Friends, family and even strangers often ask me what is your day like? What does a day in the life of an author look like? It is nothing like you imagine. Most authors do not sit tirelessly at their computers writing. Writing is only one part of an author’s job. There are so many other things we must do in addition to writing.
How my day starts
I start every day with a page in my notebook. Writing first thing in the morning helps clear my mind. Sometimes I will use writing prompts and other times I write whatever comes to mind. My goal is to fill one page in my notebook each morning. This is a writing habit I have had for the past 10 years. I am not an early-morning writer when it comes to writing picture books, but keeping a notebook has helped me improve my writing.
Once I’ve showered and had a late breakfast I get to my writing. It looks different each day, but when I want to really concentrate I will go to my office, close the door and write. I try not to procrastinate, but I am a work in progress. My goal is to write for two hours or longer. Some authors measure by words written, and other by pages written. I prefer to set a writing time.
Afternoon writing
My lunch break can include: reading a book, taking a walk, or watching a show. After lunch is usually playtime with my granddaughter. She is curious about everything and there are endless questions. While she is not my target audience for writing yet, I sometimes get story ideas from our playdates. I treasure our time together.
When she is not visiting, I try to get some of my other writing related tasks completed. What are those other writing related tasks, you ask? Social media, email, editing, sending manuscripts and critiquing for my writing partners are considered writing related tasks.
Evening writing
During the early evening, I try to fit in another block of writing. I belong to several online writing groups. One group meets from 6-8pm and the other from 7-9pm. I definitely am more productive in the evening. I credit these writing groups for motivating and keeping me focused on my writing.
Each writer knows their best time to write and their day in the life will be different. Think about your own schedule, are you a morning writer? Maybe afternoons are better or late evenings? Once you figure out what works best for you the writing is a little easier.
Other writing related tasks
Brainstorming
There are a number of things that an author does before writing the first draft of a picture book. For me, it is diving into my idea notebook. This is where I keep all of my notes on a particular story. It where my story begins to take shape. Other authors might begin with brainstorming or outlining their story.
Researching
As a picture book writer, a chunk of my not-actively-writing time involves research—and even as I’m writing there is often a need to research something that I am using in a story.
Research is a big part of writing. I begin my research by visiting the library or search Amazon to see what children’s books have been written on the topic. As an author you do not want to write something that has already been written. There are times that I am sure I have a unique idea, only to find there are several books on that same idea.
Researching other picture books is also part of the query process. Agents and publishers want you to mention at least two comparable books to the manuscript you are submitting to them. You need to be able to state in your query letter why these books are similar to your manuscript and how you manuscript is unique. This takes time both researching and writing.
Editing
The completion of the first draft doesn’t mean the work is over. For many writers, editing takes longer than writing the first draft. I am one of those writers. I can have 8-10 versions of one story.
Editing tends to be more painstaking and time-consuming. Your focus becomes trying to polish things up, identifying and fixing your story’s weaker parts, and cutting your word count. I can easily write a picture book story that is 600 words, but many agents are looking for a word count of 500. So, again, it’s not actively writing something new, but editing it’s a key step in the journey.
Marketing and networking
It’s a common assumption that writers in the traditional publishing sphere don’t have to worry as much about marketing their book, as their publisher will be handling all of that for them.
That is seldom the case. Publishing is a business, so naturally the return on investment must be considered. It’s easy to assume that an up-and-coming debut author will not generate the same sales as an author who’s already proven successful. But even if your publisher is contributing to the marketing of your book or you’re able to hire a publicist, you should still expect to do your part. As a self published author, if you want your books to sell, you must do all of the marketing.
Marketing is primarily online. An author might run ads or post about their book on social media, write guest blog posts, or send out periodic newsletters to keep your readers up to date on their projects. All authors should be prepared to take an active role in marketing their books no matter if they’re taking the traditional publishing route or are self-publishing. I thought marketing was going to be difficult, but I actually find marketing fun.
Making connections within the writing community is one of the things I enjoy most. By connecting with others in the writing community you’re opening yourself up to friendships and writers you can learn from. Most picture book authors are friendly and generous. They are some of my biggest supporters.
Additionally, networking may lead to other doors opening. You may learn of contests, awards, author events and even find agents you may want to query, or reviewers who could be a good fit for an ARC someday.
Simply living life
No matter how passionate we might be about writing, it’s something that tends to be pushed onto the back burner in favor of everyday responsibilities like day jobs and family obligations.
It’s okay to take those breaks. Go for a walk. Watch a movie. Hit the gym. Meet up with friends for coffee. Travel, even if it’s only a weekend staycation visiting local tourist attractions. Make a splash. Take a chance on something new.
Thoughts …
Writing is what writers are known for, but there’s often a lot happening behind the scenes that their readers may not see. Those tasks may not always be as exciting as writing a new story, but nonetheless, part of the author’s reality.
The thing is, writing a novel, a script, a picture book, or any other piece requires so much more than simply putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and letting the words find their way to the page. And as the social media landscape continues to expand, so does the list of tasks a writer must take on.
With gratitude …
I am glad you’re here. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am grateful that I can share my writing journey with you. It is an endless journey of learning and growing. A journey that I am enjoying.
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