Writing a Novel - The Typical Day
So, what's being a writer (amateur) like? I have one BIG advantage, I have to do very little research compared to lots of writers, some of whom spend 40%+ of their time researching or worldbuilding. Because I've spent decades immersing myself in my period, if I don't know something I pretty much always know where to find it, and have the books, documents, maps, photos, etc, to consult. That helps a LOT.
No, I don't use Google or ChatGPT/Gemini/Perplexity much for research, they're littered with inaccuracies - or stuff they just make up. I try them out from time to time to see if they've got any better, but outside of the core facts, they're usually pretty poorly informed, and if you ask them the same question twice you often get different answers.
So, if I'm not researching, what is my usual day?
I wake up around 04.00-04.30 each morning (really). It's nice and quiet, and I get about four hours of writing and/or editing done.
If it's a weekday it's then the day job - because unlike crime, writing does not pay! I usually work 9-6, with an hour for lunch. Luckily I work a lot from home.
At lunchtime I try to prep posts for Facebook, Goodreads, etc.
I usually work out after work, have dinner, and spend the evening with my wife.
If she's reading etc, then I might well do a little marketing work, or jot down ideas for the next day.
On the weekend I may get a little more time to work on writing or on marketing the books.
The marketing takes a LOT of time and effort: checking Amazon ads stats, adjusting spend, keywords, reach. Managing posts on Facebook, Goodreads and ideally Twitter/X... I really haven't got the hang of Twitter - what's it really for anyway? Then there's responding to people who message me, which I try to do with everyone - this is a challenge when at least half of them are marketeers pretending to be fans, trying to sell you something...
Finally, the weekend is when I usually get some reading done, because there are always more books out there.
Habits
1. I carry a notebook at all times (not in the shower - most of the time), and into that goes any idea I think of that I think might make a good moment in a book, any thought sparked by a piece or music, scene in a movie, something someone says. I describe interesting people I meet or see, who I think might make a great model for a character in a story.
2. I have a Dictaphone app on my phone which gets used when I'm travelling. I can be driving, tell it record, and get my idea down before I lose it - invaluable.
3. I always have audiobooks on the go, so that if I have a few moments, in the car, on a train, waiting in a queue, I can slip in an earbud and listen to either history or mystery, I love them both.
That's it really, the typical days. Obviously there are the library visits, going to relevant sites, trips to Berlin, or elsewhere, but they're not a normal day.
I hope that's of interest.
It's not glamorous, it's hard and repetitive. If you take the writing as work, I'm working 13-16 hour days, with usually 6-8 hours on weekends, but it doesn't feel like work because I love it.
No, I don't use Google or ChatGPT/Gemini/Perplexity much for research, they're littered with inaccuracies - or stuff they just make up. I try them out from time to time to see if they've got any better, but outside of the core facts, they're usually pretty poorly informed, and if you ask them the same question twice you often get different answers.
So, if I'm not researching, what is my usual day?
I wake up around 04.00-04.30 each morning (really). It's nice and quiet, and I get about four hours of writing and/or editing done.
If it's a weekday it's then the day job - because unlike crime, writing does not pay! I usually work 9-6, with an hour for lunch. Luckily I work a lot from home.
At lunchtime I try to prep posts for Facebook, Goodreads, etc.
I usually work out after work, have dinner, and spend the evening with my wife.
If she's reading etc, then I might well do a little marketing work, or jot down ideas for the next day.
On the weekend I may get a little more time to work on writing or on marketing the books.
The marketing takes a LOT of time and effort: checking Amazon ads stats, adjusting spend, keywords, reach. Managing posts on Facebook, Goodreads and ideally Twitter/X... I really haven't got the hang of Twitter - what's it really for anyway? Then there's responding to people who message me, which I try to do with everyone - this is a challenge when at least half of them are marketeers pretending to be fans, trying to sell you something...
Finally, the weekend is when I usually get some reading done, because there are always more books out there.
Habits
1. I carry a notebook at all times (not in the shower - most of the time), and into that goes any idea I think of that I think might make a good moment in a book, any thought sparked by a piece or music, scene in a movie, something someone says. I describe interesting people I meet or see, who I think might make a great model for a character in a story.
2. I have a Dictaphone app on my phone which gets used when I'm travelling. I can be driving, tell it record, and get my idea down before I lose it - invaluable.
3. I always have audiobooks on the go, so that if I have a few moments, in the car, on a train, waiting in a queue, I can slip in an earbud and listen to either history or mystery, I love them both.
That's it really, the typical days. Obviously there are the library visits, going to relevant sites, trips to Berlin, or elsewhere, but they're not a normal day.
I hope that's of interest.
It's not glamorous, it's hard and repetitive. If you take the writing as work, I'm working 13-16 hour days, with usually 6-8 hours on weekends, but it doesn't feel like work because I love it.
No comments have been added yet.
