My writing brain works very similarly to this. I'll go all-in on something for a week or two and it consumes every waking thought, then it switches to something else in the blink of an eye for a couple of weeks. But I have a day job and no children so my actual day-to-day looks pretty different!
This is such a small note, but thanks for your observation about your circadian rhythm changing depending on the season! I've been beating myself up for not being able to wake up as early as I do in the summer, and now this feels like a lightbulb moment - of course it will change.
As someone who holds the family as one of a writer's greatest blessings and inspirations, the honesty and dedication you show both to your daughter and husband speaks not only in your subsequent writing, but also to what someone can do when they truly put their hearts and minds to what it is that they've set their rights upon completing. Keep writing and tending to your family and the other will surely always be blessed as a result.
As someone who also relies on an obscene amount of coffee to feel *ready* for the tasks of the day, I thought I’d share my most recent discovery: the Aiden drip coffee maker by Fellow! They’ve redesigned the drip coffee maker to mimic (as much as possible) a pour over style coffee. Makes anywhere between 1-10 cups. It has been a life saver on those days the pour over routine is a bit out of reach time-wise or when my husband is also home & demands I share the coffee!
Ooh! Good to know! I have a Ratio, which I adore. (It even does a bloom cycle!) but it’s been broken and with them for repair for a while now 🥲 SOON SHE WILL RETURN TO ME
the coffee routine has inspired me to find a workable alternative because all these years of reading your newsletters has shown me how similarly my brain works to yours. i just know a mode-switching ritual would help me section out time and mental state for optimal flow. since I can't do coffee, tea, smoothies, or juices. I'm thinking a golden milk ritual ☕ thank you for sharing these details about your day and thought processes, it really helps feel less "broken" knowing someone's out there making this type of brain work. and finding not only success but happiness too.
Thank you so much for this insight into your *real* writing days. My kids are older now, but I so, so remember those days. Someday there will be writing in parked cars while offspring is at soccer/dance/gymnastics. Those sessions require timers too! I always feel inspired after hearing how you make things work for you.
It's funny how similar our processes are and how different. I don't have a kid and if I am up at 5 its because I haven't gone to bed yet XD But the rest? Very similar. I go where the creative river takes me (and as such I have like 40+ WIPs), I hyperfocus so hard I ignore everything (husband: what do you mean you haven't eaten yet??), and I cannot write out of order because what comes before could drastically change what comes later. Oh and I absolutely LOVE the revising phase. Nothing better than figuring out how to make the story the best it can be.
I was *just* thinking that I'm curious how other authors' days look, especially if they have kids, full time jobs, or both, so this had perfect timing. (Also love that riverbed analogy, because I totally work the same way.) Thanks for sharing!
I use the DeskCycle Ellipse Under Desk Elliptical! It's a bit pricier than some other options, but I've been really pleased with the quality. I think it's worth it!
Such a great post, Sooz. I can see much of my own thought process while reading it. I myself am about to take my little one, 2.5 yr-old boy, to his first Mother's Day Out class next week. I'm looking forward to the extra time to complete my own tasks (writing and music). At the same time, I'm kind of trepidatious about how I'll feel when he's out of the house for so many hours.
As far as coffee goes, I feel ya. I make mine via a Mixpresso machine most every day and love the aroma that comes out of the Nespresso pods (original) during each brewing session. It's become a ritual every time I make coffee—and one of my more sane activities during my day.
Over the last month I have come back to this post again and again because it really spoke to me. I feel like this is how my brain works when it comes to writing, and I've been resisting it for literally years because that's not how we "should" write a book. And, as we all know, Resistance is Futile. LOL! "Shoulding" myself is not working. I'm not getting anything finished trying to force myself to continue with one project to completion. In fact, the longer I try to force it, the harder it gets and the less I get written. To hear you give yourself permission to follow the flow was so liberating. Thank you so much for sharing!!
But I also have a question about this process. How do you set big goals for yourself in a "follow the river" process? Or do you? Do you set yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily goals for your writing? And, if so, what do those look like for you and how do they work with your fluid process?
Follow the river! And yes: I have contracts, so those take priority, certainly. But I also don't really set goals. Not like I used to.
I keep them big. My goal for 2025? Finish 1 book (it has 60k in it already). Then write at least one more from start to finish. And stretch goal? Write two books this year + finish the other.
That's it. That's really all I have.
I'm going to write a followup post at some point about how I track things now--because I lose sight of just how much I actually am accomplishing this way. But it's kind of mind-blowing how much I get done in a week! SO TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!
And ditch goals, if you need to. I discovered Becca Syme in the first place because goals were failing me, and I was feeling so defeated all the time. So now I keep it as loose as I can. (Maybe this is also worth a post, since I could keep talking about it!)
Oh, and for the record, I don't even specify WHAT books I want to finish. It's just the very vague "write 1-2 books this year." I'm trusting my muse to guide me to the ones that have the most "juice" in them.
Thanks for answering my question. It was very insightful and a great framework to think about for myself 😊
Thank you for giving us an insight into your day! And Ohmygosh! I love that snippet of The Winter Fool
I'm loving the teasers for Winter's Fool!
