind of storyworld that takes place in Manhattan, and the maps, you guys. The maps are amazing. So much to love in this series. But more on that on Wednesday. For now, let me introduce you to Sara:

Not so long ago, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince (just call her Mrs. Charming) and live in a castle (aka The Plaza Hotel). Though her fairy tale didn’t quite turn out as planned, she did work for Disney—that was an enchanted moment of its own. Now she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses and conquering realms of her own imaginings. She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away” for those who put their faith in the King of kings. Visit Sara Ella at www.saraella.com.

We are so pleased to have Sara with us. Here is today's panel question:

What is your daily writing routine like?

Sara: Do writers have a daily routine? I feel like I'm going to be a bad influence by answering this, but basically my routine is to write when I can. Maybe that's at 5 in the morning before everyone wakes up, or maybe it's at 2 in the afternoon after grocery shopping. I find I am generally most productive in the afternoon hours. By the time dinner rolls around I'm pretty wiped, but there are days my writing hours fall between 8 p.m. and midnight.

Honestly, I think it's not so much about when I write, but more that I write. If I can make myself write something every day, then I'm more productive and consistent. If I skip a day, I find myself making excuses. I'm too tired. I'll write tomorrow. Soon one missed day turns into an entire week. I have to write every day or I end up becoming overwhelmed. As long as I have my iced coffee, a yummy scented candle, an inspiring playlist, and my laptop, I'm good to go. I find I get more done if I leave the house and go to a coffee shop, only because my house can get distracting. Who wants to write when there's a pile of laundry on the floor?

Stephanie: First, coffee and getting the kids settled. Whether that’s getting McKenna and Connor off to school and Eli with grandparents, or getting Eli down for a nap and the older two set up to play Minecraft.

Next, I tend to spend 15-30 minutes going through email and responding to social media. I know lots of writers don’t like to look at that stuff before writing, but somehow that helps me settle in.

Then I work on whatever my primary project is, whether it’s drafting or editing or promoting. I do that for half my work time, and then the second half of my work time is for blogging, email correspondence, and marketing.

Shan: During the school year, I’m usually very structured because my kids are occupied for six hours of the day. Monday is house cleaning day. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are writing days. And Fridays are reserved for teaching my mentoring classes. Sometimes I write on Saturdays and most of my writing sessions last anywhere from three to six hours long. Unless I’m on a deadline, I don’t usually write for longer than that. During the summer, all bets are off and I write when I can. I am going to try to capitalize on my kids’ maturity this year and demand a four hour chunk of quiet every morning. Fingers crossed, yes?

Jill:  I used to write Monday through Friday from the moment everyone left for school/work until lunchtime. It was a beautiful thing, and I was very productive. But this year my husband's hours changed, and he's now off on Tuesday and Wednesday, which made it SO HARD to get any work done on those days. And now that it's summer too, I'm really struggling. I'm finding that things demand my time, like emails or scheduling blog posts or book releases, edits, etc, and I do all that first, and then the next thing I know, the day is over and I didn't get to write at all. Since I don't have any contracts at the moment, I'm able to let my writing time slide, but I shouldn't. I should strive to get even one hour a day, if I can. It's just been really difficult lately. I'm thinking about writing some on my phone each morning before I get out of bed. Every little bit helps, right? lol

Ideally, when school starts again in the fall, I will do my writing first thing. I'll try to write or edit one chapter, depending on whether I'm drafting or editing. And if I can get on a roll and write more, I will. If not, I'll move on to record an audio book chapter or a YouTube video, or I'll edit an audio book chapter or a YouTube video. Or I'll work on marketing or answering emails. It's a lot to juggle, but it's the nature of the job. And my life! 

What about you, writers? 

What is your daily writing routine like?