A Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer

Inspired by true events

Today’s edition of Wishful Working is a 4 minute read.

This week, I thought you might enjoy a peek at a day in my life as a freelance writer living in rural Saskatchewan.

The following schedule is not an account of one certain day, but it is an accurate representation of many mundane summer days in my life.

8:32am — Wake up without alarm

8:36am — Roll over onto a fish plushie the cat brought into the bed in the middle of the night

8:37amCheck the pollen forecast to reassure myself that I’m not getting sick

9:05amHear husband hollering downstairs that he’s going to make breakfast and I should tell him what I want. Shout “Eggs!”

9:08amGet out of bed and get dressed

9:19amEat eggs and bagel with husband while doing NYT puzzles together on the iPad (Strands, Connections, Wordle, and Spelling Bee)

9:38amSay goodbye to husband when he leaves to go do farm things

9:45amPlay a round of spider solitaire on the iPad, lose

10:02amSit down at desk with cup of Yorkshire tea

10:03am — Check order tracking for that Old Navy order I placed last week

10:05amCheck bank account to see if that client has paid their invoice yet

10:07amBrowse bookoutlet.ca for cheap books

10:31amCheck planner and Moxie kanban board to see what I should be working on today

10:35amWrite two paragraphs for an in-progress article that’s due tomorrow

10:57amGet distracted by group chat with besties, suggest we all quit our jobs and move to the Wisconsin Northwoods together

11:10amOkay, focus. Write 5-7 more paragraphs

11:49amRemember that I wanted to join a marketing webinar at noon, hastily wash face and put on the bare minimum of tinted sunscreen and blush to look alive

12:02pmJoin webinar

12:50pmRejoice that hosts have generously “given” ten minutes “back,” use that bounty of spare time to scroll TikTok

1:02pmGreet husband, who has arrived home for lunch

1:06pm — Make and eat an underwhelming turkey sandwich

1:21pmWalk down to the post office to check for Old Navy package even though the tracking said it’s not coming for two more days

1:45pmSit back down at desk, write some more

3:13pmBecome unbearably sleepy, decide to take a 30 minute nap with cat

3:45pmSnooze nap alarm

3:54pmSnooze nap alarm

4:03pmTurn off nap alarm

4:40pmWake up and wonder what day it is

4:41pmMentally calculate how early I’ll have to get up tomorrow to finish that article if I don’t work on it anymore today, decide that’s fine

5:04pmStart thinking about supper

5:26pmText husband a supper suggestion: 🍕?

6:21pmCook a frozen pizza from Costco when husband gets home, watch an episode of My Lady Jane while eating

7:12pmWater the hostas

7:22pmEnjoy some floor time (IYKYK), scroll Libby App to find a new audiobook to listen to

7:45pm — Sit down at desk to write down some newsletter ideas and thoughts about a potential new service offering

9:12pmTake a shower

9:32pmDiscuss whether it’s too late to start a movie or if we should just watch a show, scroll streaming apps for 20+ minutes

9:55pmWatch Twister, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt

11:48pmWrite cheeky one-liner review of Twister on Letterboxd

12:11amSleep

Although many days have more meetings, errands, and activities, my life currently moves at a pretty slow pace. And I like it that way. 

A little work, a little rest, a little play, and most importantly — a LOT of freedom.

What do your days look like? I would love to know.

See you next week,

Kara

Wishful Working is inspired by my desire to see more people enjoy a life not centered around work. For some, the path to freedom and flexibility is through self-employment, but we also need to challenge cultural norms and champion healthier working conditions and work/life balance for all types of workers.

Who am I? I’m a freelance writer and entrepreneur based in small-town Saskatchewan. I write longform content for B2B clients, and I help founders and independents name their brands and projects through a new venture called Naming. Connect with me by replying to this email or finding me on LinkedIn or Twitter.