Ask Our Authors - September 2026

Happy Publication Day everyone!

Our eighth Publication Day of 2026 brings a whole new collection of exciting stories, from a wonderful collective of talented authors!

To introduce them, we are continuing a fun feature for the year – Ask Our Authors – where we send all our newly published writers the same simple question to see how different each answer is…

 

For our September authors, we asked them: What does your typical writing routine look like?

 

 

Padraig McCormack

My writing routine probably looks a little different to that of a traditional author! With a busy career in the water industry and three young children, finding long, uninterrupted periods to sit and write isn’t always realistic. For me, writing tends to start with an idea rather than a set time of day. I’ll often find myself thinking about a concept while driving, travelling for work or even having conversations with my children, and I’ll make a quick note before coming back to it later. Patrick the Raindrop’s Journey actually grew from combining those two parts of my life – my experience working in the water industry and being a dad. I wanted to take something that is incredibly important, but often quite complicated, and turn it into an adventure that children could understand and enjoy. Once I have an idea, I tend to write in bursts, then revisit it several times. A big part of my process is asking myself: “Would a child understand this, and would they actually find it interesting?” My own children can be very useful – and very honest – critics. So my routine isn’t particularly structured, but perhaps that is what works for me. I collect ideas from everyday life, write when inspiration strikes, and then gradually shape them into a story.

Padraig McCormack, author of Patrick the Raindrop's Journey.

Stephanie Inglis

I carry a small notebook with me when I go anywhere. I use this to write a haiku about the things I see around me. I try to make an observation every day that I can turn into a haiku.

Stephanie Inglis, author of A Journey Across Canada in Haikus.

Puppy Jack's Bad Dream

For this book my daughter helped me write down all the things she felt, the things she did and the things she asked of me when she had a bad dream. The beginning, middle and end I wrote down what would happen, so in this story Puppy Jack has a bad dream about a monster, then Mummy Dog helps with the spell and finally Puppy Jack goes back to happily back sleep not being scared of the monster. So with that and all the things me and my daughter wrote down I wrote the book. I tried to make the book more fun for children so the story rhymes, I would sometimes have to sit and find a word that rhymed with one I had already. It was so fun to write and I hope Mummy Dogs Magic spell that I made up to help my daughter when she was young helps other children to not be scared like it did my daughter.

Author of Puppy Jack's Bad Dream.

Liam Smith

To me it is the most difficult to get started with writing when the project is still in its infancy stage. Emotionally, it feels like a Mount Everest of words to be overcome!  I need to complete the first chapter successfully, so I can get over my own mental block. I usually have a bullet pointed draft of the story ready so I can remember what I mentally visualized. From experience, I also know that this draft almost never ends up to be the final plotline of my story: When I start writing, I tend to let the story flow from my imagination and it often takes new turns and twists as my characters and events become visible on paper. I plan the length of each chapter and the amount of chapters beforehand and this becomes the guideline to the level detail I want to include in the events of each specific chapter. Usually, the chapters are much shorter than planned - but it's okay; I do a third round of writing and this helps me to add scenes, narrative or character descriptions. I found that the first draft of a chapter is almost always very short and like a summary.  I try to rewrite and expand the chapter immediately, so I can continue to the next one, otherwise I get stuck in the small details of the chapter for too long. I only return to my previous chapters after I completed the whole manuscript in this way. If I don't write to get to the end, I tend to dwell too long on a chapter and the story doesn't get finished. As soon as the book is finished, I go back to the start and reread my work. I almost always feel that I'm not done, so this fourth cycle of rewriting becomes a final cycle of fine-tuning and improving. After this, I intentionally stop. The final step (and I tend to forget this!) is to run a spell and grammar check on each chapter. After this is done, I immediately write an email to the publisher and submit the manuscript. Otherwise, I will quickly read a random chapter and start tinkering again!

Liam Smith, author of The Kingpin.

W.M.A. Bes

I usually write in the morning after my first order of business is finished, which is walking my dog Toby, a one year old mini Aussie.  He also serves as my clock, gets up early, and therefore my writing starts early.  I hope that you will enjoy the Mirror of the Soul.

W.M.A. Bes, author of The Mirror of the Soul.

Ema Stora

My typical writing habbits are to go out and write in the nature or coffee shops. I dont't have too much time but my passion is to write when I have ideas.

Ema Stora, author of Aggavar.

Julie Mundey

My writing starts with an idea. I usually carry a notebook or use the notes app on my phone to record themes or anecdotes that I think will make a good story. Then  when I next have time, I put my fingers on the keyboard and see what comes out! Because I’m writing about memories it’s easy to connect with each story and discover what message is hidden there. Staring into space helps the creative process as this allows me to visualise moments that I’m trying to capture and helps me reconnect with emotion. I also talk out loud! But everyone talks to themselves right? !  Once I get going, it’s best to let the flow have its way, so everything stops while I write. It can be an hour or a day but I stay put until all the ideas are expressed and I’ve written that last line of a chapter. I know when it’s finished because I smile.  Writing a book is like giving birth. There is a huge sense of relief when it’s completed and you know in your heart the job is done. And there, on paper, is a huge chunk of your life! 

Julie Mundey, author of Letters to My Daughter.

Flynn Dahlberg & Rickard Dahlberg

We usually start working and writing around 7–8 a.m. There is often a chapter that consists only of notes and ideas at this stage, which needs to be turned into actual sentences, scenes, and dialogue. Around midday, a walk is always a good idea. It clears the head and naturally spawns about a hundred new ideas. More often than not, the solution to whatever section has been causing writer’s block also becomes much clearer. Then, around 1–2 p.m., the writing continues. By this point, some of the bad ideas and writing from the morning have either cleared up or become entangled into even worse ideas. Finally, around 5 p.m., the writing day is usually done, as we have to attend to normal everyday activities such as exercise and dinner. Naturally, around 8 p.m., new ideas start popping up again, and we usually end up spending another couple of hours writing them down. For some reason, these late-evening sections are often the ones we end up keeping. And the next day, everything starts all over again.

Flynn Dahlberg and Rickard Dahlberg, authors of Hallow Be This Night.

Jennie Meher

My grandma used to give me a piece of advice that changed my entire creative life: "Empty your head, then go to bed."While she usually meant it as a way to wash away the day's frustrations, I quickly realized it is also the ultimate secret weapon for storytellers.Have you ever been jolted awake at 2:00 AM by a brilliant plot twist or a character voice so loud it demands to be heard? It is exhilarating—but it can also ruin your sleep. That is where the "Empty Head" Method comes in. Instead of wrestling with the idea all night, you dump it onto the page to clear your mental RAM, allowing your mind to rest.

 Here are my 4 steps to “maybe”
Getting some words on a page …..

1. The Nighttime Brain DumpWhen inspiration strikes in the dark, do not trust your morning brain to remember it. Keep a notebook on your nightstand. Write the idea down immediately—no editing, no formatting. Get it out of your head so you can sleep peacefully, knowing your story is safe on the page.

2. The Sensory Anchor. When it is time to turn those raw notes into chapters, you need a ritual to signal your brain that it’s time to work. For me, that is brewing a cup of Earl Grey coffee with a splash of vanilla extract. The distinct, comforting aroma acts as a sensory trigger. Find your specific drink, brew it every time you write, and watch how quickly your mind slips into the zone.

3. The Cone of Silence. Once the drink is poured and you are at your desk, go completely off the grid. Put on noise-canceling headphones, silence your phone, and establish a strict boundary with the world around you. If someone talks to you, you shouldn’t even hear them. Deep, uninterrupted focus is where your best writing happens.

4. The Nature Decompress. Writing takes a massive amount of mental energy. When your session is over, step away from the screen and take a walk outside. Moving through nature clears out the creative cobwebs. It gives your conscious mind a break while allowing your subconscious to quietly untangle your plot lines and plant the seeds for tomorrow’s session.

These are my steps. Currently working on my next descriptive novel…..fingers crossed this process works again ……

Jennie Meher, author of She Fell.

Charlotte Williams

When I’m excited about an idea, I find it easy to write — I could write for hours if time permits! Writing is slipping into another world and reading allows you to join that world. 
I get ideas from my own musings, people, places, music - then I pop pen to paper - yes pen! Pop it all in a notebook, I gather pages of inspiration and when ready I start writing. 
One thing I have learnt through trial and error is; don’t stop, just write! Don’t keep going back over what you’ve written, plenty of time for that after. When going back over your work, you lose your flow, editing, cutting bits out, change a characters name, it can hinder your chances of actually completing the book. Just go for it! Let your imagination guide you first.  

Charlotte Williams, author of The Persuasives.

Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen

Most of my writing begins before I’m fully awake. I’ll wake up with an idea that came to me in a dream—a line, an image, a memory, sometimes just a feeling I can’t quite name. I’ve learned not to dismiss those thoughts as the strange leftovers of sleep. If something stays with me after I open my eyes, I pay attention to it.

So I write.

At first, I don’t worry about whether it’s good. I don’t worry about grammar, structure, or where the piece is going. I free write everything I can think of. I follow the idea wherever it wants to go and try to get as much of it onto the page as possible before I begin questioning it. This part of the process is messy. There are repeated thoughts. Sentences that go nowhere. Words I’ll never use. Sometimes I write an entire paragraph only to discover that the one sentence buried in the middle is what I was really trying to say. But I need the mess. Once I’ve emptied my thoughts onto the page, I begin to organize them. I look for connections. I move things around. I start to see what belongs together and, just as importantly, what doesn’t belong at all.

And then comes the part of writing I probably spend the most time doing:

I trim.

I cut unnecessary words. I shorten sentences. I remove explanations when the image can do the work on its own. I ask myself whether I’m saying something because the reader needs it—or because I’m afraid they won’t understand me without it. Sometimes the hardest thing to remove is a sentence I really like. But I’ve learned that liking a sentence doesn’t necessarily mean the piece needs it. My first drafts tend to say everything. My later drafts try to say only what matters. That process can continue for days. I’ll walk away from a piece and come back to it. Read it again. Change a word. Remove a line. Put the line back. Take it out again. Eventually, there comes a point when the writing begins to feel quiet. There aren’t as many words asking for my attention. There isn’t as much explaining. What remains feels closer to the thing that woke me up in the first place.

Maybe that’s what my writing process really is. I wake up with something I don’t completely understand. I write until I have too much. Then I keep taking things away until I find what I was trying to say.

Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen, author of Overexposed.

Frank James Travers

I have looked at my writing method and the only way I can describe it as flee flow writing. Saying that, I do have a routine to surround it. I have a broad picture of how the novel starts, the middle and the end but the rest is blank and I fill in the gaps as I go. For example, Rose a petty thief and key character was only supposed to be the minor love  interest of Clara when she stayed in a convent, but as I started writing she evolved into a major character and is featured in the sequels. One tip is try to be fluid as you write and don't be afraid to change things. Don't keep to a rigid plan. This works for me. The only routines I have are to keep the morning free so that my mind is fresh and clear. I also go for a walk after an hour to get some fresh air and clear my mind again. I write for two hours a day and every time I sit down to type, morning and post walk, I have a vague idea of what I want to write then it starts to flow as soon as I start typing. Ideas just come into my head. Could be influenced by the morning news or the Jeremy Vine show where they do discuss some interesting topics. Sorry if this is not much help but it works for me.

Frank James Travers, author of Crushing Masks.

Shirley Agnela Menezes Sharma

How do I describe how I write?  The readers ought to.  No use of AI yet, from past experiences, some reality, some fiction

Shirley Agnela Menezes Sharma, author of Leo the Lab Gets to Walk.

J.C. Wood

Well, firstly I am lucky enough to have a studio at the bottom of the garden where I do all my writing and illustrating. I think it's important to be able to separate physically from other things going on that demand your attention in order to focus and have some sacred space of your own. This could be anywhere, a little room or a cafe or a shed. Initially, before I started writing in earnest, I had accumulated a mountain of notes but I wasn't getting down to writing anything coherent so I took some time off work to begin the story and I wrote solidly for weeks. This, for me, was an achievement in itself! Now I constantly write notes and pore over concepts as I'm going along; anywhere, anytime. Since taking the time out to kick start my writing I have found I don't need to do this anymore, it's as if my brain now recognises this new habit, this new place of being. I told myself to just write anything, good or bad-it's only possible to critique something that exists. Writing itself is kinetic; the act of doing seems to unlock more possibilities. Personally I find writing to be a meditative experience, I enter into an alternate headspace to log into my imagination; I immerse myself in my story mind and switch off from reality to an extent. 

