Sue Nicholls, Buckinghamshire author
Every writing day is ‘Suesday’.
Sue Nicholls
Unless they are Joanna Trollope or J.K. Rowling, most writers need a ‘day job’ or in my case, several. I am lucky to have one job that gives me the school holidays off. Sadly I still seem to fill my time with other things. Here is a typical ‘Suesday’:
6.00. Persistent trilling from my phone alarm invades my dreams. I grope on bedside table and swipe screen. Hubby turns over and resumes snoring.
6.15. Pull trousers over pyjama bottoms. Don bra under top to avoid blinding B&B guests. Perform minimal ablutions.
6.30. Cover attire with apron. Plan day while drinking tea. Will definitely work on sequel, and promote Be Careful What You Wish For.
7.00. During breakfast I plan more: Change beds, polish, hoover, clean bathroom, walk dog, run teenager into town, promote novel on FB. Must work on sequel.
7.30. Guests gone for day. Husband appears requiring tea. He heads to bathroom while kettle boils. I clear kitchen, run upstairs to strip beds and return to the kitchen to deal with laundryHubby disappears into home-office with tea, to do technical stuff.
7.40. I sweep, mop floors and plot. I have an idea, rush to the laptop and add a new ‘item’ to cork board in Scrivener – new toy.
Now, what was I going to write?
8.00. ALT-tab to Facebook….
10.00. Wonder what time it is. Have I promoted novel? No.
10.30. Flip to Twitter and repeat as above.
11.30. Make long task list that includes making soup with stock that has been in the slow cooker for days, and ‘Hopefully, get to novel’.
12.00. Teenager appears demanding breakfast. Direct her ‘politely’ to fridge. Teen makes Bombay Bad Boy. I check emails: 52 spam and one from boy needing help with his novel. Start to look at his work. Teenager takes Pot noodle into living room to watch back episodes of Big Bang Theory, leaving evidence of her activity on worktop.
Multitasking, but where is my pen?
13.00. Return novice-author’s work with comments. De-blob kitchen. Teenager disappears to prepare for trip to Odeon. Will we make it in time?
13.30. Rush back from cinema for forgotten meeting at local pub. It seems they can’t afford to pay their chef, and seek community help to run kitchen. I really want to do this so I begin to plan and scheme. Husband looks worried. Realise I am still in jimjams.
15.30. Walk dog. So distracted by thoughts that I drive past dog field. Turn round and drive past again. Curse, U-turn, and park. Soon I have a plan. Thoughts return to novel. I should work on it.
16.30. Sit at computer. Failing to focus, I decide to make background notes.
17.30. Guests return and chat.
17.40. Prepare dinner. Husband collects teenager, who has missed bus.
18.30. Eat. Drink. Clear up.
19.00. Stuff sheets from washer to dryer. Feed drooling dog.
20.00 Fall asleep in chair and miss Pointless.
23.00. Last Facebook check in bed.
23.30 pm. Will definitely work on sequel tomorrow.
Be Careful What You Wish For, is published on Kindle by Mardibooks and can be purchased by clicking on the book, below.
Her blog can be found at www.suenicholls.com
Follow her on Twitter @SuetheScribe
Find her on Facebook Sue Nicholls – Be Careful What You Wish For
If you fancy visiting her bed and breakfast then you can book through Airbnb.
