Author Feature: A Day In The Life of...Aimee Agresti

We here at Stalking the Bookshelves thought it might be fun to step behind the veil (if you will) and find out what goes on during an average day in the lives of our favorite authors. This is a monthly feature so stay tuned to see who else pops on by.

 

Its month 3 of our "A Day in the Life" feature and this month we have Aimee Agresti author of Illuminate.

A DAY IN MY LIFE

As a writer, every day is a little different. Some days, sure, you can lock yourself inside and just write, write, write, but other days it really helps if you're a good multitasker. I, unfortunately, am not. So on days like this particular one, I tend to get a little scatterbrained....

6:00am-ish: Baby—who has been up a few times throughout the night—decides it’s time to officially wake up. So, the day begins! During the blur of typical morning hubbub--feeding/dressing/changing baby, feeding/dressing myself, making coffee for hubby, straightening up the apartment (somehow already messy!)--I attempt to answer an email or two.

 

9:00am: Play with Baby/book-signing prep. Read to Baby from ILLUMINATE and practice what I’ll say at an upcoming event...until Baby begins crying (perhaps a sign that my presentation needs tweaking?)

 

10:00am: Writing time. Log off of email/Twitter/Facebook, cease all contact with outside world and get to work polishing Book Two of the Gilded Wings Trilogy, which I’ve methodically been chipping away at. I’ve always been more of a tortoise than a hare. 

 

12:30pm: Twitter/Facebook/email/lunch break. Quick check of usmagazine.com to catch up on the important news of the day!

 

12:45pm: Back to work. Revise, revise, revise. I really liked this scene a couple months ago but now I think it can be better. Nothing is safe from the wrath of my red pen!

 

1:50pm: I wish Starbucks delivered, I could really use some caffeine. Hmmm, a coffee run is less indulgent when combined with errands: Gather bookmarks, books and prizes I need to mail to readers and contest winners (Australia! Romania! Indiana!) and off I go! 

 

1:51pm: I’m back. I forgot my keys…. 

 

1:52pm: …and my phone. Where is my phone? There it is, between the sofa cushions.

 

2:02pm: Post office. Mail various items/try to entice postal pals to come to my book signing. (I'm here a lot, they know all about the book!)

 

2:20pm: Cupcake shop. Order cupcakes for the book signing: red velvet, of course. (Haven’s favorite!)

 

2:28pm: Leave cupcake shop. Have a brainstorm….

 

2:29pm: Return to cupcake shop: Do they rent out those tiers for displaying the cupcakes? Yes! Hurrah! And let's add some devil's food cupcakes too!

 

2:30pm: Starbucks beckons! Oh, how nice, thank you: my sweet barista friend upgrades me to a grande frappuccino when I had only ordered a tall. I love her! 

 

2:40pm: Back to work. Write, write, write. Revise, revise, revise.

 

5:30pm: Family time: Dinner, playtime, and eventually, after several attempts, get Baby to sleep. 

 

8:45pm: Back to work! Write, write, revise, revise! 

 

10:30pm: Make fatal mistake of bringing laptop into bed and turning on TV. Oooh, “Sex and the City” reruns! I can't resist these! Watch for a few minutes and finally, reluctantly mute TV. Continue writing/revising. 

 

11:50pm: Uh-oh, eyelids starting to droop. Zzzz. Must…get through…a few more…pages…

 

1:07am: Where am I? What’s going on? Look at the clock: I must've dozed off. My laptop, still on my lap, is now multitasking as an electric blanket. Lights out, good night!

 

 Follow Aimee Agresti

 At her Blog: http://aimeeagresti.com/blogs/

Or On Twitter: https://twitter.com/AimeeAgresti

Illuminate 

Available now from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 Thanks so much to Aimee for taking time out of her schedule to write this post and for letting us get a sneak peek into her writing process. One of our favorite things about blogging is meeting new people and forming fabulous new friendships!