A Day in the Life: Kristen Ciccarelli

Every day is really different for me. When I’m on deadline, I tend to spend most hours of most days writing. When I’m touring, I tend to spend most hours of most days preparing for, travelling to, and doing events. For the most part, though, this is what an average day looks like for me:

I start the day by making coffee, listening to the Ceeb (that’s the CBC—Canada’s public radio station), then spending an hour “unplugged” while walking my favourite trail along the river. (I have an unhealthy obsession with flavoured coffee, so the coffee in that travel mug is definitely flavoured. My current favourites are coconut, maple, and pumpkin.) Oh, and that’s my floofy dog, Yonder. He often gets mistaken for a Muppet.

Back in my office, I make a list of all the things I need to do, then start with the most important: writing. I try to use my mornings for writing because that’s when I’m most creative. Here are some things you can see on my Desk of Chaos: 

- my favourite book of all time (The Forgotten Beasts of Eld)
- mint tea in a handmade mug (I used to be a potter and collect handmade mugs)
- the MacBook I’m revising book 2 on
- the notebook I’m drafting book 3 in
- how desperately I need a new bookshelf
 
I’m trying to draft my newest book by hand, which is something I’ve never done before, but am really loving!

I use my afternoons for revisions as well as more “author-y” things, like answering emails, posting on social media, etc. Things you can see on my Desk of Calm:

- illustrations by Kim Herbst
- photos of: my cousin and I as babies, my grandfather playing his accordion, my wedding invitation (my husband made the paper and I typed the words on a typewriter)
- revision notes for book 2
- the e-reader I use to read through my manuscripts

Sometimes I head downtown to work in a café so I can stretch my legs and grab a treat, and I’ll often stop by my local indie bookstore on the way to pick-up or order books.
 

4:30: Time to shut down my computer and walk Yonder! Sometimes he jumps guardrails and then forgets how to get back over them.

The end of the day is usually full of binge-watching TV shows (my favourites include Firefly, The Musketeers, Poldark…) with my husband or spending time with friends. Sometimes I have an event I need to be at. Other times I let myself work on a new writing project (something secret and fun that’s just for me). Often, though, I’ll spend the whole evening in my reading corner like this: