A Day in the Life of an Author

Have you ever wondered what authors actually do all day?

I think some people imagine us sitting at beautiful antique desks, effortlessly writing chapter after chapter while inspiration magically appears on cue. I hate to disappoint you, but most days aren’t quite that glamorous. My writing day usually starts with coffee… and sometimes it starts with a second cup of coffee.

Before I ever write a word, I’m often thinking about a story. That’s the funny thing about being an author. The writing may happen at my desk, but the storytelling is happening all day long.

I might be folding laundry, taking a walk, driving somewhere, or trying to fall asleep when a character suddenly decides to tell me what happens next.

On any given day, you might find me researching some tiny historical detail that may only end up being mentioned in a single paragraph. I can lose an embarrassing amount of time going down a research rabbit hole. One minute I’m looking up wagon travel, and the next thing I know I’ve spent thirty minutes reading about frontier cooking or nineteenth-century mail delivery.

I tell myself it’s work, and sometimes it actually is.

When I finally sit down to write, I’m usually spending time with women who are trying to figure things out. They aren’t perfect and they don’t always know what to do next. But they keep going anyway.

By the end of the day, I may have written a chapter, solved a plot problem, researched a dozen historical details, or simply spent time getting to know my characters better. And more often than not, I’m already thinking about tomorrow’s story. That’s one of the best parts of being a writer. The workday eventually ends, but the stories never really do.

Right now, a lot of my writing time is focused on The Sweetest Shelter, Book 3 in my Marrying a Sweet Sister series. I can’t wait to share this story with readers when it’s ready.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What have you always wondered about authors or the writing process? Leave a comment below and let me know. Maybe I’ll answer your question in a future blog post!