Ever wondered what an editor’s daily routine looks like? I figured I’d give it a whirl and document my activities. The first week of the year seemed like a good one: easing into the new year, settling into its rhythms, etc. … Here’s how that plan went.
Monday: 5.00 am. First official working day of 2021. I am an early riser. But not today. Today my bones are lead. The portent of a week looms over me. Last night, I signed up for a “short” rush job. I get up and rearrange my schedule for the week to clear space for the new job. Send out invites to the week’s consultation meetings and prep for them. Read the material from my WGA mentee and comment—got to get this done before the rush job arrives. Babysit grandchild. Back to writing some materials for my website. Close shop at 7 pm.
Tuesday: 5.30 am: Wake up and check my vitals. Yes, I’m still the EPL feature writer. The reading list I created before the holidays is up. Post it on social media. Catch up on holiday correspondence. Wait for rush job. Do research for an introduction I am writing for a book. Wait for rush job. It has a firm deadline. Apply for grants, submit creative writing to magazines. Edit poetry and continue working on new materials for my website. Wait for rush job. 9 am: Go for a run, then back to poetry. The poetry’s tough going, complex and contains plenty of play with form and style. I’m on my toes constantly. 3 pm: Walk the dogs. 7 pm: Make dinner, check emails. Rush job arrives. Start edits. Log off 11 pm.
Wednesday: 5 am. Rush job. 9 am. Run. Focus: Rush job. Babysit. More poetry. I said this one is demanding. Wasn’t lying. Rush job. Walk dogs. 5 pm: Consult call. Dinner. Back to rush job. All day, the background noise and intrusions of the US election. I’m an election junkie and … Focus! End up posting about elections on social media. Back to rush job.
Thursday: 5 am: Rush job. 1 pm: Rush job. 5.30 pm: Speak with my WGA mentee about her work, plan our next three months together. Rush job. 11 pm: Send first revision of rush job to author. Get side-tracked dragging several years worth of writing from dust-ridden corners of my computer and discover there might even be a book among the dust bunnies. Begin sifting through the material. Focus. Sleep.
Friday: Wait for rush job to come back. Sleep in until 8. Errands. 11 am: Consult call. 1 pm: Consult call. 2 pm: Admin for the week. Start working on website materials. 3 pm: Rush job revisions return. Abandon website revisions. Rush job. Rush job. 11.30: Log off.
Saturday: 5 am: Wrap up admin. Clean up website materials. Rush job. Phone calls back and forth all day. This is the home stretch. And stretch. A-a-nd s-t-r-e-e-e-tch. 3:30 pm: Revisions back to author. Back to waiting…. Write more website materials. 5:30 pm: Revisions arrive. 7.30 pm: Revsion back to author. Wait. 11 pm: Final revisions arrive.
Sunday: 2 am: Wrap up rush job.
… and that was the kind of week it was. You know, easing into the new year.
Not every week looks like that, thank goodness. Maybe I’ll try this exercise again with a more normal week. Maybe this is the new Covid-19 normal. Who knows?