I use an old fashioned rolling black board for timelines and note pads for ideas. I have two PC's now, side by side, so I write the first drafts on the left and then create an edited version on the right. This works for me but it's a new thing. 

I have no time structure whatsoever with my writing, as in when I actually sit down at the computer(s) to type. I am self employed so I am constantly juggling schedules- jobs and writing/illustrating just have to work around each other. 

Since starting the book the studio has become an emporium for trinkets that connect to the story. The first find was a weather vane, we found it on the land that was cleared when the studio was being built and then friends and family would gift me pieces that somehow, strangely, all seem to belong in the fantastical world I created for the Tales of Zaad; a little carved serpent figure, a cauldron and even an oxen yoke. 

I found that I would shift from self doubt to self appreciation and then back again! I told myself that if someone else had written my story and I was reading it, I would love it ( and perhaps be a little jealous of the author!). I enjoy my own story, I still enjoy it after many re-reads and I reasoned that if this was so, then others would enjoy it too. The only measure I had of its worth or substance was whether I liked it or not, whether something worked or it didn't. Trust the process and make sure you enjoy the process. For me writing is like an excavation, finding  parts of a puzzle that join together to make a narrative. I learnt to relish the challenging moments, when I had to figure things out. I believe that the writer's journey, with its ups and downs, adds strength and authenticity to the plot, which in turn affects the reader on some level and gives them a sense of being a part of something meaningful and real. 

J.C. Wood, author of Tales of Zaad: The Elemental Mountain.

Danielle McCarthy

I don't have a set routine. I write instead of studying or working!
Often I build the plot and characters in my head and write the draft in one sitting, particularly if it's a children's book. Often the ideas, key twists and exciting bits float around in my head for ages. But when it's ready in my mind, I write it all down on my laptop, via voice- to-text, and leave it alone for a few days, and then I return to edit and format.
If it's a poem, I always develop it from a concept based on a recent lived experience, and it is a brain dump of ideas that I rearrange over a few days.
I sometimes sit in nature and just write in a journal whatever ideas pop into my mind, list words and themes, or create phrases or verses, even characters, or go on a walk and take interesting photos to revisit later. This way I can design unique combinations of ideas such as a spider web, bush sounds and combine it with a recent occurrence like a possum in the roof!
Sometimes I use the visual arts I make to write about, particularly if it's an advocacy or social justice piece;  these sometimes become films or audio- visual collections of work.
I draw upon feelings and emotions from my life mostly, and the events that impact me deeply, such as my dad living with Parkinson's for nearly 30 years, which is what my next book to come from Pegasus is loosely based upon. I have started illustrating my third book that Pegasus does not know about until now!

Danielle McCarthy, author of Meatball and Diana.

Rachel Dack

I’m sitting here with a little smirk on my face because my honest answer is probably the opposite of what you might expect: I don’t have a typical writing routine.

For a long time, I believed becoming a “real” writer meant being systematic. I had studied English, read countless books and absorbed so much advice about the routines writers were supposed to follow. But whenever I tried to force myself into one, writing began to feel like another obligation and I lost the creativity that made the work feel like mine. One of the most freeing lessons I’ve learned as a new author is that there is no single right way to write. Just as the same book can affect different readers in completely different ways, the creative process looks different for every writer. Learn from others, try their methods and keep what helps but please don’t feel discouraged when something that works beautifully for someone else doesn’t work for you. Writers have created extraordinary work across generations, in every imaginable season and circumstance. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply begin, see what comes out and keep adjusting until you discover your own rhythm.

My rhythm often means writing in the small pockets of life when an idea arrives, when the house becomes quiet or when I can give creativity a little room to breathe. A few times, while writing the second and third books in my Connection & Comprehension Series, I also gave myself a full writing weekend: no chores, no rigid schedule and no pressure from the outside world. Just me, a notebook, my computer and permission to create. As a working mom and part-time author, those weekends gave my mind space to unplug. Whether I finished an entire draft or captured one small idea for an illustration, I considered it a win. That may be the most valuable writing advice I can offer: create whatever space you can, release the expectation that it must look a certain way and allow yourself to be fully you. Your most meaningful work will not come from perfectly imitating someone else’s process. It will come from discovering your own.

Rachel Dack, author of Whiny Walter.

Tim

My typical writing routine starts in my office, a place surrounded by everything that made me happy as a child. From my Marvel Comics collection to Disney memorabilia and Hot Wheels, my office looks more like a collectible store than a traditional workspace. But that is exactly what I love about it. My studio/office influences my ideas. Staying a kid at heart helps me greatly as a writer because it keeps my imagination alive and reminds me to look at the world with the same sense of wonder I had as a child. My ideas are always flowing. Usually, the night before I begin writing a new story, I jot down notes about the idea—little pieces of the story, characters, scenes, or moments that come into my mind. Then, the next morning, I sit down and begin writing. Many of my ideas come directly from my childhood and the experiences I had growing up. My memories, the places I went, the things I loved, and even the people who were part of my childhood have all found their way into my stories. Having children has also inspired my writing in a very special way. One example is Graymalkin, which came from memories of the days I spent at my babysitter's house when I was in elementary school. My next book, Gecko Boy & the Secret Kingdom, was inspired by a trip to Hawaii with my children. My son loved reptiles so much that while we were there, we went out every night looking for baby geckos. Those nights spent exploring with my son sparked something in my imagination. From those memories and those adventures, Gecko Boy was born. For me, writing is really about taking the things I have experienced, the things I loved as a child, and the memories I have made with my own children—and turning them into stories that allow me to share that sense of wonder with others.

Tim, author of The Secret Adventures of Graymalkin.

RD Reynolds

I don't really have a traditional writing routine—and I think that's part of what makes my writing process work for me. I tend to write when inspiration strikes. An idea will come to me—sometimes from a conversation, sometimes from something I've experienced, sometimes from working with people, and sometimes simply from a thought that won't leave me alone. When that happens, I try to capture it before it disappears. I don't wait for the perfect writing environment, and I don't have a particular ritual that I follow. I don't need complete silence, a specific time of day, or a certain number of hours set aside for writing. If an idea is there, I write. Sometimes that means sitting down and writing for hours because everything is flowing. Other times, I might write a little, step away, and come back when the idea has had time to develop. For me, the most important part of writing is paying attention to what sparks something in me. If a thought makes me stop and think, “Someone needs to hear this,” I usually know I've found something worth exploring. I also don't try to make the first draft perfect. I get the ideas down first and worry about shaping them afterward. Once the thoughts are on the page, I can organize them, expand on them, remove what doesn't belong, and find the message underneath everything I initially wrote. The biggest lesson I've learned is that creativity doesn't always show up on a schedule. Sometimes you have to sit down and do the work, but sometimes the best ideas arrive when you're doing something completely unrelated to writing. I've learned to pay attention when they do. So my best writing advice would probably be: Don't wait for the perfect time or the perfect writing routine. Pay attention to what moves you, write it down, and follow the idea. And perhaps most importantly, don't be afraid to write badly at first. A messy first draft can be shaped into something meaningful. A blank page can't.

RD Reynolds, author of Wild Women: Dance Like Gypsies in the Night.

Richard Lynn

On Writing: A Fortunate Life at the Desk
I've been fortunate enough to spend my career split between three loves: clinical psychology, teaching, and writing. Now retired from both the university and my clinical practice, I'm able to give all of my working hours to the page — and The Thin Line is the first place all three of those threads have truly come together on paper.
The Morning I'm up by 5:30 a.m. for coffee and a light breakfast with my wife and our three dogs. By 7:00, I'm in my office, she's in her studio — she's a painter — and the dogs simply migrate between us, as dogs do. I start by re-reading what I finished the day before.  This brings me back inside the story's voice rather than starting cold. I generally will turn to  a steno pad and jot down what I want to accomplish that day: a scene, a piece of dialogue, a thread I need to resolve. Nothing elaborate — just enough to give the morning a target. After that, it's full steam ahead.
The Writing Space
My office looks out over a links-style golf course — a view that is equal parts beautiful and dangerous, since it beckons on the days when writing is hard, and hookey feels like the better option. 
How the Work Gets Planned
In my academic life, I was a stickler for planning — outlines, tables of contents, chapters and subheadings mapped out before a word was written. Fiction, I've discovered, refuses to work that way, at least for me. In mystery and psychological thriller, the characters and the plot climb into the driver's seat, and I'm merely the one with my foot on the pedal. That was true for The Thin Line, and it's proven just as true for the novel I'm writing now, Shadow House. I've stopped fighting it.
The Hours
I write from 7:00 to 11:30 each morning. Some days the work takes hold of me and won't let go, and I'll return to my desk for a couple more hours in the afternoon. But the schedule is only ever a container. What actually happens inside it depends first on the needs of the people — and dogs — I love, then on the ordinary demands of being eighty, and most of all on how much interest and enjoyment I'm getting out of the work that day. Writing, for me, has never been a must. It's a want. 
Advice That Changed How I Work
If I'm honest, the real revolution wasn't a piece of advice — it was retirement itself. For most of my career, my energy was split three ways, between clinical work, teaching, and writing, and there was never enough of any one of them. Retirement handed me something I'd never had: the whole of my attention, undivided, for the first time.
The other piece of it is eighty years in the making. I've spent a lifetime turning what could have been a liability — my own ADHD — into the engine of my focus. The same restlessness that used to scatter me now drives the pace and intensity of a four-and-a-half-hour morning at the desk. It took most of a lifetime to learn how to use it rather than fight it, but I wouldn't trade the wiring now for anything steadier. The schedule is entirely of my own making, and the work is entirely what I love. That combination makes me a very fortunate — and grateful — person. If The Thin Line finds its way into the hands of someone who's been circling their own first book, wondering if there's room in a full life to start — I hope this is proof that there is.

Richard Lynn, author of The Thin Line.

Chris Dewar

I started writing for fun, producing my first book over 10 years ago for my own children. The original book (not called Dyrne Hill) was written over the course of a month, during evenings as I worked full time. It took until 2023 to revisit the book and decided that it needed a massive overhaul. I went back to basics and used a story board as I wanted to incorporate mystery with real history to make the book feel real but also add an element of the supernatural. The main characters were chosen using Army children as I felt they were under represented in books and were very resilient, and bit by bit I built up the plot using some of my own adventures as a child. I would take my children out and build camps/go for long walks to give me inspiration and using the internet I researched and found more interesting facts including the new title Dyrne Hill, which meant secret in the old English language. I used places I had lived and would reimagine them to create my fictional world.  I would go home and update chapters. I used my evenings and weekends and holidays to produce the first book but soon realised that there was more to the story and so 2024 and 2025 I produced the second and third books taking time to merge the plots, going back and forward checking the details. I wanted to make sure that the books could be read independently as well as a trilogy. 
Dyrne Hill - The Secret is the second book and is aimed to grow with the reader. It has the same characters as the first book but introduces new fictional people so that the story could expand. I intentionally aimed the story to feel atmospheric and nostalgic so that it would appeal to a variety of readers. 
Bringing so many different ideas together and creating something that would work in the modern day was harder than I thought it would be, but I realised that so much of yesterday is still part of today, things I did, my children also did. I can thank Disney for that. 
The idea of adding some historical detail was to make the book feel real and give the reader food for thought. I tested the theory on my children and it worked. They did ask questions and it gave me a chance to become part of their reading journey.
The hardest part was reading the story over and over again as I couldn't risk taking a break else I might miss errors in the plot. I knew the book would take three hours each time but I felt that this was the most essential part of the process. 
Dyrne Hill - The Secret is meant to escalate and expand at a good pace and to get readers gripped so they want to know what is going to happen next. Pacing the story right was really important and the story board was vital to achieve this.
Finding time was also challenging as I still work full time, I would always make sure everything around me was tidy and I could work free of interruptions before I stepped out of the real world and into Dyrne Hill.

Chris Dewar, author of Dyrne Hill – The Secret.

