Hey everyone! I'm excited to announce that I have a guest post from Alison Cherry to share with you all today! Alison's new book Red came out on October 8th, and it sounds like a fantastic read. Make sure you all check it out! Without further ado, here's Alison Cherry to share her typical day as a writer...
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A Typical Writing Day for Alison Cherry
For some reason, I was under the impression that the moment
I became a full-time writer, I would magically turn into the kind of person who
sat down at my desk at the same time every day, turned off the internet, and
churned out words like a machine. I’m
sure this will shock no one, but… that didn’t exactly happen. It turns out that when there’s no boss
standing over my shoulder, I am really, really terrible at having a schedule.
But I am happy to report that mysteriously enough, I still manage to write
books!
Here’s what a typical writing day looks like for me now, insofar
as something with no consistency whatsoever can be considered “typical”:
9 AM-ish: Wake up. Check email. Reach for whatever book I
fell asleep reading last night and continue reading. Because reading is research, right?
10 AM: Start feeling guilty for not working. Sit up in bed
and grab my computer, fully intending to do something productive. Instead,
spend an hour reading Twitter and chatting with writer friends.
11 AM: Shower. My brain likes to present me with great story
ideas at the least convenient moments possible, so the shower is one of its
favorites. I ended up installing a white board IN my shower, so I can now write
things down while washing my hair.
Sometime between 11:30 AM and 2 PM: Drag myself and my
trusty MacBook Air to my local coffee shop, which has the tastiest waffles
ever. (It has gotten to the point where the barista sometimes greets me with,
“Hi, Alison! Waffles, right?” I have become that
person.) If I can get a writer friend to meet me at the coffee shop for a
work date, I am generally way more
productive—feeling like I’m accountable to someone helps a lot. In fact, my
friend Michelle is sitting across from me as I write this post, and she’s
probably the only reason I’m concentrating so well.
Afternoon hours: WRITE! If I’m drafting something new, four
hours is usually my limit. (Revising is easier for me, so I can often keep working
for eight hours.) I start by going over what I wrote yesterday, which helps me
get back into the voice and the rhythm of the story. Then I try to write 1500-2500
new words, but I’m okay with doing less if it’s one of those days when writing feels
like pulling teeth. I usually work from a rough outline, and I tend to write in
order—if I allow myself to skip around, I’m afraid I’ll just write all the juiciest
scenes first and then abandon the project altogether.
I am not a super
focused writer; I constantly stop to read and respond to email, check Twitter,
eavesdrop on other café patrons, and get up for more tea. (Always
decaf—caffeine makes me dizzy.) Strangely, I find that multitasking helps me
think better. Shifting my focus around keeps me from getting stuck and allows
me to come up with more creative solutions.
6:00-ish: Brain starts to melt. Back up files, reward myself
with cookies, and put the work-in-progress to bed until tomorrow!
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I want to thank Alison SO much for being here today and giving us all a peak into a day in her life! Now that you know all about how she does it, make sure you guys check out her newest release Red!
Red
By Alison Cherry
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Summary: Felicity St. John has it all—loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note:
I know your secret.
Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say "strawberry blond." Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.
Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?
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For more information on Alison Cherry and her newest release, check out the following links:
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