Roxann Davis

There's my dog, Jack, that needs to be walked. If I don't get up within a reasonable amount of time, he huffs (a cross between heavy breathing and a bark) which escalates to a "whisper" bark so as not to wake up my husband, and if I don't respond to either of those "inspirations", there's a full-on bark. Jack is an 87 lb. Golden Retriever. He commands respect. He does, however, allow me to begin my day each day with a twenty-minute meditation. It's our agreement.

Once out of bed and out the door to walk--rain, hail, sleet, or snow--I consider my day and attempt to resolve the issues of the day. Issues of the day often include what I have to write next...be it a chapter or a new book.

I suppose that question is a natural follow on to what "inspires" me to get out of bed. The process can vary slightly from day to day. If there's a book that I'm writing, then I try to get all my writing done before 3 p.m. I'm really not motivated after that. I am not a 3 a.m. writer under any circumstances. On those days that I'm not feeling "it", I'll edit what I've written, if that's appropriate. Or I'll work on marketing the published or soon-to-be published books. I can usually be good for two to three solid hours of writing and those are really good days for me.

If I'm trying to come up with a new book idea or flesh out a fresh idea, I'll consider what needs to be done to make it a reality. That could be more research on the content, characters, or plot. I could also sit down and write out -- yes with pen and paper -- some plot notes. It is not unheard of for me to write the first chapter longhand before moving to my computer.