Author of WORDS

WORDS is my fourth book ( Letters to Four Very Dead and Deeply Flawed Poets. The Tinker's Book, Fifty-One) and so writing has become a regular job. I go to my office in downtown Vancouver and work from around nine until noon and then I go to lunch, worry about what I've done or not done, have a half bottle of wine and  then spend the afternoon editing and re-writing. The next morning I start again, five days of drudgery which goes on for a year or so until the damn book is done. WORDS was particularly long because of the research and the stupid decision, on my part, to footnote all the references. My character is the world's leading expert on Dylan Thomas so the notion was that he would have all those references at his fingertips and be able to refer and quote them. Big mistake but done now.

Author of WORDS.

Jennifer Emerson Evans

As a mom and a business owner there are no open days just waiting to be filled with a neat and tidy writing routine. So if you're like me, you have to grind it out. I will write in the car while waiting for my kids' sports; I will leave for client meetings an hour or two early and write in a nearby library or coffee shop (bring headphones with white noise); when I have a business trip or convention I will stay an extra day or two to write in the hotel room. The thing that I always like to remind myself is that "having no time to write" is not an excuse. You can get it done. It's not pretty, organized, or comfortable. But learning to thrive in the chaos is what is going to get those books written. Someday there will be vanilla scented candles, craft coffee, an ocean view, and endless hours :) And I'll probably develop terrible writer's block with all that freedom and beauty. HA! 

Jennifer Emerson Evans, author of Sirens of the Salted Sea.

SD Lee

When I have a story in my head, I have a goal to write at least 500 words a day. I typically do this during my lunch break. If it is the weekends I will spend time in the morning writing, where hopefully I get more done. 

SD Lee, author of Absolution.

Eileen Law

It can happen several ways.  When an idea for a chapter comes and its further along in the story, I add it to what I call my chapter list.  That way, later on it reminds me to complete the thought.  If its while I am writing I quickly get the idea into my story line and then do google research for the details.  Sometimes my ideas come along so quickly I can hardly type fast enough to get the story line down.  If the story comes to me when I am in places where I cannot open my computer; then I use my notepad in my cell phone.  I will even bounce my ideas off anyone around me to get feedback.  I try to schedule at least 2 hours a night to my writing, whether its writing; editing or research.  but often enough the hours are gone before the time and I end up tying way past bedtime!

Eileen Law, author of Sandra's Lover.

R.J. Swales

Writing for me has to fit around the day job, parental duties, clubs and commutes so I try to find small snippets of time everyday.  I can make time on the train in the morning or evening to write some notes, or whilst waiting for one of the children's clubs to finish.  I try to put some dedicated time at the weekends to convert my notes into proper chapters.   My style at the moment is to simply write, explore an idea and see how it turns out.  I then review it and see if it works in the context of the story.  Whilst I plan the overall story and general narrative I don't plan the details of each chapter, I just see where it goes naturally and then review and adjust iteratively. In between writing I try to read as much as I can,  it's always great to see how other authors write, their styles and how they think about their characters and environments.  I read across genres so I can enjoy a wide range of styles and stories.  In summary my writing routine has to be flexible and adapt around my life rather than being too rigid.  Perhaps if I was able to write full time then I think I would have to create a more dedicated schedule but for the moment I enjoy the time I spend reading and writing.  It's great when there is no specific pressure, just the joy of creating something.   

R.J. Swales, author of A World Reminded.

Sue Wilson

I began writing a novel when my husband was unwell and did not want to go out anywhere.  The story wrote itself really, gradually evolving bit by bit with me adding a bit every afternoon for about a year.  I had no idea where it would go when I began it but added bits as I garnered historical information from the internet, like information about the minimum wage in 2012, the use of laudenum in 1887 and so on.  I had no thoughts on how it would end and remember musing in bed one night that Karen had it too easy and I had to create another problem for her.   That took her fate in a different direction.  I've found I do my best planning in bed just before going to sleep.  

Sue Wilson, author of Rainbow Duet.

Rory Dunne 

I write when I feel inspired to. There have been periods of effective, inspired work, but also periods when not much happened, although writing is never far from my consciousness.  During periods of less productivity, ideas still swirl around and sometimes take root. This then becomes a new chapter, or perhaps a completely new project. I’ve written some articles for trade journals and blogs over the years, and I think this is a good way to keep your hand in as a writer. Writing, like any art form, is a privilege, a driving force, and a joy.

Rory Dunne, author of The Wild Geese and the Phoenix.

Sierra La Rue Redfield

Most of my writing happens long before I ever sit down to write. I tend to carry an idea around with me for quite a while—sometimes a question, a feeling, a sentence, or even just a particular combination of words that catches my attention. I’ll turn it over in my mind while I’m driving, walking, cooking, or going about an ordinary day. One thought will connect itself to another, language begins to form around it, and gradually the shape of what I want to say becomes clearer. Because of that, I don’t have a particularly rigid writing routine. I’ve learned not to force myself to produce simply because I’ve decided it is “writing time.” For me, contemplation is part of the writing. The quiet stretches when nothing is appearing on the page are often when the most important work is happening. By the time I finally sit down—or more often, reach for my phone because I need to capture something before it disappears—the piece has usually begun to assemble itself. Sometimes entire sentences have been repeating in my mind for days. Once I find the opening, the rest can arrive remarkably quickly because I have already spent so much time living with the idea. My best advice is to pay attention to the thoughts that keep returning. Write down the strange phrase, the unfinished sentence, the question you can’t quite leave alone. You don’t always need to know what something is becoming yet. Give an idea enough space, and sometimes it will tell you.

Sierra La Rue Redfield, author of Bliss Born of Pain.

Sathari Kam

I'd love to say, I get up in the morning, have a cup of tea and start writing but it depends on what 'project' I'm focused on.
In my early writing,short stories, children's novel that may have been the case. For my recent book of poems, I literally went to the park in the morning, did some movement exercises and danced the poems hence the sections, perfect synchronicity, alchemy of inspiration etc and the poems wrote themselves. For the 20 or so songs I wrote and made into a cd and now the book, Footprints in the Forest, the music came first and then the lyrics; my favourite song 'mushrooms', I simply wanted to write a song about foraging for mushrooms and I sat and wrote it in the middle of the day.

Sathari Kam, author of Footprints in the Forest.

Thomas C. Hosey

I typically get my writing ideas by reading The Wall Street Journal. I copy and file any articles I find interesting or out of the ordinary. I get a lot of ideas from this type of media. Once I have an idea that interests me, I form a plot around it and start searching the internet for more ideas. My writing day usually starts after a heavy exercise routine, which consists of running, playing pickleball, or swimming. This relaxes me, and I am in the groove to start writing. My goal is to write a thousand words a day, and each novel to be about 75,000 to 80,000 words. I don't get hung up on this. Some days I don't even write, and I never write on weekends. Life is short; enjoy it. The book will come. I usually go over what I've written before. Oftentimes I will add to or subtract from the story. This also sets my mind to the writing task at hand. Once I am in what I call movie mode (the state of mind when I imagine the story and conversations like a movie), I get lost in my writing until I am tired, which is uncanny, but it is usually at one thousand words. Soon, my book is finished; I read it out loud and send it to my beta readers for critique,

Thomas C. Hosey, author of Dragon Fire.

B.T. Ellis

My typical writing routine consists of an early morning wake up or an incredibly late evening, a quiet house, and a cup of hot coffee/hot chocolate/tea and a notebook. I prefer to handwrite any initial project, and when I have reached a point where I am ready for the work to become more complex, then I move to a laptop.
I will listen to music while writing, typically within the genre that I am writing about, but with nonfiction ideas, I listen to podcasts that have the same general vibe, even if its not the same topic.  I have to be alone in a room that is essentially closed up. I have all doors closed, windows closed, everything is closed, so that I can allow myself this contained type of freedom within my writings and not feel like I am being watched as I pour out my most intimate thoughts onto the page.

B.T. Ellis, author of The Problem with the Big Red Barn.

John Pucknell

My book is based on a blog I wrote, walking from Ireland to the south of France. Each evening, I would write my memories of the day on my phone, what happened, what I saw and what I  learnt from people I spoke to, Information boards and the Internet This period of nightly reflection and typing with my fingertip might have taken place in my tent, the rain druming on its nylon flysheet, or in a Pub above which I was sleeping, or a mountain hut in the Alps or even a nice hotel. It was an evening routine, just like brushing my teeth. However, a good travelogue is more than just a series of daily account, there are themes to be pulled out, patterns to be found. So back at home reviewing all I had written I summarised my trip, focusing on the highlights, discarding the trival, picking out trends and combining repeated events. On my travels I read books on the history of the country I am hiking through and its contemporary life, and books by authors from the places I visit. I include strands of my reading in my book which adds depth and interest. One major personal theme was that of ageing, starting with arthritis in my knee and ending with worries of dementia. However none of this stopped me reaching Nice and writing a book about. Hope you enjoy it.

John Pucknell, author of Through Cloud and Sunshine: Galway to Nice on the E2 Trail.

Lise M. Bedard

I don't really have a typical writing routine because I'm still working a full eight hour shift per day apart from my writing. I try to write at least two hours a day. I will be retiring from ;my day job at the end of October this year, therefore I will be able to concentrate on completing my second novel that is in progress. I believe that writing a little everyday keeps me sharp ;and focused on the work before me.

Lise M. Bedard, author of BUNCO.

Milton Klein

My two previously published books were nonfiction, so the writing trajectory for these was linear. This, my first novel, involved much greater freedom and much less predictability. Typically, I begin by writing a brief outline of the story line, but with fiction, I found the book’s characters took on a life of their own. When Gutzon Borglum was asked how he conceived of sculpting the heads on Mt. Rushmore, he said the busts were always there; he just needed to blast away the stone that didn’t belong. I found myself waking up at 3am with new and unexpected directions for the storyline of the book. Every time I forced the protagonist to veer  off in a preconceived direction that was left-footed, a late night epiphany provided instructions on how to swing things back on course. 
Then, I’d awaken early in the morning and race to my computer for the next seven hours - fixing the plot direction as the characters demanded. 
If I listened intently, the characters would also tell me which parts of the novel had been inadvertently left off - teaching me not only to blast away the parts that were superfluous, but also avoiding the removal of details that were important. 

Milton Klein, author of Desperate Measures.

Jennifer Cudia & Sara Cudia

The writing process for us generally starts with gathering up our ideas on a google doc. We jot down any big moments we want to happen in the story, but also small details like character and setting descriptions. We do research, especially if we are using characters that fit a certain type, like Dryads for example, to make sure that our descriptions match lore, with our own flare on the character. Once we have a solid starting point, we use a white board to map out the story, filling in the major parts. Then we sit down and start writing together. Often, Sara and I are drawn to one character or another and will write for that character. But, there are times, when we write full chapters together at the same time. Because we live in different states, we FaceTime each other while we are writing so that we can discuss any hiccups that come along, new plot points, character development, and so forth. Our editing process looks much the same. We often go back and read what we have written. I am stronger in dialogue, but Sara is great at the little details: character movements and action, and small setting details, that bring the scene to life. Working together makes the process go more smoothly. We are able bounce ideas off of each other which makes it easier to make decisions on what is going to happen next in the story. We don’t have any rituals that get us into the head space for writing, but instead, an idea or a scene or character dialogue will pop into our heads and that immediately has to be written down. This is usually the start to a night spent writing. Some nights we just call to see if the other is up for some writing. Sometimes, we write alone and let the other read what we have written to give feedback and make changes. We are both mothers to small children, so sitting down to write usually happens after our kids are in bed. The best part about being a writer is getting to work together. 

Jennifer Cudia and Sara Cudia, authors of The Secret of Hemlock Forest.

Aaron Boasman-Patel

I would love to tell you that I have a beautiful writing room, a perfectly organised desk and a very disciplined routine involving candles, herbal tea and several peaceful hours set aside each day, but the reality is rather different. I have a full-time job, a husband, two very young daughters, a dog and a life that is usually somewhere between fabulous, chaotic and slightly absurd, so most of my writing happens when everything else has finally gone quiet, usually somewhere between 9pm and 2am, and sometimes there is a glass of Sauvignon Blanc beside me and sometimes there isn’t. I think both states have probably contributed something useful along the way. The one thing I do need is to feel inspired because I cannot sit down and manufacture a chapter simply because I have decided that Tuesday evening between nine and eleven is going to be my writing time. Something has to be moving around in my head first, whether it is something that has happened to me, something I have seen or felt, a conversation I have had, or simply a thought that will not leave me alone, and eventually I reach the point where I know I need to sit down and explore it.

