Five Things I Need to Write Every Day by Debra Sennefelder
Since I became a full-time author in 2017, how I work has evolved. I went from squeezing a few hundred words in during a lunch break when I worked a 9-5 to scheduling writing sprints to accomplish a daily word count of 3,000 words. So, I thought today I’d share with you five of the things I needed to write THE CORPSE IN THE GAZEBO.
Here they are in no particular order and there’s a bonus one!
Clean desk – I don’t like clutter. It makes me uncomfortable when I have piles of papers, notebooks, and other things (it’s amazing what can end up on my desk). I need to tidy up before I begin writing. Pens in their cups, reference material neatly stacked, and little bits and bobs gathered up in a basket.
Planner – Every morning, I refer to my Erin Condren planner to review my top priorities for the day. I use the Life Planner vertical. I organized my tasks into the three boxes. There’s my personal life (errands, appointments, household chores, etc.), writing (word count goal, admin tasks or brainstorming, etc.), and social media (scheduling, creating content, etc.). What’s listed in the planner are what I call my high-level goals, and they often require smaller tasks to achieve. I’ll list those smaller tasks in a small notebook and cross them off as I complete each.
Beverage – I start the day with a glass of water while I spend a few minutes writing in my gratitude journal. Then, as the day progresses, I’ll have a couple cups of coffee and a glass of iced matcha tea.
Outline – I have the novel’s outline on my desk, whether I’m writing a first draft or tweaking the manuscript in the third pass. This outline is very detailed, but there have been times when I went off-script. It happens. Having the outline printed out allows me to make notes as changes occur while writing the manuscript. This way, I don’t end up with a pile of sticky notes.
Word – I use Microsoft Word for my writing. I started writing years ago in Word Perfect. Anyone remember that program? Then transitioned to Word. I’ve tried other programs, but I keep coming back to Word. Though, I realized that I needed to be more mindful of digital file organization as I wrote more books. It can get messy.
There’s one more thing, but I don’t use it during the warmer months. Having a candle on my desk is a relatively new ritual for me, and it’s seasonal. Once the weather turns chillier, I like to light a candle during my work hours. Right now, I have a pumpkin candle burning while I work.
There you have it, my five must-haves for writing every day. Now, there are a few more things like editing software and reference books that I use, but they are only utilized during certain stages of novel writing. It’s also not uncommon for me to change where I write depending on what I’m working on. An example is when I’m writing a first draft, I may take my outline, laptop, and coffee out to the patio when the weather is nice.
Thank you for visiting with me today as I celebrate the release of THE CORPSE IN THE GAZEBO. Before you go, I’d love to know what you need to get your work done.
About The Corpse in the Gazebo
Food blogging is turning Hope Early into a household name. But the dead body down the block makes her a #1 suspect . . .
It seems everyone loves Hope’s blog these days, and she’s busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she’s shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn’t like the chaos Hope’s sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it’s happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over—until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day . . .
Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she’s the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It’s up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she’s created—and her whole life—crumbles . . .
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!
About Debra Sennefelder
Debra Sennefelder is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery.
Her first novel, THE UNINVITED CORPSE (A Food Blogger mystery) was published in 2018.In addition to writing the Food Blogger mystery series, she writes the Resale Boutique Mystery series. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.
Born and raised in New York City, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in retail and publishing before becoming a full-time author. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, Connie.
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