My writing brain works very similarly to this. I'll go all-in on something for a week or two and it consumes every waking thought, then it switches to something else in the blink of an eye for a couple of weeks. But I have a day job and no children so my actual day-to-day looks pretty different!
This is such a small note, but thanks for your observation about your circadian rhythm changing depending on the season! I've been beating myself up for not being able to wake up as early as I do in the summer, and now this feels like a lightbulb moment - of course it will change.
As someone who holds the family as one of a writer's greatest blessings and inspirations, the honesty and dedication you show both to your daughter and husband speaks not only in your subsequent writing, but also to what someone can do when they truly put their hearts and minds to what it is that they've set their rights upon completing. Keep writing and tending to your family and the other will surely always be blessed as a result.
As someone who also relies on an obscene amount of coffee to feel *ready* for the tasks of the day, I thought I’d share my most recent discovery: the Aiden drip coffee maker by Fellow! They’ve redesigned the drip coffee maker to mimic (as much as possible) a pour over style coffee. Makes anywhere between 1-10 cups. It has been a life saver on those days the pour over routine is a bit out of reach time-wise or when my husband is also home & demands I share the coffee!
Ooh! Good to know! I have a Ratio, which I adore. (It even does a bloom cycle!) but it’s been broken and with them for repair for a while now 🥲 SOON SHE WILL RETURN TO ME
Or if not, perhaps I shall try the Aiden!
Well Susan if you can write with kids around you win the Writers Who Can Write With Any Distraction Award : )
I love how you get into an intense workflow. Once I get to work, I get focused. Sometimes, it just takes a while to get to work.🫣
Okay, I can relate to that 😂
the coffee routine has inspired me to find a workable alternative because all these years of reading your newsletters has shown me how similarly my brain works to yours. i just know a mode-switching ritual would help me section out time and mental state for optimal flow. since I can't do coffee, tea, smoothies, or juices. I'm thinking a golden milk ritual ☕ thank you for sharing these details about your day and thought processes, it really helps feel less "broken" knowing someone's out there making this type of brain work. and finding not only success but happiness too.
Thank you so much for this insight into your *real* writing days. My kids are older now, but I so, so remember those days. Someday there will be writing in parked cars while offspring is at soccer/dance/gymnastics. Those sessions require timers too! I always feel inspired after hearing how you make things work for you.
It's funny how similar our processes are and how different. I don't have a kid and if I am up at 5 its because I haven't gone to bed yet XD But the rest? Very similar. I go where the creative river takes me (and as such I have like 40+ WIPs), I hyperfocus so hard I ignore everything (husband: what do you mean you haven't eaten yet??), and I cannot write out of order because what comes before could drastically change what comes later. Oh and I absolutely LOVE the revising phase. Nothing better than figuring out how to make the story the best it can be.
I was *just* thinking that I'm curious how other authors' days look, especially if they have kids, full time jobs, or both, so this had perfect timing. (Also love that riverbed analogy, because I totally work the same way.) Thanks for sharing!
This is awesome and very helpful, Sooz. Can you share what brand of under-desk treadmill you have? I’m saving up for one
I use the DeskCycle Ellipse Under Desk Elliptical! It's a bit pricier than some other options, but I've been really pleased with the quality. I think it's worth it!
Such a great post, Sooz. I can see much of my own thought process while reading it. I myself am about to take my little one, 2.5 yr-old boy, to his first Mother's Day Out class next week. I'm looking forward to the extra time to complete my own tasks (writing and music). At the same time, I'm kind of trepidatious about how I'll feel when he's out of the house for so many hours.
As far as coffee goes, I feel ya. I make mine via a Mixpresso machine most every day and love the aroma that comes out of the Nespresso pods (original) during each brewing session. It's become a ritual every time I make coffee—and one of my more sane activities during my day.
Over the last month I have come back to this post again and again because it really spoke to me. I feel like this is how my brain works when it comes to writing, and I've been resisting it for literally years because that's not how we "should" write a book. And, as we all know, Resistance is Futile. LOL! "Shoulding" myself is not working. I'm not getting anything finished trying to force myself to continue with one project to completion. In fact, the longer I try to force it, the harder it gets and the less I get written. To hear you give yourself permission to follow the flow was so liberating. Thank you so much for sharing!!
But I also have a question about this process. How do you set big goals for yourself in a "follow the river" process? Or do you? Do you set yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily goals for your writing? And, if so, what do those look like for you and how do they work with your fluid process?
Follow the river! And yes: I have contracts, so those take priority, certainly. But I also don't really set goals. Not like I used to.
I keep them big. My goal for 2025? Finish 1 book (it has 60k in it already). Then write at least one more from start to finish. And stretch goal? Write two books this year + finish the other.
That's it. That's really all I have.
I'm going to write a followup post at some point about how I track things now--because I lose sight of just how much I actually am accomplishing this way. But it's kind of mind-blowing how much I get done in a week! SO TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!
And ditch goals, if you need to. I discovered Becca Syme in the first place because goals were failing me, and I was feeling so defeated all the time. So now I keep it as loose as I can. (Maybe this is also worth a post, since I could keep talking about it!)
Oh, and for the record, I don't even specify WHAT books I want to finish. It's just the very vague "write 1-2 books this year." I'm trusting my muse to guide me to the ones that have the most "juice" in them.