That is really how *Sacred and Slightly Tipsy* came to life, because although the books are rooted in ordinary life, they are really about how I interpret that life through my spirituality, my beliefs, my faith and everything I have experienced along the way. I might have a completely normal day at work, have a conversation with somebody, watch one of my daughters do something that makes me see the world slightly differently, experience a disappointment or a coincidence, go for a walk, remember something from years ago or simply find myself laughing at the absurdity of life, and somewhere within that very ordinary experience I will find myself thinking about what it means. There might be a lesson in it, or a pattern I recognise, or it might make me question something I thought I believed. Sometimes it takes me towards faith or energy, love, loss, forgiveness, the universe or simply the strange and wonderful experience of being human. Quite often an idea will stay in my head for hours or even days before I write anything at all. I am thinking about it, turning it around, looking at it through the lens of my own experiences and beliefs and trying to understand why it has affected me. By the time I finally open the laptop I may know roughly where I want to begin, but I very rarely know exactly where I am going to end up, and I rather like that because writing has become part of the way I make sense of things. Sometimes I start writing about one experience and discover that what I really wanted to say was something completely different.

I think that is also why the books are so personal. I am not writing about spirituality from some great distance and I am certainly not pretending that I have discovered all the answers, because I haven’t. I am writing about faith and spirituality from right inside the wonderful mess of actually living. My faith is incredibly important to me, but I also go to work every day, worry about things I probably do not need to worry about, get things spectacularly wrong, have two very little girls who need me, get tired, laugh a lot and occasionally pour myself a Sauvignon Blanc. I can have a deeply spiritual thought one minute and be dealing with something completely ridiculous the next, but I have never believed those things have to exist separately. In fact, that is rather the point of *Sacred and Slightly Tipsy*. We can have a tendency to imagine spirituality happening in perfectly serene surroundings, perhaps while somebody sits peacefully beneath a tree contemplating the meaning of existence, but most of the things that have shaped my beliefs have happened in the middle of ordinary life. They have happened through people, relationships, work, becoming a parent, grief, joy, disappointment, coincidence, mistakes and all those moments that at first appear completely insignificant but somehow stay with us. I think spirituality becomes much more interesting when we stop separating it from life and start looking for it within life.

When I do finally sit down to write, I write very instinctively and simply follow the thought to see where it takes me. Some evenings I might write a few paragraphs and realise that I am not quite ready to say what I am trying to say, so I leave it and come back another day. On other evenings I will become completely lost in it, look at the clock and discover that it is two in the morning and I have somehow written an entire chapter when I had only intended to write for half an hour. One of the most useful things I have learnt through writing both books is not to demand perfection from the first draft. I used to spend far too long worrying about individual sentences when what really mattered was getting the feeling, the idea and the truth of what I was trying to say onto the page. There is plenty of time afterwards to go back, move things around, take things out and make the words more beautiful, but I think you have to allow yourself the freedom to write first.

If I could give one piece of advice to somebody who wants to write, particularly somebody who already has a busy life, it would be not to wait for the mythical moment when you suddenly have lots of time. I started writing *Sacred and Slightly Tipsy* when I had one daughter and I have just finished writing the second book with two daughters, the same full-time career and, if anything, an even fuller and more chaotic life. There was never a point when everything else politely moved out of the way and gave me time to become a writer, so I had to find a way of writing within the life I already had. I think the best thing you can do is pay attention to your own life and to the things that keep coming back to you, because very often those are the things you have something to say about. For me, it is about living first and then allowing myself to think about what those experiences have taught me, how they have challenged me, how they have changed what I believe and, sometimes, how they have made me believe a little more. Eventually something clicks, usually far too late at night, the laptop comes out and I start writing.

So I am afraid I cannot offer a revolutionary productivity technique, a colour-coded writing planner or the secret to getting up at five o’clock every morning and producing 2,000 words before breakfast. My writing routine is much less organised and much more human than that. I live a very full life, I allow myself to be inspired by it and, when something makes me stop and look at the world a little differently, I write about it. Sometimes with Sauvignon Blanc, obviously. Perhaps the greatest thing writing these books has taught me is that I never needed to escape ordinary life to find something sacred. I just needed to pay a little more attention to the ordinary life I was already living, because that is where the sacred had been hiding all along.

Aaron Boasman-Patel, author of Sacred and Slightly Tipsy.

Debbie Ditchfield

As this is my first attempt at writing a book - which was inspired by the beautiful illustrations of my artist nephew Adam France, my writing consisted of copious cups of tea, talking out loud to myself while I paced to make the rhyming prose work, and a lot of procrastination! If it weren't for the prodding of my son Luke, I would probably have shelved the whole project at some stage, just to avoid finishing it. And now I am so glad that he made me persevere so that I brought these sweet little drawings of Adam's to life, and that I get to read my story to my 4 small grandchildren!  

Debbie Ditchfield, author of Winona the Good Witch.

Author of The Smoke That Mystifies

I am conscious about calming in the morning - always play deeply relaxing music and then do some qigong and a mini fitness routine to clear my mind and bring it to stillness. I write a bit in the morning, take a short nap after lunch and then write for another couple of hours. The routine I find is essential and I think the expectation that I will sit in front of the computer at those times is key, I dont mess with the routine.

Author of The Smoke That Mystifies.

Lawrence Harding

Organising my writing is pretty unconventional and my ideas on the adventures of Olulu & Storm come when I’m relaxed.
I started swimming laps each day at the local pool for fitness however the time in the pool became much more than just exercise.
I found with no phones ringing or computers dinging or chatter around my mind could drift to the adventures of what the cats get up too and I started to put this into stories for my grandchildren.

Lawrence Harding, author of Olulu & Storm's Adventures with Tim: Trouble by Three: Pillow Shred.

Roy Havardi

I’m very much a night owl, so I often find that the evening is when I’m most creative. I like the quiet of the night, I can let my thoughts wander.
It can also be at any time, inspiration comes suddenly  I usually write with a pencil and paper, rather than straight onto a computer. One of my favourite places to write is in an old rocking chair that my dad bought many years ago. There’s something about sitting there that helps me settle into the creative process. In fact, The Girl Who Wanted to Fly was originally written late at night while I was sitting in that very chair. I also love writing in quiet places surrounded by nature. Being outdoors, away from the noise, gives me the space to think, imagine and let a story take shape naturally. I don’t have a strict writing schedule. For me, writing is more about capturing an idea when it comes and quite often, that happens at night.

Roy Havardi, author of The Girl Who Wanted to Fly.

Kaye Lopez

My routine depends on who and what I am writing for. If I am writing an arts review or article, then it begins with the research into the  text and the topic. However, if I am writing a children's book, like "Lulu's Big Dreams", then it's more of an inspired process. I began with the characters and created a backstory. In particular, I spent the early stages drawing the characters, Lulu and Bobo - sketching them in all sorts of costumes, moods and situations. This gave me a rich bank of ideas that I used to develop the narrative. It was a very creative and enjoyable way to develop a story. I had lots of fun, hopefully my young readers will too!

Kaye Lopez, author of Lulu's Big Dreams.

Erika Silverman

I write whenever I feel inspired or have a good idea.

Erika Silverman, author of Can You See Me, Let the World See You.

Ellen Vale

A germ of an idea gets stuck in my head and as I put it down it expands. Sometimes the end occurs to me and the story develops toward that end. Once in a while a side issue derails the story and I have to incorporate bridges back to the ending. I am a more spontaneous writer than a strict planner. As long as I love what I am doing I will continue writing.

Ellen Vale, author of Assumptions and Misadventures.

Joanna Jenson

My writing routine is highly sophisticated: coffee, laptop, inspiration. I sit down determined to create literary magic, only to discover that the coffee is suddenly inadequate and the view from the window is apparently worthy of serious contemplation. Then there are my characters. They're meant to follow the plot. Instead, they develop their own ideas, make questionable decisions and generally behave as though they’re writing the book. Apparently, being an author means being less in control than everyone assumes. But once I’m in the zone, I can disappear into the story for hours. The real challenge is getting into the writing zone and staying focused — because apparently booking imaginary holidays doesn’t count as writing!

Joanna Jenson, author of Echoes That Start.

Nell Kirsten

I wouldn't say I have a perfectly structured writing routine and perhaps that's one of the things I've learned to accept about myself as a writer. I'm not the kind of person who necessarily wakes up at five in the morning, makes a coffee and writes exactly two thousand words before breakfast. My writing process for 'On the Other End of the Cable' developed much more organically. The book grew out of memories, experiences, conversations and stories collected over many years of working in and around the live events and touring industry.

For me, the writing often begins long before I actually sit down to write. An idea might come from remembering a particular tour, a backstage moment, a ridiculous situation that happened somewhere on the road, or a conversation with someone who had experienced something completely different from me. Sometimes it starts with a single memory that I haven't thought about in years. Other times, it's something someone says in an interview that suddenly unlocks an entire train of thought. One of the most important parts of the process has been simply collecting stories. I found that I couldn't always force myself to sit down and write a chapter from beginning to end. Instead, I would write things down whenever they came to me - memories, phrases, ideas, names, situations or fragments of conversations. Over time, these small pieces started forming a much bigger picture. That became one of my biggest lessons: don't wait for the perfect moment to write, and don't wait until you know exactly where everything fits. Write it down while it's alive in your mind. You can organise it later. Research and conversations were also a huge part of my process. This book isn't just my story; it is about a world that exists behind the scenes; the people who build the stages, run the sound, hang the lights, operate the video systems and travel from one city to another making extraordinary shows happen. Talking to other people from that world was incredibly important. Interviews and conversations often gave me perspectives I hadn't considered or reminded me that, although everyone's experiences are different, there are certain things that people who have lived life on the road immediately understand. The exhaustion, the humour, the chaos, the strange sense of family that develops within a crew, and the fact that some of the most extraordinary moments happen far away from the audience's view. When I actually sit down to write, I try not to put too much pressure on myself to make everything perfect immediately. That's something I've had to learn. The first version doesn't have to be brilliant - it just has to exist.

I think one of the biggest mistakes new writers can make is editing themselves while they're still trying to create. You write a sentence, then immediately question it. You rewrite it five times. Then you decide the paragraph isn't good enough, and before you know it, you've spent an hour staring at the same few lines. I've found it much more productive to get the story out first. Once something is on the page, you can improve it. You can move it, rewrite it, shorten it or remove it completely. But you can't edit a blank page. My planning process was also fairly flexible. Rather than having every chapter mapped out in minute detail from the beginning, the structure evolved as the stories began to accumulate. I had an idea of the world I wanted to take the reader into, but I also wanted to leave room for the book to develop naturally. That's particularly important when you're writing about real experiences. Sometimes you discover that a story you thought was only a small anecdote actually says something much bigger. Other times, something you thought would be central to the book simply doesn't belong once you see the bigger picture. I also learned the importance of stepping away. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your writing is not write at all. Go and do something else. Work on another project. Have a conversation. Travel. Listen to music. Let your mind wander. Often, the solution to a problem I've been wrestling with at my desk appears when I'm nowhere near the manuscript. My working environment is fairly simple. I don't need elaborate rituals or a perfectly designed writing room. What matters most is having enough uninterrupted time to disappear into the story. Once I get into that headspace, I can lose track of time completely. Music can sometimes help, particularly when I'm writing about a particular period, place or experience. It can bring back memories and emotions that help transport me back into a moment. But at other times, silence is better, especially when I'm trying to concentrate on the rhythm and flow of the writing itself. If there is one piece of advice I would give to the next generation of writers, it would be this:

Don't be intimidated by the size of the project. A book can feel overwhelming when you think of it as eighty thousand words, hundreds of pages and years of work. But nobody writes a book all at once. You write a paragraph. Then another one. You write a memory. You tell a story. You write something that might eventually become a chapter.And slowly, almost without noticing it, the pieces begin to connect. Another thing I've learned is that you don't need permission to call yourself a writer. You don't need a publishing contract, a perfect writing routine or a finished book sitting on your desk. If you have stories you want to tell and you're prepared to sit down and put those stories into words, then you're already doing the work.

