A Day In the Life of An Aspiring Author 

Imagine waking up to a day that is entirely devoted to being an author. No other job or responsibilities—just you, your ideas, and your laptop. I know—sounds like a dream, right? But if you did have one day to dedicate solely to progressing your children’s book, here is how I would suggest making the most of it: 

Start the Morning by Clearing Your Mind

We might not always feel creative and that can be a big roadblock in between you and your writing time. To help, I find that clearing my head first thing in the morning can open up ways to feel more creative throughout the day. 

Clearing the mind looks different for everyone. It might look like: 

• Enjoying a cup of coffee before the sun rises and everything is quiet. 
• Reading or journaling to ease into a creative headspace. 
• Meditating or practicing breathwork to regulate your nervous system. 
• Finding movement that brings you joy and relaxation before the day begins.

Choose whatever helps you feel connected to yourself. This is not a waste of time. In fact, I would say it’s a crucial way to spend your time. Writers need time to let ideas build and flow and that doesn’t always happen when you force yourself to sit in front of your computer, willing the ideas to come. That’s just going to hold you back. 

Writing

With a clear mind and energized spirit, it’s time to officially begin your author day! Before you begin, set a clear writing goal for the day—whether that be word count, first-draft completion, or revision targets. Without a clear goal, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the things you could be doing. 

Next, give yourself permission to just write. Set a time limit for yourself so that you stay focused without thinking of how much time has passed. If you get stuck, write out of order, or try writing just dialogue. There’s no right way to do it. The most important thing a writer can do is keep writing. It doesn’t need to be beautiful, perfect, and flowing every time. Just remember, you can always edit a messy draft, but you can’t edit a blank page. Just start somewhere. You may even be surprised at the new ideas that take shape when you read it all back. 

Pro Tip: When you’re writing—you’re writing. Think of this way, when you’re at work, you wouldn’t just scroll social media while you’re in a meeting or head home to do laundry. Nope, you'd stay focused on your work! Treat writing time the same way. Set boundaries that allow you to stay focused and honor your goals. Do not let the distractions pull you away from this precious time.

Midday Creative Reset

After all that writing, a reset isn’t just nice—I’d say it’s necessary. Don’t skip it! Step away from your screens, make sure you fuel up with something nourishing (coffee alone isn’t going to cut it), or take a walk. Choose something that will allow your brain to breathe. Remember, a refreshed mind is a creative mind. 

Reading & Researching

Believe it or not, I’m not going to tell you to spend your entire author day just writing. (However, if you’re feeling inspired, I won’t be the one to stop you either!) 

We all need a break from writing at times so that new ideas can form and begin to bloom. It’s time to head to the library or bookstore for a bit of reading and researching. When you’re there, observe which books stand out to you. What makes them engaging? Is it the illustrations, the use of fun words, or the characters? There is great inspiration to be found just from reading other picture books. 

Don’t forget to research them as well. How many books have sold? How successful are they on Amazon? Researching books can help give you great information on what is doing well in the current market with children.

Learning 

We aren’t done yet! There’s nothing like some personal author growth to help round out your day. Spend the last part of your day learning. This could be attending an online class about becoming a published children’s author, learning the steps to writing a children’s book, or tips to help you complete your first draft. There’s something out there for every author. And of course, we have a few options to help you get started: 

• Live Webinar: TBD
• Free Training: Learn the proven formula for writing and publishing a children’s book in less than 90 minutes. You’ll walk away knowing how to write a book that sells, avoid the three most common mistakes first-time authors make, and explore an unconventional publishing method. 
• Writer’s Craft Workshop: This is YOUR time to write. You’ll narrow down your ideas, learn the structure for putting a story together, and actually write your first draft in less than 90 minutes. 
• Children's Book Masterclass: This is the EXACT roadmap to getting your children's book written, published, and launched—on your timetable. No more second-guessing; everything you need is laid out from start to finish.

End the Day with Reflection

We often learn from reflecting on our own experiences. Before calling it a day, take a few moments to reflect on how the day went. What worked really well for you? What didn’t? What steps can you take for your next writing session to make it successful? Finally, don’t forget to celebrate all you accomplished—whether you reached your word count goal, felt inspired by a new idea, or learned something new along the way. Every win deserves to be acknowledged. 

The Reality: One Step You Can Take Today

Now, I know many authors don’t have the luxury of getting to spend every day devoted to their book—and that’s okay! Publishing your children’s book is still possible when you’re raising a family or working a full-time job. 

However, I will tell you this. You have to want it. Because when you truly desire something, you will make the time to see it come to fruition. So, here’s one thing you can do today to progress your book forward:

Set a goal and develop your plan. 

This should be very specific and could look like the following: 

“I will write the first draft of my book by specific date”

“I will draft an outline by specific date”

“I will develop my characters by specific date.” 

While being able to devote an entire day to being an author sounds lovely, the truth is this: you are a writer every day no matter what—even if you only write once a week for a couple of hours. Publishing your book isn’t a race. You will get there in your time. Every step forward matters. 

Even if it’s not done in one day, remember: 

Write—even if it’s imperfect. 

Read other books for inspiration. 

Research to see what is doing well in the market. 

Dedicate time to growing as an author. 

Reflect on your progress and accomplishments. 

Chase after your dreams in your time, your way.  Oh, and if you do happen to get those uninterrupted author days, soak up every minute—they are truly something wonderful.