MY WRITING DAY
Lucy Van Smit
The author and writing guide tells Lynne Hackles that making space for creativity comes first
Lynne Hackles
©Helen Abraham
Lucyvan Smit is an award-winning author and artist and has made multiple TV documentaries on writers.
‘My writing life goes best, when I set it up the night before,’ she says. ‘I plan what scene or article I’m going to write the next day and leave a note on my computer. This takes the wriggle out of procrastination in the morning.
‘I love to wake early. I let the cat out the back door and do my daily energy medicine routine on the deck under the oak tree. It’s a simple practice to ground and connect to myself. It looks silly and I wave at any bleary-eyed neighbours. Then I go for a walk. Often it’s still dark. Few things make me happier in London than watching the dawn rosy up the sky. Researching my last book, I learned about the importance of light on our eyes, first thing. I never go straight to a computer or look at my phone.