What impact does your morning routine have on your writing?
In or out morning routine
OK, it’s not great, but you get the idea:
Yawning, she sat up in bed as a giant grey tabby cat nuzzled her. She slowly planted her feet on the floor and made her way to the coffee maker in the kitchen. Within minutes, she held a steaming cup of chicory coffee between her hands, allowing the warmth to course through her arms and into her body. Time to get the day going.
Most of us have a typical morning routine that involves struggling to get out of bed, make coffee or tea, and placate a hungry familiar. (Doggo people likely have the added step of taking the familiar out to relive themselves.) There’s nothing wrong with such a routine/ritual, but does it limit one as a writer? Sure, you can write a great scene about bringing that steaming cup of coffee to a lover still in bed, but what if the relationship isn’t at the morning-after stage yet? Do they come over anyway, because you make fantastic biscuits? What about when your character connects with a mom who has to drive the kids to school. Wouldn’t it make sense to catch up with them at a local coffee shop?
Getting up and out
The flip side of this coin is important. I’m the go-out-for-coffee person. Yeah, I’ve got a pour-over carafe and coffee in the house, but my idea of morning coffee involves a barista filling up my travel mug at the PJ’s Coffee on Canal Boulevard in Homedale. There are several reasons I prefer going out:
- People-watching – it’s more fun than bird watching
- Teaching – If I’m going to be in my study all day on a WebEx, I want some time out of the house
- Getting ready – I don’t feel like I’m underfoot while the wife gets ready. It’s also bad optics for me to sit around while she’s back-and-forth.
- Taste – coffee just tastes better when you don’t have to make it yourself!
Switching up
It’s good for a writer to vary the morning routine. You sit in your jammies, doggo at your side? Go out periodically and watch the coffee shop routine. Maybe even bring the familiar to a dog-friendly place. Pay attention to details! For example, in New Orleans, drive-ups for coffee shops are prohibited. You have to park and go inside. That means you have to wear clothes, something drive-thru patrons occasionally fail to consider. Regulars who otherwise would recognize cars recognize faces.
Maybe actually use that coffee pot in the cabinet occasionally. The coffee ritual is important to readers, and the minutes while it’s brewing are a time for a character to reflect. It’s important to get the mechanics right.
Tell us your morning routine in comments!
