I was figuring out my schedule for this past week, as I do at the beginning of every new week, and I was actually surprised at home much of my day is spent focused on some aspect of writing.
Even though I’m a creative at heart, I am also someone who cannot thrive without pre-planning and being organized. When tasks are scheduled into my week, they are almost certain to get done.
So here’s what a typical week as a writer looks like for me:
Monday
First thing Monday morning I plan out my week according to the tasks I need to accomplish, both in my writing life and in my other responsibilities. Mondays are for drafting or revising, depending on which stage of my current WIP I’m working on.
So Monday I revised another section of Secret at Jagged Rock.
Mondays I also film and post my weekly reel, Another Book I Enjoyed. I love to support other authors: trad and indie, debut, well-know, unknown …writers of good books. Once the short video is recorded, I tag the author and post it to my socials. My hope is that readers who love mystery/suspense/thriller/cozy mystery will find their next read in amongst these treasures.
Tuesday
I’ve named this day Tip Tuesday because every Tuesday I post a short writing tip on all my socials. I created a graphic on Canva so when folks are scrolling, they will know right away that it’s my weekly tip.
Tuesdays I also do an online one-hour co-writing session with my writing group, The Energizer Bunnies. I decide on a task before we log on and use that hour to get it done.
I also try to do another session drafting or revising my current WIP.
Wednesday
I enjoy this mid-week break from the usual routine by attending a session with the First Book Finish Intensive group, led by our fearless leader, Rhonda Douglas. Connecting with other writers is so important in keeping me focused and inspired. We have great conversations, find solutions to problems, and encourage each other.
Wednesdays I also try to spend more time interacting on my socials. Let’s face it, social media can become such a time suck, so I have to allow myself only a certain amount of time scrolling, connecting, and supporting other folks.
I have fondly named this day Cozy Wednesday, because this is the day I spend working on developing my cozy mystery series. I’m making lots of progress and hope to be drafting book 1 of the series at the beginning of July.
Thursday
This is my other weekly session of the First Book Finish Intensive program where we discuss all elements of publishing and promoting our books and our online presence. We work on strategies for our social media, newsletters, choosing the right publication path, queries, and so much more. Sometimes we have guest presenters. Other times, Rhonda does presentations. I’ve learned so much attending this weekly session.
My blog drops every Thursday, so I usually spend the morning drafting up my post, and then revising it in the afternoon before posting it. I have a notebook where I’ve brainstormed potential blog topics, but I also react to things that have come up during the week and often pivot to those ideas instead.
The 2nd last Thursday of every month, I send out my free monthly author newsletter. Throughout the month, I jot things I want to include in a notebook, which makes drafting it up easier. The newsletter is fun to write and I love connecting with my subscribers.
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Friday
I’ve nicknamed this day Fab Friday. It’s a great time to reflect on my week and celebrate something that feels like a win, big or small, or to share a positive quote or idea with my followers. Recently, I created a graphic for this on Canva, so now my weekly post will have more consistency.
Friday it’s back to my WIP and another session.
Friday is also my weekly Zoom with my Energizer Bunny group. There are seven of us from Scotland, Denmark, the UK, the USA, and Canada. We share what we’ve been working on and what we plan to do next. We also share resources, ask questions, read each other’s work when one of us is looking for feedback – pretty much whatever is brought up in the group chat. And it’s always a lot of fun.
Saturday
Every weekend is different, so sometimes I will fit in extra writing sessions. Other times I might send out query packages, or watch videos on writing craft, marketing, or author interviews. It’s a great day to listen to weekly podcasts that I enjoy. I also try to interact on social media for a bit and catch up.
But sometimes Saturday is a day to hang out with friends, relax, read, have coffee at the lake, and watch movies. Recharging is important and necessary.
Sunday
Like Saturday, my Sundays are rarely the same each week. One thing I try to do, however, is go over my weekly task list and see if there’s anything I didn’t complete and decide whether I can do it now or slot it into next week’s schedule. And I usually get to work on my WIP for a bit.
Everyday
I get a ton of emails, the majority of them focused on writing, authors, readers, summits and the like. I probably spend about an hour every day going through all of these and I like to get that done first before I tackle all the other things.
I also try to read in my genres for at least a half hour and often have two or more books on the go at the same time.
If you’re a writer, how do you spend your week? Let me know in the comments.