For me, 'On the Other End of the Cable' has been a process of looking back, remembering, researching and, in many ways, rediscovering a world that has been a huge part of my life. The challenge has been taking all those experiences- the noise, the people, the travel, the chaos and the moments that happened behind the scenes and turning them into something that someone who has never lived that life can experience through a book. And perhaps that's ultimately my writing routine: collect the stories, follow the memories, write them down before they disappear, and trust that eventually the pieces will find their place.

Nell Kirsten, author of On the Other End of the Cable.

K.L. Thorneisle

I don’t really have a traditional writing routine. I take inspiration when it comes, and music plays a huge part in that. I’m particularly drawn to cinematic versions of music these days. I can be on my commute to work, listening to something, and suddenly I’ll visualise an entire scene. If I get that ‘ooooh, this is good’ feeling, I’ll pull out my phone and make a note of it so I can come back to it later.

Those little pieces tend to build on each other. One scene becomes a character, a character creates a problem, the problem starts shaping the world, and eventually I realise I’ve somehow got a plot. So I suppose I don’t really force the writing process. I collect moments until they start telling me what story they belong to.

K.L. Thorneisle, author of Unbound: A Shattered Oath Series.

Author of The Trinity Stone

Generally I like to get an idea down as fast as possible, going with the flow of the spark of an idea. I don’t think too much about phrasing or what alternative words I could use, that comes later when I’m happy I’ve got what I wanted to say on ‘paper’. Then I read what I’ve written and edit or change what I’ve said to ensure the reader can understand what I’ve written and enjoys the way I’ve written it. Even research comes later, I write what I think is factual, if I’m describing say someone ordering a nice bottle of expensive wine, later I’ll look into what that might be, how much, how rare and expand on  the glasses, the table linen, cutlery, lighting and so on. I will usually leave it there until the following day, when I’ll re-read it, possibly make a couple of changes, and move on. At redraft stage is when I really get ‘fussy’.

Author of The Trinity Stone.

Artur Spanjolli

That's an excellent question. Every writer would answer differently. It's not easy to understand how the idea for a story or a novel arises within us. Even more so, how it is then brought to fruition and written down until it becomes a true literary work. I'll talk to you about the novel I'm about to publish. The Gauls... The idea for this grotesque and exotic character came to me from a story my grandfather told me when I was little. He told of a bey who had married several women and every morning led them to work in a row. We're in central Albania, around 1910, in the midst of the Ottoman Empire. This fantastical and unusual idea struck me, so 30 years later, when I became a writer, I decided to use it. I created a story in which Halit Beu was a secondary character, in a village in central Albania. But I still wasn't happy.

So I thought about it for a long time, and then, after Covid—it was September 2021—the grotesque and bizarre character of Halit Bey took shape in my head. With his exaggerated figure, I intended to convey the full decadence of an empire. The Ottoman Empire, which had strangled the Albanian people and left them in darkness and ignorance for almost 500 years, ever since the time of Scanderbeg. Albania, with one foot in the East and the other in the West, was depicted in my story, at a crucial historical moment. Once the novel was clearly conceived in my art studio, I began writing it. I wrote it rather quickly. One chapter a day. I wrote it in the morning. From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. I've written many novels, but I don't recall such joy as I felt with this grotesque novel. It truly seemed to emerge from my deepest recesses. I didn't change the novel much afterward. I had decided to leave it like this, fresh and slim.  There are many different ways to write a novel. There are works of literature that take writers up to 25 years to write. Dante Alighieri took 25 years to write the Divine Comedy. Other works are written in one sitting. A writer, throughout his life, can also touch upon, modify, remove, and expand his work with full rights. Personally, I prefer to write in the morning, in the silence of my study. I write systematically. Once I have a clear idea of ??where I want to go, what I want to tell, then I move forward. For me, writer's block has no meaning. Writing is a learned profession. There are techniques for writing. Inspiration is only valid up to a point.

Artur Spanjolli, author of The Roosters Crowed Differently.

Wade Murphy

My stories, I draw from experiences I have had with my dogs and then I add in a little imagination. When I take my dogs for our walks, I always bring my phone to take pictures of our adventures. The picture could be of a forest setting, forest friend encounter or just something we see on our walk. It is these pictures that I draw my inspiration. For me, writing a story is like making a snowball...  When I am developing the story idea, I usually sit scanning through my photos and using my note pad jotting down notes from pictures that trigger ideas. Once I have an idea, I would write it down, building on each idea overtime. I always look over the pictures and notes that provided the inspiration. 

Wade Murphy, author of Adventures of Niya and Jaxx: A Modern Christmas Story.

Oskar Freysinger

It's most of the time not a daily, but a nightly routine: Sleepless nights because of the many ideas I must write down immediately if I will have the slightest chance to fall asleep again.

Oskar Freysinger, author of Svalbard.

Godwin Ubong Akpan

My writing routine is less a routine and more a negotiated ceasefire with my day job.
Working with data and public health, I am surrounded by numbers- but behind every statistic is a human story. Ideas find me in airports, hotel rooms, traffic or when sensible people are asleep, so I capture them wherever I can.
I plan loosely because characters rarely follow instructions. My best advice is simple: do not wait for the perfect moment; stories are usually written in the imperfect ones. Begin with one honest sentence, then another. Data tells us how many; stories remind us who and how we all fit into this beautiful jigsaw piece of life .Most importantly, our best stories often grow from what we love, or from those ideas that take hold of our minds and simply refuse to let go.

Godwin Ubong Akpan, author of Born to Aid: Heroes in Health Capes.

Nichole Ann St. Hill

My day usually begins at 5:30 a.m.  A fixed schedule that starts with caring for my beloved 18-year-old  Shih-poo and a rambunctious 4-year-old bichon who reminds me daily that patience is a virtue, while I hunt for my slippers she hid the night before. A little razzle-dazzle for my not-yet-caffeinated bloodstream. 

Devotion - Discipline- Rewarding! 

After I get them fed, medicated, and hydrated, I settle into quiet time I've affectionately labelled: Coffee with God.  I pray, journal, and my mind usually sinks effortlessly into a state of flow for an hour.  Then I hit the gym— and this is where creative ideas flood in like a dam being released. I cannot explain the precise science behind this heightened state of inventiveness when my mind meticulously sorts thoughts into segments for novels and scripts. Maybe it's the increased blood flow, or maybe it's just my personal recipe. But I won't change it— it's a perfected stimulus for my creativity and my physique. Two birds with one stone, or in my case, one sweat. After the gym, the afternoon belongs to the pen and keyboard.  For 2-3 hours, 5 days a week, I let the bounty from the morning’s creative catch find its way into an organized short story, idea for a script, or a children’s book. And the only time I divert from this tried-and-true recipe and schedule is when vacationing.  When my notes app is always at my fingertips to digitize an idea when inspiration strikes without the stimulant of a rigorous lifting session or coffee with God.  A body of water, people watching in a different country, or basking in awe at a glorious historic site is another seldom-used recipe that also summons my cherished friend, THE PEN. ????? 

Nichole Ann St. Hill, author of Poppy Goes to a Party.

Andrew Newton

I work night shifts so I normally get up around 2pm or 3pm and sometimes take my dog, Jupiter, out for a walk. Dog walking gives me plenty of time to think about my manuscript. When i get back from walking I try to fit in an hour of writing. My favourite writing spot is our conservatory but this can be simply too hot in the summer even with all the windows open. Now the weather is cooling I find it much more comfortable. I start with a coffee, of course, and for each writing project I have an empty, unlined notebook. I use this to store research clippings and mood photographs and any notes and plot outlines. When I am writing I have to have this notebook with me. It is almost like a comfort blanket for my mind. I have to have a quiet, peaceful writing environment and cannot write with music playing or external noises so much. Silence for me please! It is Golden apparently. I have a cool drink following my coffee, generally Lemonade and I try to write for an hour or more, if possible. I then get involved with life and chores and more dog walking. I try to fit in another writing session in the early evening but find this is not always possible. I have a generally busy family life so I take whatever writing time I can. I do occasionally write in coffee shops or Libraries if I have time to kill, such as when my daughter has dancing lessons. I recently bought a new laptop as my old laptop, which i used for years, did not have a working battery so I am really enjoying the freedom of being able to open my laptop anywhere - without a power source and just get on with my writing. My aim is to increase my writing time and make more use of time to ensure I can get much more writing done. My currently manuscript is a novel for older children and it is very much on my mind a lot of the time so I find myself thinking about my next chapter and composing sentences in my head - which I then Try to remember.  Writing can be pretty full on and my projects are never far from mind. Even when I am in the middle of fields with my dog.   

Andrew Newton, author of The Sleep of Boh Hippo.

Rob Schapiro

My handwriting looks like a 3rd grader’s. My hand can’t keep up with my head anyway, so I write on my laptop. Problem is I also have a lapdog, but only one lap. The hard part for me isn’t finding the words. It’s finding the keys.

Rob Schapiro, author of The Very Baffled Book.

Rohitash Rao

I like creating a playlist - either a compilation cd (yes, I still play cd's) or a playlist on Spotify - that gets me jazzed up and excited to get to work.

Rohitash Rao, author of The Very Baffled Book.

Laura Roybal

People are always asking writers about their "routine," how many hours a day they set aside for writing, etc.  There is no routine anywhere in my life, as I try to juggle two jobs, a husband and a home, sixteen grandchildren, volunteer work, and, yes, writing.  I write because I have always liked imagining life in other places and times.  Also because I love to read, and no one has yet written the book I wanted to read, so I wrote it myself.  My most current book started out as part of one long story about an extended family in the Nineteenth Century.  As it got longer, it got divided up into smaller parts, this particular part being number two of six.  Dividing it actually gave me a chance to include more details, more character development, more real historical facts.  Writing had to stop occasionally for research:  I like to get my facts straight.  With all six parts of this one long story finished, I found myself waiting and waiting on the publishers, so I entertained myself by reading mystery/romance novels.  I thought, "Hey, I can do that! (More accurately, too!)" So, I wrote one myself.  Then a sequel, then three more sequels.  Those books were just for fun, and I had a lot of fun making up the characters, the action, even the titles.
Right now, life is crazy-busy, so not only is there little time to write, there are no new ideas in my mind.  I plan on taking a solitary road trip towards the end of September.  I find that time alone, back roads with lots of scenery, gets me relaxed and thinking again.  My husband has commented that I always write more after a road trip.   
My first published book was a young adult novel.  When I was asked by the publisher to shorten it by at least 50 pages, I learned a great deal about writing.  Taking a class in art history at the local university as part of a degree helped also.  In art, we are taught to look at things like the focus of the work, the rhythm, implied line, color and balance.  All those things are important to writing also.  Finding the focus of my novel, I was able to eliminate extraneous matter, while maintaining the balance of the work, the local color, the most important elements to enhance the story without taking away from it.  To me, "implied line" means those connections of the narrative that bring the story into better focus without losing the thread of the story. People often tell me, "I would like to write a book someday!"  My response is always, "Do it!"  It doesn't have to be finished in a week or a month, or even a year.  It just has too be fun.   

Laura Roybal, author of The Patriarch: Luke Josiah Sebastien.

Author of To Love an African Violet

Because I am a full time practicing attorney, I write in the early mornings before going to my law office and on weekends. This slows the writing process down, but it allows me to rethink what I have written so that I can revise and expand upon my previous work.

Author of To Love an African Violet.

Taryn Littlejohn

 My Writing Routine

My writing routine is very much connected to my experiences as a teacher and to the students I work with. I often find myself inspired by my students—their ideas, their observations, the characters they create, and the imaginative ways they approach stories. Their responses and perspectives can spark ideas for my own writing, often when I am not consciously trying to write. I tend to collect these small moments and ideas rather than following a strict writing routine. I keep notebooks where I jot down fragments, observations, interesting phrases, character ideas, snippets of dialogue, and possible scenes. Some of these ideas might be only a sentence or a few words at first, but I like having a place to capture them before they disappear. Over time, these little notes can begin to connect with one another and develop into something more substantial. A particularly important part of my creative process has been teaching creative writing lessons with my students. Planning and delivering these lessons often encourages me to experiment with different writing techniques alongside them. Activities focused on character, setting, dialogue, perspective, or developing a narrative have sometimes led me to think differently about my own characters and stories. In particular, working with students on character development has generated a number of ideas for me. As I explore questions with them—such as what motivates a character, what they might be afraid of, what they want, or how their experiences have shaped them—I often find myself applying those same questions to characters I am developing. I have started to keep little character sketches and fragments alongside my other notebook ideas, gradually building up personalities, relationships, histories and possible storylines. My writing process is therefore quite organic. It moves between teaching, observing, collecting ideas, experimenting with creative writing activities, and returning to my notebooks. I don't always know which small idea will become a story, but I enjoy allowing those fragments to sit, develop and sometimes unexpectedly connect. In many ways, my classroom and my writing practice feed into one another: teaching gives me new ideas and ways of thinking about storytelling, while my own writing helps me continue to explore and understand the creative process alongside my students.

