Getting in a Writing Groove

Well, it’s been over a week now since I got back to writing my second Melrose book in earnest. The early 5am writing routine has been instigated and the words are now flowing! But this time it’s been a little different.

My old routine was to make sure I had a big pot of coffee available for me when I woke up, so that I could write my daily quota as wide awake as possible. This year I have more or less given up caffeine (at least as a morning routine) and so sitting down to my writing with a large glass of water is somehow different. But, it’s working. As long as I get a good night’s sleep the night before, the brain still kicks in and the words come out. There is life after caffeine! And actually my writing has generally been more productive than previously.

Over the years I’ve come to accept that I write at somewhere between 1,200 to 1,500 words an hour when I’m writing a novel. Of course, that presumes on me knowing where I am in my plot and sleeping overnight on what I’m going to be writing the following day. But the last couple of days I’ve managed to knock out roughly 2,000 words per day in my allotted pre-breakfast timeframe. My words per hour have been nearer to 1,800. That’s 30 words per minute. I didn’t even know I could type that fast, let alone think at the same time!

I’m putting it all down to my improved healthier body and eating habits. As you already know if you’ve been following my blog, this year after doing my seven day juice fast, I have stuck rigidly to a High Raw, Mostly Vegan food regime. I feel more alive, have more energy and generally have a much more positive attitude on everything. I guess it’s also rubbed off on my writing habits too. Who knows what’s going to be possible for the rest of the year!

How about you all? How’s your writing routine, and what do you do to maintain the correct environment? Do you set yourself targets? Do you have to write at a particular time of the day? Let me know. I’ll be interested in reading your comments.