Today it’s the turn of author Kathryn Freeman to give us a glimpse into her life as a writer. Kathryn writes contemporary romances – all of which I’ve read and enjoyed – none more so than her latest one Up Close and Personal which is an original take on the bodyguard/person being guarded scenario. And you can find out more about that at the end of Kathryn’s post.

So over to Kathryn …

A Writer’s Life in a Day – Kathryn Freeman

The sun streams through the window and I leap out of bed, shrug on my silk kaftan and skip downstairs to the kitchen where I pour myself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. And top it up with champagne. After grabbing a notepad and pen, I slide open the huge glass doors and step onto the patio, breathing in the fresh smell of the sea. Slipping on my sunglasses, I head for my pool where I settle into one of the sun loungers. And begin to write.

That’s what I imagined an author’s life would be like when I first decided I wanted to write books for a living. It was my Jackie Collins phase and I must have been around fifteen.

Of course real life interfered, and I headed off in a totally different direction, into the world of science. I did end up writing, but it was about disease and medicines. Not sizzle, passion and romance.

Yet decades later, I’m finally doing what I always wanted to do. A study instead of the sun lounger by the pool, a computer in place of a note pad, and sadly a mug of tea instead of champagne. Apparently I’m more productive that way, which is a great shame.

A typical day for this writer starts with exercise. No, I never did get that pool, instead I run (err, jog) around the village. It helps wake me up, but also gives me chance to clear my head from the mundane (washing, put bins out tonight, order more printer ink) and refocus it back onto my book. I’m amazed how many ideas come when I’m out in the fresh air, concentrating on my breathing (and definitely not on how far I’ve still got to go). And though it’s great for creativity, when I get home I’m left with a mad dash upstairs to scrawl the ideas down before they flee my sieve of a brain.

Once I’ve showered I retreat to my pink walled study – pink because I love the colour, but also pink to stop my sons and hubby using it. And I start to write.

Someone once gave me a tip that it’s best to stop writing in the middle of a scene, because then it’s easier to pick it up the next day, and I’ve found that really useful. What with that, and the ideas from my run (err, jog), it’s usually easy to get stuck into the story again. If I’m having trouble, I read back over the last chapter, though I try not to do that too much as I end up getting bogged down in correcting words I’ve written, rather than putting new words down. I’d rather have a crappy first draft I can (hopefully) wrestle into a sparkling second draft, than a sparkling, but unfinished, first draft. 

I write to an outline, so as I’m typing away I’ve a good idea where the story will go – it’s only the details I need to work out. Sometimes in developing these though, the story heads off in a slightly different direction than planned and the outline is tweaked, though the fundamental plot rarely alters.

When I’m stuck, or when I need a break, I dip into Twitter and Facebook to see what’s going on. Usually I do this at lunchtime but I have to be careful not to get carried away as social media time seems to go twice as fast as normal time.

And, err, that’s about the height of my writing day. I’m not sure you want to know about how I eat lunch at my desk (trying to avoid crumbs on the keyboard), and refuel with tea at regular intervals. Or about how many times I’m interrupted by my husband and sons, who are all with me now thanks to lockdown.

I will say that though the ‘writing’ stops around six, the story in my head doesn’t. At random times, especially when I lay my head on the pillow ready for sleep, ideas leap into my brain and I have to stop and scribble them down. It happens to such an extent that I keep a note book by my bed, and one in the car – traffic jams are good sources of book stimulation. Who knew?!

I will also say that the sheer joy of it all, of writing, of being so immersed in a story that it never leaves you, even after you’ve powered down the computer, is a revelation to me. And I have to pinch myself when I look at the books I’ve created.

Anne: Thank you, Kathryn, for giving us this entertaining and honest peek into your writing life.

Up Close and Personal – from the back cover:

British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild…all except one.

Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games.  She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.

Zac might get her hot under her very starched collar, but Kat’s a professional – and sleeping with Zac is no way part of her remit…

Purchase link: here

About Kathryn:

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.

I’ve two sons and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), so any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.

Social media contact links

Website: here 

Facebook: here  

Twitter: here