A Typical Day For A Writer

Naughty Words's picture

It's a good idea for a writer to establish a routine for writing. I've read advice stating to try to write at the same time every day and aim for a certain number of words. I like to work in the mornings and I aim for 1,000 words minimum when working on a story.

All that goes out the window when the cats get involved. Here is a snapshot of a typical day for me when it comes to writing. I have three cats. Meriwether is the six-month old kitten. I call him "Meri" for short. Also "Merricat", after Mary Catherine Blackwood in Shirley Jackson's novel "We Have Always Lived In The Castle". Then there are Breena and Mister, my two blind rescues. They're tolerant of the kitten, but I sometimes have to break up fights. They start off their day around 6 am when my son feeds them before going to work.

What follows is a typical writing day for me.

Get up at 8 am when Meriwether runs into the bedroom and jumps on me because it's playtime!

Head to the bathroom, followed by Meri who grabs the bottoms of my pajamas and nearly pulls them down.

Leave the bathroom

8;05 to 8:20 – Play with Meri in the living room with his favorite dead rat on a string toy until he passes out. It doesn't last long.

8:20 – 8:30 – Make coffee. Meri jumps on the counter and wants to play with the coffee grounds. He has found his second wind.

8:30 – Begin writing. Enjoy my coffee.

8:35 – Pick the cat off the laptop and toss him on the floor.

8:36 – Change the name of a file from "ban5gb3" (catlike typing detected) to its original name.

8:36 – 9:45 – Write. The kitten is off getting into trouble elsewhere.

9:45 – 9:50 – Write while the cat chews on my slippers. While my feet are in them.

9:50 – Pick up the cat and put him in front of the dry food bowl.

9:51 – 10:15 – Write

10:15 – 10:17 – Break up a fight between Meri and Mister, one of our blind cats.

10:17 – 10:20 – Break up a fight between Meri and Breena, our other blind cat.

10:20 – 11:00 – Write

11:00 – 11:12 – Meri keeps dipping his paws into my coffee. Clean him up, then pick him up and put him on the floor in front of his favorite claw toy.

11:13 – 11:35 – Write while wearing headphones so I may listen to music while Meri makes lots of noise tearing up his toy and meowing at the top of his lungs.

11:35 – 11:40 – Watch while Meri runs around the house like the spaz cat he is. He hovers at the living room window watching birds in the feeders. Once he calms down, back to writing.

11:40 – noon – Write

Noon – 12:15 – Fix up lunch for the kitties. When they are eating, this is the quietest moment of the day.

12:15 – 12:20 – Move Meri away from Breena's food. Meri is a very fast eater. Breena is very slow. Meri always tries to scarf down Breena's food after he finishes eating. Mister is no problem since he eats faster than Meri. Meri doesn't get any of his food.

12:20 – 12:45 – Lunch is over. Write.

12:45 – 12:50 – The cats, with full tummies, find their respective napping spots and pass out.

12:50 – 2 pm – Write

2:00 pm – Finish writing for the day. Now Meri is awake and wants to sit in my lap. I turn on the TV and watch a movie while giving the kitty a deep tissue massage until he drools. He flops on me like a rag doll. He's my muse and he keeps me company while I'm writing even if he changes the names of my computer files and is in general a pain in the ass. But he's my kitten and he can do no wrong.

I highly recommend attempting to write with pets in the house. Incorporate your pets into your stories! Meri hasn't made it into a story yet because I haven't had him long enough. I've incorporated previous pets into fiction. It's a great way to memorialize my feline friends.

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Elizabeth Black writes in a wide variety of genres including erotica, erotic romance, horror, and dark fiction. She lives on the Massachusetts coast with her husband, son, and her two cats.

Web site: http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com
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