Day in the Life of Claire Baxter

Friends ask whether I find it difficult to sit down to write at home when there are so many distractions – washing to do, garden to weed, TV to watch.

I don’t!

When I enter my home office, I’m there to work. Actually, I start before that – while I’m in the shower. It’s a pity I live in the driest state of the driest continent on earth because I could do good work in the shower. But then again, I wouldn’t want to leave South Australia.

So, I start work around 7.30am and check emails, visit loops for an hour or so, then I move on - physically - to writing. I move away from my desk and into a comfortable chair in the corner of my office. I have to do this or I’d never get off the internet.

The radio is on for company, but once I start writing I become oblivious to what’s happening around me. I wouldn’t even notice the doorbell if the dogs - Monty and Phoebe - didn’t go berserk.

At midday my stomach tells me it’s lunch time and I take an hour’s break. It doesn’t take long to eat a Vegemite sandwich so I read for the rest of the hour.

After lunch, I write for a short time then lose steam so I deal with emails, do research and website updates.

Mid-afternoon, my husband arrives home from work (he’s a very early starter) and we take the dogs for a long walk in cool weather or swim in our pool in hot weather.

Exercise done, we relax on the verandah with a coffee and watch the rainbow lorikeets feeding in the palm trees at the end of the garden. I love this part of the day.

After the evening meal, I usually do something connected with writing - research, plotting, editing, or going to a writers’ group meeting.

Then finally, to bed, to think about the next day’s writing.