To celebrate the publication of her new novel Storm, Sarah Driver, author of The Huntress Trilogy, takes us behind the scenes in her ‘day in the life of an author.’
07.30 – I wake up and stumble downstairs – trying not to trip over my ginger cat, Lily, who is mewing non-stop. I feed her, eat my own breakfast and make coffee. If I’m awake enough and not running too late, I might head to the beach (which is ten minutes from my house) and walk along the shore, clearing my head to make way for the thinking and writing I’m hoping to get done.
08.45 – Did I mention coffee? I once read in a wild foraging book that you can make a coffee alternative from dandelion roots, which I have plenty of in my garden – though it’s not caffeinated so – WAIT, PROCRASTINATION ALERT! Time to focus.
09.00 – 10.00 – the general window of time when I aim to get to my desk (or hop on a train if I’m heading out for a school visit!) Sometimes I go to my desk much earlier, though. I also put my mini lop bunny out to run in the garden.
10.00 – even though I say I won’t check emails/social media until after I’ve written for a while, I usually do these things straightaway. [face palm]
11.00 – 13.00 – depending on the stage of writing I’m at, I might be found drafting a new chapter, editing a manuscript that’s come back from my publisher, sketching out ideas, freewriting, collaging or reading research material, all while glugging copious cups of tea or coffee and just maybe snacking on chocolate.
13.00 – 13.30 – lunch in my garden. The smell of honeysuckle drifts through the air in summer (which is very lovely, as long as I’ve remembered to take hayfever meds…).
13.30 – 16.00 – writing, writing, writing, until I’m lost in a fantasy realm. If I’m feeling stuck, I might head out for a walk or skype friends to run my pitches by them/talk about sticking points. I love writing for the freedom of thought and expression it gives me, and for letting me lose myself in the building of characters and worlds. I find it amazing that a whole story can be created from a single spark of an idea.
17.00 – 17.15 – Oh, no. A couple of bullies show up – Anxiety, together with a pal called Self-Doubt. I battle them for possibly the third time that day. Eventually they leave, but sometimes I’m aware of them still lingering somewhere nearby. My PA (Lily) begins to mew in earnest, telling me it must be time to stop for dinner soon. She likes to walk straight across my keyboard, typing cryptic messages onto the screen, or knocking things off my desk with a single sweep of her ginger tail.
17.15 – 19.00 – either I’ll keep writing or I’ll engage in other ‘writerly’ activities, like planning research trips, updating my Twitter/Instagram/blog, reviewing books on Goodreads, signing bookplates or replying to letters and emails from readers (my favourite!).
19.00 – 22.00 – I’ll go out to a yoga or meditation class, get dinner with friends, go to the cinema, or get stuck into some reading (before my TBR pile falls on someone’s head).
22.30 – 23.30 – time to snooze with a capital S!
About Sarah Driver
Sarah Driver was born on the Sussex coast and started writing as a small child. She graduated from the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People in 2015, after winning the 2014 United Agents prize for ‘most promising writer’. She is also a qualified nurse and midwife.
Her debut novel, The Huntress: Sea, is the first in a fantasy-adventure trilogy for 8 to 12 year olds. In March 2017, Sea was selected for Waterstones children’s book of the month, before official publication in April. Sky was published in September 2017, with Storm following in May 2018.
Read more about the author and the books at sarahdriver.com or follow on Twitter @thesarahdriver or Instagram @thesnorkmaiden.
The Huntress: Storm is the epic, thrilling conclusion to the Huntress trilogy by Sarah Driver. A stunning fantasy adventure, perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Piers Torday, Abi Elphinstone, Katherine Rundell and Frances Hardinge.
