S is for Sampler

Sunshine

I don’t know why, but my writing flows so much better when the sun is shining. I’m sure it’s the natural light fighting the mild case of SAD I get when the weather is gloomy. I could never live in Seattle, heh, so I grin and bear the heat of the Texas summers.

Sleep

I’m very fortunate to work from home on my schedule. My kids are grown and gone, my husband doesn’t leave for the office until 9:30, getting home around 7:00. I don’t set an alarm clock any longer. I did for a gazillion years. I’m finally sleeping enough to keep my brain functioning at its best, and it’s showing in my work. It’s cleaner, deeper, more thoughtful. I lost many hours of sleep in the past, writing at 3:00 a.m. before leaving for the day job, and I know many many authors write on similar schedules. But sleep is vital. get as much as you can! And if you don’t believe me, there’s this study:

Belenky’s high-tech brain images show that sleep debt decreases the entire brain’s ability to function — most significantly impairing the areas of the brain responsible for attention, complex planning, complex mental operations, and judgement.

Support System

Every writer needs a strong support system, though not every writer will find it in the same place. Again, I’m very fortunate that my husband is behind me 100% through all the industry ups and downs. I also have a handful of close writer friends to whom I can say anything about what’s happening in our careers. The trust network we share is invaluable.

Slow and Steady

I’m not a speedy writer. I don’t fast draft. In my entire career I’ve written 20 pages in a day one single time. I’m comfortable at 5. Maybe 7. But I also polish as I go. It’s how my brain works. When I get to the end of a book, I’m done. Slow and steady works for me, and my process is exactly how James Rollins describes his in the video below.

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