Taryn Littlejohn, author of The Power of Yet.

Trip Mackintosh

I start with a mission. What is the social issue I want to highlight in Africa with a story that might interest Americans and Europeans? The first novel was an adventure story on the people of the Sahel confronting Boko Haram. The second was a man's search for redemption after having persecuted San Bushmen in the Kalahari. My most recent is on anti-poaching and the impact of wildlife trafficking.  I start with life experience or interviews. 

For the third novel, Defend the Sunrise, about anti-poaching rangers in Zambia, I was in Livingstone, Zambia. I did not know what my anti-poaching novel would look like, I  just wanted to write a good story. I heard that some British special forces were there to train rangers in guerrilla warfare tactics. I got word to the wildlife office that if they came with stories, I would buy the beers.  At 6 pm, Annette, a mother of two, a Zambian woman and career ranger showed up.  She inspired me to shift the novel to focus on the brave women who fight this war for our natural heritage. I then traveled to Kenya and interviewed rangers and went into the field with them, both male and female. Again, I got stories. Then back to Zambia and a year of collaboration with Annette, testing out story lines and getting her input.  She is on the book cover and wrote the Forward. Proceeds from the book go to families of fallen rangers in Zambia.  I write at cafes. I think of scenes throughout my day.  I have wonderful friends and a brilliant wife who check me as I go. 

Trip Mackintosh, author of Defend the Sunrise.

Devin Staurbringer

My process is probably very different than most people's, here's what happens. When an idea comes to me, I think about what the overall theme or message would be and if there's a story to tell that's worth telling. If I decide to work on it, I just start writing. I open a blank document and start typing anything and everything that comes to me. Things from plot ideas, lines of narration, lines of dialogue, anything. After days of doing that, I find the natural starting point of the story and just start writing the piece in order from beginning to end. Sometimes I jump forward if I have an idea for something. I try my best to write three pages, and edit one page per day. But it usually ends up being days of not writing, and then a full day of writing lots of pages. 

Some things I do to get into the headspace of writing is listen to audio books, especially ones I've listened to and know will inspire me. I visit bookstores and libraries daily just to walk around and be near books. I watch movies that are about the same themes that I'm working with in whatever project it is. 

And the best advice I've ever gotten is more mental health advice than writing advice. But the sentiment is something like this: Whether you write fifty pages in one sitting, or spend all day deciding if you should take out a word or not, just do one little thing as many times as you can. Or said better: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao Tzu

Devin Staurbringer, author of Hominum Animalium (Human Animals).

Chrissie Lackey

Every writer would answer differently. It is not easy to understand how the idea for a story or a novel is born within the writer. Even less how it then takes shape and is written, until it becomes a real literary work. I will tell you about the novel that I am about to publish. The Roosters.. ... The idea for this grotesque and exotic character came to me from a story that my grandfather told me when I was little. He told me about a Bey who had taken several women and every morning he took them to work in a row. We are in central Albania, around 1910, in the middle of the Ottoman Empire. This fantastic and unusual idea impressed me, so 30 years later, when I became a writer, I decided to use it. I created another novel, in a backward village, where Halit Bey was a secondary character, in a village in central Albania. The novel was called: "The Silent Accusation". But I was still not satisfied. Later I created a second story titled: "The Stolen Bride". Here too, Halit Bey was a secondary character, but a little more developed as a character than in the previous novel.
So I thought about it for a long time and then, after Covid - it was September 2021 - the grotesque and strange character of Halit Bey took shape in my head. Why not develop, add to and enrich, I thought, this half-grotesque, half-real figure, and give it a more complete shape and physiognomy?
With his exaggerated figure, I wanted to convey the complete decadence of an empire, which, after 500 years, had begun to disintegrate. This Ottoman Empire had held the Albanian people hostage and had left them in darkness and ignorance for almost 500 years, since the time of Skanderbeg.
Albania, with one foot in the East and the other in the West, was described in my novel, at a key historical moment.
After I had the novel clear in my artistic studio, I started writing it. I wrote it quite quickly. One chapter a day. I wrote it in the morning. From 9:00 to 13:00. I have written many novels, but I do not remember such joy as I felt with this grotesque novel. It really seemed to me that it came out of my depths inherited from my family of Muslim origin.
After I wrote it, I corrected it, but the short novel did not undergo any radical changes afterwards. I decided to leave it like this, fresh and short. There are many different ways to write a novel. There are literary works that writers take up to 25 years to write. Dante Alighieri took 25 years to write the Divine Comedy. Other works are written in one sitting. A writer, throughout his life, can also touch up, modify, remove and expand his work with full rights. Personally, I prefer to write in the morning, in the quiet of my studio. I write systematically. Once I have a clear idea of ??where I want to go, what I want to show, then I start and put the material on paper. For me, writer's block makes no sense. Writing is a profession that is learned. There are techniques for writing. Inspiration is only valid up to a point.

Chrissie Lackey, author of Splat the Pumpkin.

Jim Thompson

I write short illustrated stories for  young children with an emphasis on encouraging children to use their imagination- magic bathmats that fly, talking cats etc.

The starting point for me is to be in the right frame of mind.  Usually in the morning, no special location or environment. It could be at home, a cafe or anywhere when I am thinking , " This is good,  I have time what shall I do next? The stories develop visually in my head and  I  imagine the pictures I will draw to illustrate the narrative.
 
This process is a great filter and helps develop strong simple storylines.  I then  write each chapter, happy that I can draw the pictures in a way  I would like a child to see them. 
The chapters do have an overall plot development/structure but I don't write a structure plan or framework.  I prefer to keep it loose, and then review and edit. The editing process makes sure that the underlying themes flow. I also edit out any unnecessary words to keep the stories short and easy to read.

Jim Thompson, author of Alice and Her Magic Bathmat.

Rachel L. Dunn

My writing routine often starts long before I put pen to paper or sit down at my laptop. My mind is constantly buzzing with ideas, memories and adventures drawn from family life and the many places I have been fortunate enough to visit around the world. Inspiration can appear at any moment, whether it is a funny conversation, a treasured travel memory, or a simple everyday experience that sparks a story.

One of my greatest sources of inspiration is spending time with my nephews. Children have an incredible ability to see magic in the ordinary, and I love embracing their imagination and joining in their play. Their curiosity, creativity and sense of adventure often find their way into my stories.

When it comes to writing, I like to find a quiet space where I can focus and let my thoughts flow freely. I am happiest when I can write outdoors or from a spot that overlooks nature. In particular, I love being near water or looking out across a river, lake or the sea. There is something incredibly calming about water that helps clear my mind, quiet the noise of everyday life and allows me to concentrate on the story unfolding before me.

I do not follow a strict writing schedule. Instead, I collect ideas as they come, making notes whenever inspiration strikes. Once I sit down to write, I enjoy immersing myself in the world I am creating and seeing where the journey takes me. Some days are spent developing new ideas, while others are devoted to refining and shaping the stories that have already begun to take form.

This balance of family, travel, imagination and quiet reflection is what forms the heart of my writing routine.

Rachel L. Dunn, author of The Magic Tent.

Lawrence Pagett

The way or manner in which I write?
Here we go!
Getting started!

Firstly, it’s all about feeling and intuition for me - I have a feeling inside me that steadily grows and usually though I’m aware of it, I simply observe it and attempt to perceive what it is saying to me.  In the case of Alma Magic! I was given specific guidance: here’s what happened. I was just about to run a bath and jump into it. I put in drops of essential oils of cedar, rosemary and lemon and some Sanctuary bath bubbles and hopped into the floating rising steam. The moment my skin hit the water I sank into a relaxed revelry of peaceful contemplation. I asked God what I was to invest my energies in - which direction - writing, music, therapy, or teaching? Immediately He said “Get out of the bath!” I replied “but I’ve only just got in! The Lord continued - “Get out of the bath right now, for you have asked me an important question and so I will answer you!” I got out dripping wet and wrapping a towel around me, I went into the bedroom The inner prompting continued  “Get dressed!” I did so!
As I was putting my trousers on and fastening my belt, my right hand reached into my back pocket and there seemed to be a single piece of paper there. Puzzled I pulled it out and opened the folded scrap up and to my amazement I received the answer to what I was to do next. On the paper was a funny childlike drawing and in the letters of a young child were the words Alma. Additionally, I could make out the letters Lozzie but they were a bit back to front. There was a picture of a being all in green drawn by Alma 
God said he wanted me to write a book about Alma! 

So we now have an idea and a direction  But nothing else - not quite a blank slate but pretty much!

How I write?
I sit at my laptop and simply begin trusting that the drama will unfold and it does… I kind of channel it!
I generally don’t have a clue where it will lead. I love watching it reveal itself to me. It’s a fascinating process- “I wonder what will happen next… oh I didn’t see that coming…”
Of course it’s not all like that. I do spend a lot of time mulling it over - countless hours! Invariably, if I do a bit of forward planning - it rarely gets into the story, so I usually don’t bother. I used to laugh and joke about the fact that if I wrote something for a magazine they often used to take my ‘best parts’ out! Sometimes I would be credited for a piece of writing I hadn’t actually written  This taught me to lighten up and relax around writing for life so often is much stranger than any made up fiction! 
Since starting Alma Magic! I have written a total of eight books in about a year and yet for many years I had little inspiration to write anything! I remember thinking I can’t write a book as I’ve completely nothing to say and I wouldn’t know where to start! Another huge part of my methodology is it greatly helps if I have something to aim at. I am comfortable with deadlines and word counts and must be ready by Friday… I love having a ‘job’ to do! I must write the sequel to Alma Magic! I must get down to doing the audio book. Incentive is a huge carrot for me (never a stick). I love being creative and I prefer to have a project on the go…I’m never happier than to be in the creative flow- I love to be ‘professional’. 

Lawrence Pagett, author of Alma Magic!.

Author of The Quiet That Screamed

I write when I feel inspired—usually when real life gives me a story that needs to be told. My writing often begins with a memory, a conversation, an experience, or a moment that stays with me long after it has happened.

I am most drawn to writing after the sun goes down, when the world becomes quieter and the distractions of the day begin to disappear. There is something about the silence covering my surroundings that allows my thoughts to become louder. In those quiet hours, memories surface, emotions become clearer, and stories seem to find their own way onto the page.

Sometimes I may write for hours, completely immersed in a story. Other times, I simply write a few sentences or capture an idea before it disappears. I don’t force the process. I have learned that my best writing comes when I allow myself to follow the story rather than trying to create it on demand.

For me, writing is less about following a schedule and more about listening—to life, to memories, and to the stories that continue to whisper long after the moment has passed.

Author of The Quiet That Screamed.

Esther Haart

When I wrote my book, I was working full time and a single mum. Finding time to write was incredibly difficlut, especially as I was also on call throughout the week.  I never intended to write this book, however, I would write about the people who were residing at the emergency accomodation as it was such strange things happening for me, that writing it down was a good way to make sense of what my job entailed.  I remember well one day, I went to some training, and at this event were local mps. One approached me, and asked how I got into the role from being "Just a cleaner?" I smiled, and briefly explained how I ended up in my role. He went on to say he had heard from other workers who had been to the buildings, that there was a lot of chaos there. I laughed and agreed. He asked me if I could send a story over of one of the people I encounterd. I did. He was deeply shocked, and asked if he could give it to one of the larger papers as they were interested in buying it. It was at this point, I realised I had alot of stories to write, and decided there and then to write a book about it. I wrote the stories about 10 years ago, but I was too busy to edit it. The when I finally did, I had to gather my courage and ask people around me to read it, as I needed feedback to see if it was good enough to send off. I did not enjoy giving my book to people, as I felt incredibly vulnerable, but I had to do it to see if the stories were "too much" or "boring" The feedback I had was vital for me to continue writing.  I need absolute peace to write, preferably to be alone for a few days with no distractions. Then, once I start writng, I can write for hours. I find being in nature very inspiring, and I work best when I can hear the ocean or hear the birds chirping. 

