Here’s another dictated blog post.
I love taking walks and dictating because it’s healthier (not sitting all the time) and more fun (fresh air, sunshine).
Not to mention, much faster.
As I mentioned in the last post, my days are consumed with writing my novel. I’m at over 30,000 words now and loving every minute of it. Today I walked for 32 minutes and dictated about 2600 words. I came in from the walk and used Dragon Software to transcribe it.
Then, I edited it, because y’all know I’m writing a steamy romance novel and the transcribing software thinks I’m saying “clock” when I really mean, uh, a part of the male anatomy that rhymes with clock. What can I say? Romance novelist problems.
Morning Routine
I start every morning the same way. I’ve designed my routing to get my mind ready to kick ass with my writing.
Mirror Magic
First, I wake up and go into the bathroom to do bathroom stuff and mirror magic self talk. So, basically, I start my day loving myself in the mirror.
Coffee Self-Talk
Then, I pad to the kitchen and get my coffee. After filling my new fancy “writer’s cup” (more on that in the next blog post), I settle down for 10 to 20 minutes with my Coffee Self-Talk. This is essentially the very reason I’m able to write a novel right now. My self-talk pumps me up and puts my mindset in a great place, making me feel unstoppable.
Meditation
Then, I smoothly transition from my Coffee Self-Talk to meditating with my favorite meditation teacher, Dr. Joe. It’s less than 30 minutes, and I get to go on a magic carpet ride in my mind.
Next up? Movement!
Next, I move my ass. I do 5 to 10 minutes of heart-pumping exercise. This can be some jumping jacks, 20 full squats, maybe a few jump squats which, suck and I love them, and then some walking lunges. Throw in a couple 75-second planks and finally finishing with my favorite exercise band for some biceps, triceps, and shoulder work. Done.
I like doing this before writing because exercise makes me feel strong, in both my mind and body.
Writing
Then I dive into my writer’s life and write.
This is simply a mix of reading and writing all day long. I’ll write for a couple of hours. This can be a combination of editing stuff I wrote yesterday, developing my characters, or writing new content.
I make sure to read a lot, too. As a newbie novelist, I’m still reading articles and books on “how to” write. I also make sure to read plenty of other romance novels to learn the flow, styles, and other conventions of the genre.
Miscellaneous Stuff
My day gets broken up a little when I make food for my family or I take a walk or bike ride. If I take the walk alone, I’ll often listen to an audible book or I dictate a blog post like this one you’re reading now.
I also homeschool Kamea, but she’s now at an age where I can manage it for the most part instead of directly teaching her. There are some exceptions, like math, which still requires a lot of hands-on work from me.
After dinner, I typically read. By then, my writing muse is winding down. I take the opportunity to enjoy passive inspiration, whether it’s reading fiction or watching a show with my husband.
And of course we like to meditate at night, too.
Then, it’s sleepy time. I wake up the next day jazzed to jump back into my book. Rinse and repeat.