Every piece of my day has the potential to be a great story!
It’s about time I give you a peek at my writing process!
My girlfriends often ask, “How do you manage to find the time to write and have a vibrant family and social life?”
They ask me because they know I have a non-stop lifestyle. The first thought that goes through my mind is “I don’t know.”
But what I do know is this: Everything I do can be turned into a story.
Therefore, “A day in the life of a writer” is an explainer to you my dear readers. My writing process is a blend of everything I do, hear, and see, that I can turn into a story. The fact is, my Life is my writing process.
Darling, you are a busy bee, too! I know you would answer your girlfriends’ question of how you fit something into your life the same way I initially do: “I don’t know.”
Writing takes me an inordinate amount of time and with the razzle dazzle of my lifestyle, it takes a lot of self-discipline.
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My Writing Process
My day, like yours, is filled with conversations, images, thoughts, reactions, and impressions. The difference between what you do and I do: I record my thoughts.
I carry a notepad to jot down my impressions; then I am able to develop themes from my notes. While I am razzling and dazzling, darlings, I am all ears and eyes for my next story. I am a female Detective Clouseau.
The Tools Matter
In my writing process, I savor having great tools. Especially a perfectly sized notepad to collect my stories as they unfold. One of my favorite notepads has a hand painted French scene of the Eiffel Tower and a French woman carrying a bouquet of lovely flowers. To add a touch of glam the pad has tiny rhinestones scattered here, there and everywhere. The notepad, a gift from my daughter Jenny, could become a story.
You see, darlings, a writer is keenly aware that almost everything that happens during the course of her day could find its place on a blank sheet of paper. While I am out ‘razzling and dazzling,’ my mind is churning with emotions and thoughts that I record in my little notebook. Having a notepad that I love helps me feel excited to use it!
I Skip Multi-Tasking in My Writing Process
I always work on one story at a time until it is finished. This is part of my discipline. If I worked on more than one story at a time I would be nervous; my goal is to be joyful, contemplative and calm.
Where do I write? Everywhere! I can’t afford to wait for ideal conditions because of my lifestyle. If I waited to find ideal conditions, I would miss putting as many words as I do down on paper. And so, I write in every room of our home, in airports, in hotels, in bed, on airplanes, in taxi cabs, and all over the world.
But I must, and I do, have a routine. I wake around 4 a.m. Why? Because I have a thousand thoughts in my head. I ponder, and I write for three hours. Each night, after the lights go off, I reply to all the comments you leave on Instagram, Facebook, and my website. It is peaceful, and connecting with other women is my favorite part of my profession.
What do I need when I write, aside from my computer? My Roger’s Thesaurus, my dictionary, a clear head, mental discipline, and a great desire to actually write!
The Hardest Part of My Writing Process
Writing consistent content is difficult because you have to develop different themes. It is hard, darlings. The hardest part for me is the theme, not the story. That is why I record everything in my little notebook. A scene, several emotions, the interactions between people, the visuals, etc.
How a Story is Conceived
Let me rewind to a past morning that made for a great writing day. On the day I’ll share with you, I experienced a range of emotions. I felt sad, overwhelmed, fierce, enlightened, and surprised. Simultaneously, I felt boundless love and experienced melancholy sadness. Above all, I felt grateful. All my emotions were due to conversations and observations. Darlings, where there is a lot of emotion, there are endless opportunities for great writing!
My day started at 4 a.m. I wrote for three hours. Afterwards, I felt fierce and accomplished. Next up, I had breakfast with my ultimate concierge and then a conference call with my staff. I then raced joyfully to meet a dear friend for lunch.
On the way, a Monk stopped me to talk! After our conversation I felt enlightened, powerful, and grateful. He gifted me with a few bracelets; I decided to give one to my girlfriend for good luck and the other to my husband. I couldn’t wait to tell my girlfriend of the unexpected and extraordinary happening…or I wondered as I hurried on, “is any happening unexpected?” Maybe a story?
The Story Continues
After a wonderful lunch and shared personal conversation with my girlfriend, I phoned my ultimate concierge. “Where are you?” He told me he was in the park with our pooch, his cigar, his book, and two women! I felt happy. I told him I was headed his way after I stopped at Claire’s to have my ear pierced, again. That in itself was a real experience. Another story?
As I approached the park, across the street from my home, and I saw my husband with our pooch and felt boundless love. I took a visual snapshot of the scene to store in my head forever. A definite story. Looking at “man’s best friend” tail wagging a mile a minute when I approached brought tears to my eyes. The women had stopped to talk to my husband about dogs. We were all dog lovers and friends and I was grateful for the conversation. Another story?
The day preceded into an evening; a new restaurant, Steak 48 with close friends with more conversation and observation. More stories stored in my mind to be jotted down in my charming French designed notepad.
You Can Have This Writing Process, Too!
That is only one day in the life of this writer. There are over 300 days in a year to fill blank pages with words. I challenge you to adopt my writing process. Find yourself a lovely little notepad, planner, or journal to keep in your purse and start to pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Feel wonder at the life and the stories unfolding around you.
Darlings, I love what I do and feel fierce about my profession; I feel powerful with my ability to share thoughts, and I am eternally grateful to have YOU in my community.
Have you ever tried to write down and share your stories? Tell me a tale in the comments!
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