Esther Haart, author of Lost Souls.

Suzanne Turbitt

l always begin my writing with a cup of tea and a couple of rich tea biscuits. If l am starting from scratch, l get a piece of paper and l set out a rough draft of my storyline. I do this by using the five W`s method. Which are, 'Whom does the story involve?' 'When does the story take place?' 'Where do events unfold?' 'What core incident sets the story in motion?' 'Why do events happen?' Begin by introducing your main character or characters.  Then slowly, introduce your other characters, such as friends or family. Outline your beginning and your ending. Choose a world that you want to immerse yourself in. Put yourself in your characters shoes, become that person. Once you have finished writing for the day, read what you have written back out loud to yourself. But more than anything, enjoy and good luck.

Suzanne Turbitt, author of Risborough Hall: A Ghost Story.

Lisa Stathoplos

I have written and published three books; Forsythe, The Forlorn Firefly is my first children’s book! Forsythe was inspired by a lone firefly “zooming” around in our backyard in midcoast Maine during the midnight blue twilight late in June. I worried that this little firefly seemed the last of his tribe, the end of June’s magical “nightlife.” I realized I didn’t know much about fireflies so, I began to research them. Forsythe was born out of what I learned.

My first two books — Make Me and Chimera A Shapeshifter’s Journey — are both memoirs. These books came to me in dreams. As an “out of work” actor during the pandemic (for obvious reasons), I began taking writing classes. One day, the prompt was something like: “Write a memory from your past using all of your senses.” Well, geez, trained actors study techniques that include ‘sense memory” so, this was right up my alley!  I began with a recollection of a miserable interaction with two grumpy radiologists I routinely engaged with at age fourteen — I was in physical therapy for many years due to a double curvature of my spine. When one particular encounter came to me, I began to relive it as an actor and then, as my teenage self. The writing simply fell out of me. I chose to continue writing in this manner with the notion in mind of telling circumstances of my young life that shaped me and made me into who I am today. Scenes came to me in dreamscape or in the fugue-like state before sleep. I learned to keep a notebook by my bed to jot phrases in the dark so I could remember specifics in the morning. And then, my writing practice became an early morning routine. 
And, so, I “dreamt” my first book, Make Me.  

Chimera A Shapeshifter’s Journey was a more deliberate effort to write the stories of the second half of my life — post the births of my children and my building a second career as a special education teacher for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. This writing was more fraught as I was telling tales of difficult passages in my life and writing very honestly and openly about mental illness, divorce, addiction, and about those closest to me as well as about students who have behavioral challenges. This required creating composites of both students and staff members and, eventually, the approval of the book by both of my adult children before publishing.

My absolute favorite part of writing is editing and I am fortunate to have a fantastic, insightful, editor in Suze Allen of manuscriptmentor.com to guide me in my efforts. From page to publication, each book averaged five to six years of writing, editing, and re-writing. I’m lucky to enjoy “killing my darlings” although a few returned from “the dead” and made comebacks in new form! 
The takeaway? I write a LOT in my head before I ever put pen to page (or fingers to keys) but, my best advice? Just begin! Make a start knowing you will re-work, edit, — jettison plenty of it! — and your vision will begin to take shape. Hone it and own it!

Lisa Stathoplos, author of Forsythe the Forlorn Firefly.

Diane Webb

As a busy mum of two who works full time, I find time to write when I can, usually rainy or cold weekends and holidays. Inspiration for my book came from walking and observing the environment, in this case so many lost socks over the years. Observation, ability to rhyme and imagination forms over time with lots of edits along the way. Support from family and friends is also key, with what works and what doesn't. Eventually, after many drafts you perfect the storytelling you had been aiming for.

Diane Webb, author of The Sock Monster.

Naomi E. Roundtree

I tend to ruminate on ideas and things that inspire me over a lengthy period of time, maybe a few weeks or longer. Then I will pull together all of these different thoughts and experiences to focus on one idea that I want to pursue and in that moment, I go from thinking about things to writing everything down that comes to mind. This can sometimes take days and it will be my singular focus until I have worked out a rough draft of something.  It could be a poem, a story line for a book, etc. I also carry around post it note pads with me everywhere so I can capture random thoughts and ideas that pop into my mind where ever I am. 

My writing space is an old desk that I love in my home that has all my motivational sayings framed, fun nicknacks from travels and that given to me as gifts over time, and other random things that make me happy and inspire me.

Recommendation to others: find what rhythm works for you and the way you process information and run with it. Each of us learns differently, derives our inspiration differently, and has an opportunity to contribute to this world in creative and meaningful ways. Go for it!

Naomi E. Roundtree, author of The Forest is One of My Favourite Places.

Robin E. Bailey

What prompted the way i write is all the modern day rules and regulations which have to be met and answered or set out for crew members from ones office. It became apparent that pages of dribble was flourishing meaning a lot of reading to find its real message. Schooldays came to mind with the English master educating us to precis down long prose to just highlight the real message. I enjoyed reading and must have read hundreds of stories but nowadays life is so fast half a chapter is read then one forgets where they left off.
Settling down to writing as a recluse having lost my wife prompted the need to set out the idea of a story then make it flow with speed of action to keep all interested and maybe one story then completely read at one time and enjoyed.  

Robin E. Bailey, author of Another Twenty Happenings.

Suzanne Hodgson

I prepare for a writing session by creating a clear, calm space and settling in with my laptop. I keep the room quiet, but leave the windows open so the gentle sounds of the semi-rural surroundings can drift in. I light a candle, and Ivy, my dog, finds a comfortable spot nearby. With everything feeling peaceful and settled, I can focus, engage with my story and let my imagination take over.

Suzanne Hodgson, author of SJ You Are Most Welcome Here!.

John Elsom

I am a creature of habit. I like to get up in the morning (7.30 am), have breakfast, and sit at my desk until lunchtime, heave a sigh of relief, and wonder what the rest of the day has to offer. Unfortunately, daily events break up any peace of mind. We live in dangerous times - wars, genocides, global warming. Our culture is manipulative. Our politicians talk about 'freedom' and 'the voice of the people' as if they owned the stuff. The first task of a writer is to challenge the cliches of our time and to bring their own vision towards an understanding of reality. This does not end at lunch or at any other time of the day. The key to survival lies in a sense of humour. Laughter lightens the darkness. 

John Elsom, author of Big DaDa.

Ellis Janzon

Many of my ideas arrive during walks in nature with my dachshund. A memory, a conversation or a passing thought often finds its way into one of the many notebooks I keep nearby. My writing day begins early, usually with a coffee and a peaceful view of the garden while inspiration takes shape. I often combine writing with editing, allowing ideas and poems to evolve naturally over several mornings. For me, writing is a quiet conversation between observation, reflection and creativity.

Ellis Janzon, Author of This and That!.

E.G. Durst

Nothing has saved me more than the notes app on my phone! They say you never know when inspiration will strike you and that is so very true. Whether it be 2am or in the middle of my commute home from work, I have turned to my notes app many times to jot down thoughts and sentences that usually have nothing to do with each other. Usually this consists of unique lines that I heard while I was out and about, the name of a character, or a linkage between two scenes. 

Then at some point following, I get myself a warm beverage (usually an herbal tea or hot chocolate), open my laptop, and try my best to make sense of the notes. That’s how I get the ball rolling and once I have enough bits and pieces, I start outlining and/or drafting my story. My typical routine may not be perfect, and the aspects of it may change (depending on the type of story I’m writing) but it has certainly been a trusty one.

E.G. Durst, author of Summer Bear.

Rex W. Last

Summer Snow is the latest in a loosely-linked standalone sequence of novels which explore the challenging subject of how to make negative impact, however small, on the overweening power of the absolute Nazi state, and at the same time keep your head screwed on to your shoulders.

One essential key element from the beginning of this project was to be thoroughly familiar with the subject, and frequent visits to relatives who survived the Nazi regime plus a book on Erich Maria Remarque which I co-wrote certainly gives me that grounding. (Also being a retired Professor of Modern Languages Emeritus does help a bit.)

I wanted to present a character-driven adventure with a big climax and a bloody nose for the Nazi villains without taking the whole tale too seriously (and ensuring it has the potential for creating one or more sequels on a similar them). How did I get the idea for this particular book and the title? Books are meant to be sold and read, and it is vital to catch the eye of the potential reader in the overcrowded book and audio market we live in – and the existence of a title can serve as a focal point to the project for the potential author.

The title is an oxymoron (a coming together of conflicting opposites) and that should catch the eye of the  passing customer, plus an excellent cover from the Pegasus designers, and the ‘spark’, as I call it, came in 1996 when those grim attacks by terrorist spread deadly  chemical warfare across Japan and elsewhere. First, I made a check that Nazis were actually involved in research in this area, then I would pen a chapter to act as a central element in the novel. I usually compose a complete chapter in isolation to give me a starting point, and that can be anywhere in the finished project.

In Cursing the Darkness, that chapter turned out to be no. 17, but for a change it happened to be the first chapter, which I hope is pretty powerful stuff. By the way, that title was a chance find when I was scanning a list of quotes online. It comes from Eleanor Roosevelt, one time Presidential first lady, and brilliantly captures what I am endeavouring to achieve: ‘It is better to light a small candle than to curse the darkness’.

Now, I hear you cry, what about the plot and the characters and their development, etc.? My answer is not deliberately obfuscating, but I do actually work like this: first, the key chapter is edited and polished, then a related chapter (or even another ‘seed’ chapter) is written, and the book gradually builds up in that way. When I start off on a project, I have no idea how it finishes (honest) as it’s partly a subconscious process in which I feel at times almost a spectator on the unfolding narrative.

It sounds a little odd, but that is the way I prefer to work on fiction. In non-fiction, much is constrained by outside factors, like my latest effort, now  in its final stages, entitled They think it’s all over, written for charity, which deplores the parlous plight of the ex-‘informal’ carer, and is driven by the painful subject matter.

I keep reworking the manuscript, letting the book grow almost by itself, and if I get stuck, I turn to one of the other books I am putting together until the brain comes up with the goods. All the time, your goal must be to keep focussing on the readers, grab their attention from the beginning, and ensure that they are hooked until the last page, when they will hopefully be satisfied with the tale but at the same time keen to find out what else I have written.

Now for a really useful concrete piece of advice: gather round you a few friends/colleagues to act as beta-testers, who have that special gift of winkling out errors etc. and not afraid to tell me so. Over the years, i have had a half dozen or so who for some reason like to read my efforts and shower me with brickbats and bouquets, more of the former than the latter. They are particularly fond of telling me when I get the names of my characters wrong, a special gift of mine.

And the big question: how did I get to write fiction as well as non-fiction and translations? The only feeble answer I can offer is that it was the fault of the wife of one of my colleagues in the Department. She should know about writing skills, I thought, as she was a best-selling star of ladies’ fiction, and so I put fingers to keyboard and clattered away, but to no good effect. The manuscript lay unloved on a dusty shelf for a decade and more before I felt I was ready and able to face this new challenge.

Either you have that gift or you don’t. And you must constantly work on it. You may remember the old tale of the young girl in London with a violin under her arm who stops an elderly gentleman and asks: ‘How do I get to the Albert Hall?’ The answer? ‘Practice, my dear, loads and loads of practice.’

Also, do be prepared to work hard and long and leave space on one of the office walls for sticking rejection slips (check out J K Rowling’s early career) and prepare for a deadly silence in response to your super-human efforts. You can get the occasional plaudit from a reader, and my own favourite came when I was holding evening classes on German literature in York, where one of my regulars, the then wife of the Director of the Goethe Institute, keen to score bonus points, collared me after class and stated: ‘It’s a pity you missed out on the lecture from Peter Huchel’. He was a famous poet on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. ‘Did you read that wonderful review of his latest book of poems?’ she continued with a superior smirk. Those were the days when reviews in the Times Literary Supplement were anonymous, by the way. ‘Read it, madam?’ I responded humbly. ‘I wrote it.’

Keep on writing and wanting to write.

Rex W. Last, author of Summer Snow.

Alistair Brooks

Routinely, I always write at night and for strictly 5 hours only. I begin after my wife has gone to bed at around 9.30pm and I finish around 3.30am. Each night that I write, which, again strictly, is only 3 nights through mid-week, I start with a short meditation to clear and settle my mind, and finish with a 20-minute power-walk in the dark along our creek path, followed by another short meditation before going to bed. I sleep like a baby and I’m up and doing by 7am ready for my normal day’s work with horses. 

With each book I’ve written, the most challenging aspect has always been making sure the narrative is as uniquely personal and as enthralling as possible. As part of this approach, I try to establish, as far as I can, that there are no published titles similar to, or that compete with, my main title or subtitle. In my most recent book ‘The God Thing’, I found I needed to be especially careful in this regard, as parts of the narrative are of a most sensitive nature. Even more important was the care I needed to exercise in checking there were no other works that would compete with my all-important sub-title: ‘Humanity’s Obsession with Certainty’. 

Besides loving to work in my cosy, book-lined study, the thing I have always found most helpful when writing is my Harper Collins Dictionary & Thesaurus. The dictionary includes over 105,000 references and the thesaurus sections at the foot of each page provide lists of alternative words for some 16,000 entry words in the dictionary. It is an invaluable aide, and my prize possession when I’m engaged in matters literary, most particularly the Thesaurus.
 
And lastly, in terms of offering advice, inspirational or otherwise, to up-and-coming writers, the most helpful would include: Do not take yourself too seriously, and do not sit on your bottom for hours and hours without a break, even if you’re “on-a-roll” with your writing. Get up from the computer for regular stretches, some deep breathing and a few big shoulder shrugs, with preferably a “walk-about” in fresh air every 2 - 4 hours; no matter the weather. Keep hydrated. Have a glass of water close handy, and discover the stimulatory benefits of herbal teas. Without becoming too obsessive about it, plan your actual writing time by establishing and sticking to a routine that will see you starting to write at around the same time each session and finishing at the same time. Sessions of 5 to 6 hours maximum would be my recommended writing time. Finally, and probably most important, do not forget others in your life; loved ones and pets most especially!

Alistair Brooks, author of The God Thing: Humanity's Obsession with Certainty.

Alison Sweeney

Nothing happens until I have coffee! 
I don't know whether I have a 'typical writing routine.' I have always envied people who do. When I was working full-time I aspired to be one of those writers who extolled the virtues of writing for a couple of hours before starting their 'day job.' That never worked for me. 
But once I rid myself of those expectations, I was a lot more productive. Now that I have a bit more time I do what works for me - exercise is important (a walk will get the brain moving as much as the body - and I will often get some ideas while I'm walking, even if it is just a scene or some words); I scribble bits in my notebook at home or if I'm out on my phone; I prefer to write listening to the radio rather than total silence. With my first book, I wrote lots of different 'chunks' i.e. I'd jump around and write different parts of the storyline depending on what mood I was in. With my second book, I'm trying to be more disciplined and stick with the progression of the storyline.
I used to think mornings were my best time to write, but now I've found - to my delight! - that afternoons are as good. 
One of the best pieces of advice I received was 'just write' - a sentence, a paragraph, it doesn't matter. It's the first step to helping anyone get rid of self-doubt and the dreaded procrastination curse, to stop making excuses. It may not be any good, it will definitely need to be edited, but it's a start. Take time for a pat on the back and then get back to it!

Alison Sweeney, author of Slow Burn.

Mary Ireland

As a full time lawyer, I generally use my evening time to create new adventures for  my characters. My characters are always with me and I often scribble down new stories, as and when they spring into my head. Letting the thoughts flow without putting myself under pressure works for me, if i am not feeling it, i don't write it.  

Mary Ireland, author of Adam's Ants (Crotchet Club Series).

Sukhraj Singh

As I write, I feel as though I am slowly bringing together everything that has been scattered within me. Each thought I write down feels like a small piece of myself finding its place.
What matters is not how you write, but how sincerely you are present while writing. When your thoughts come from within and your words carry what you genuinely feel, they begin to have their own meaning and power. There is no particular idea, method, or technique for effective writing. Simply write what you feel.

If you cannot feel what you have written, then become your own first reader. Read it, listen to it, and ask yourself whether it truly carries what you wanted to express.

If it does not, rewrite it.

Read it again, and rewrite it again, until you can finally feel what you have written. Because when you can feel your own words, there is a greater chance that someone else will feel them too.

Sukhraj Singh, author of Walking Through Shadows & Light.

Mandalannas

I start with a strong cup of coffee and a fierce staring contest with a blank page. After hours of drafting, I switch to painting to dissolve the creative blockages, and somehow, through this beautiful mix, the book gets done.

Mandalannas, author of Number Stories.

E.M. Souza

My typical routine as a writer is spontaneous. It is about the human journey.

E.M. Souza, author of Reflections Through an Hourglass.

Steven Linke

Firstly I wouldn't consider myself an author or writer. I'm up and out the door at 5am most mornings ready for a long day on the construction site, home around 4pm. I have a small notepad that I would write down ideas and scenarios that had been bouncing around in my head all day. Things that my children would find funny or situations I've been in and people I've spoken to. As for tips on writing ....for me it's a lot like listening to music , has to have a hook to draw you in , a beat and melody to carry you along and the ending makes you smile and wanting more. I started writing this book mainly to prove to myself I could but also to prove to people that thought I couldn't wrong . As for inspiration .....be more than people expect of you, surprise is a wonderful thing.

Steven Linke, author of The Dragon with No Name.

Stan Lovesavage

I have set up a few dedicated creative spaces in my house, and these days I am spending 30-60 minutes a day writing, 3-4 days a week. I feel that interesting writing comes from living an interesting life so the best tip that I can provide is to follow those things that you get passionate about, they will help to inform your creativity, have beautiful experiences and challenge yourself, this is how you find your voice, your unique perspective. Channel all the beauty or overwhelm into your art.

Stan Lovesavage, author of Preludes to Union: An Alchemical Process.

Mark Rigby

I always write a short description of my characters first. Who they are, how old they are and what is unique about them. What are their strengths, their annoying habits, what makes them so them. i play around with their names and backgrounds until i feel i know them. then i sketch out the main plot. This is only ever a sketch for i have found that if i write a more detailed story board, it nearly always gets changed or takes a new direction when i start to beef it out with the story line. But the characters never change. i try to think of a hook. why is this story going to be different. is it topical, and can i imagine my 2 minute lift pitch explaining what the book is about. i write that down and see how long it is before it gets amended or totally discarded. I google map when my characters live and start to become familiar with where they might shop, which restaurants they dine in, where they get their groceries, buy coffees, everything that builds a picture of their lives in my mind.
then i start to write. i dont have a set time for each day, i am lucky enough that when i am ready, it just comes out and down it goes. sometimes i can write for 8-10 hours a day for weeks on end, then nothing. i have usually reached a point where my story needs to think about how it will turn out. like chess, what are the different moves, how will it end? This is different to the storyline which doesn't change, but it is the detail of how we actually get to the finale....
once the main text is down and i am happy, then come the side stories. how i develop my characters, what else is going on in their lives which may or may not be a direct consequence of the storyline but nevertheless is important. usually as i am developing this side stories, that's when i get the ideas for the twists in the main story. some are red herrings to throw the reader around a bit, others are significant milestones that only become  apparent later in the story.
I usually write dark psychotic thrillers. This is because i think life is a complicated series of events, many become misfortunate, few lead to true happiness. That's not to say we dont lead happy lives, i think we do, because we ride the hard times out in order to make something more acceptable out of our lives. It's usually a tough journey, but with dedication and help, we get to where we want to be, a safe place, a happy place. we travel through dark periods along the way, of course, that's life. And also of course, not everyone's life turns out to be in a safe happy place. That's what makes the majority of us lucky ones, so obsessed with discovering how the unlucky ones turn out. Our worst nightmare. Please god dont ever let that happen to me.....

Mark Rigby, author of MindSong.

Iain Grant

My story may differ from that of most – the words ‘typical’ and ‘writing’ don’t really belong in the same article for me. I wrote this book at the age of 54, but the massive stroke I had within a year complicated things slightly … by the time I was able to write again, I was 60. I finished things up, and sent the draft out – to one publisher, Pegasus! – and was elated by their positive response.  So, questions about my typical routine do offer something of a mystery. I’ve gone from cramming my writing in wherever I could to being unable to write at all. Now, fully retired and living in small-town France, I’m able to write full-time … which was something of a dream for me, I suppose.
 

Iain Grant, author of The Snargle.

Julie O'Brien Harreboe

My writing routine is probably a little less structured than you might imagine! I tend to write whenever I have an idea that I’m excited about, often keeping notes of characters, scenes or little pieces of dialogue that can come at any time. When I sit down to write, I don’t always write in chronological order either. I might work on a scene that I’m particularly excited about and then return to the rest of the story afterwards. I find that having a quiet space and a good cup of tea helps me settle into the writing mood, and bonus if it rains outside. Most importantly, I try not to put too much pressure on myself. I remind myself that the first thing I write down doesn’t necessarily have to be the final draft, which takes some of the pressure off and allows me to enjoy discovering where the story and its characters want to go.

Julie O'Brien Harreboe, author of Don't Lose Your Sparkle.

John Manderino

Up at eight, make coffee, order from Alexa the sound of rain, go to the file titled New Book, and return to the rut I was hopelessly mired in yesterday. But the coffee is strong, from South America somewhere, and provides a lift that helps me clamber up and out, and once again I’m on the highway--until, pretty soon, I run straight into a stone wall. It’s at this point I might try a marijuana gummy, see where that leads. Often it leads to simply listening to music the rest of the morning. 

John Manderino, author of And Jill Came Tumbling After.

Chalaine Cuthbert Komadoski

My right routine contains three main components: laptop, Bible, notebook. The location where I write doesn't matter, as long as it is comfortable quiet space that I can focus and be able to spread out. When I start writing a book I have a general idea of how I want to start and where I want it to finish. I never have a map out of the entire book. That being said I do like to jot down some ideas that may spontaneously come to me in my writing notebook or on my phone, which I then transfer to my notebook. Ideas about specific things I want a character to say, a joke, a Bible verse, or an event that I want to occur. This helps lead my writing and keep me on track. I like to also have my Bible on hand so when I have a verse or know a topic I want to reference I have access to it right away. Being a mom, entrepreneur and writer life can be really busy. I try to be as flexible as possible when it comes to writing and just enjoy it! When that happens the best parts of the story just start to flow. 

Chalaine Cuthbert Komadoski, author of Becoming Phoebe.

Lucy King

I have no set routine that I follow but what is typical for me is to use a notebook and pen to take down ideas from things I might see in any normal day, it also helps when my overactive imagination steps in - that’s when the magic really begins for me.

Lucy King, author of Alfie Goes to the Isle of Wight.

Bz Nowack

I write poetry - so my writing routine is somewhat spontaneous and sporadic. I'll be in a cafe and overhear a word I like from a conversation and begin playing with it from there. I'll jot an idea down in my notes, or reach for my journal if it's nearby. For me, my favourite places to write are places where I'm still but travelling somewhere. That could be driving down the dirt road where I live or on a train. I'll write a sentence or two at first, and then re-visit it. Sometimes is turns into something more, and sometimes nothing at all. 

Bz Nowack, author of Tell Me When You're Done Counting.

Author of Long Grass Calling: A Fortunate Childhood

There is nothing routine about my writing. Because my work is based on a true story over a 100 year period, I do not sit down and write until the story has built within me to the point that it is exploding out of me like an erupting vulcano. When i do finally sit at a key board to begin a new section of writing I go into what I refer to as a state of rapid writing in which i focus only on the key board. Not the screen. The colouring and the layering of the story comes at a later date.

Author of Long Grass Calling: A Fortunate Childhood.

Andrew K. Hull

Looking through the thousand or so photos of Lord Barney and remembering what happened that day. I then imagine what Barney would say if he could talk. I have to be in the mood to write, then I can spend three to four hours. I often go back and re-write pages I am not happy with.

Andrew K. Hull, Author of The Adventures of Lord Barney.

L. Rizzi

My writing routine is simple. I like to clear my mind with a walk first, I make a big latte, I sit in my comfy chair (leaving my phone far away), and I begin! 

L. Rizzi, author of Home Run Horror.

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