We spoke with writer K.T. Edwards to find out more about her book, Whatever Happened to Romance?, writing every single day, and her real thoughts on today’s dating.

Can you describe a typical day in your life, starting from springing out of bed (or hitting the snooze again) to the time you go to sleep?

Being a freelance writer, no two days look exactly the same, but here is a general overview of a regular day for me: I’m usually up by 7am once my alarm goes off to take the dog out (if I happen to be fostering one at the time) followed by making breakfast for my boyfriend and I. Once he’s off to work I check my emails then head across the street for my morning coffee.

I’m glued to my computer from 8:30am until noon writing new content for the sites that I contribute to, strategizing new promotional tactics for my book and updating my website.

Then around lunchtime most days, I head over to my boxing studio to unwind and get my body moving. I think that it’s very important for your body and mind to take a break from sitting stationary for so long.

From 1:30 until about 5:30, I seek out new writing opportunities, write some more content for my online blogging jobs and for personal projects. I always have a ton of different ideas that I’m trying to develop so I need a period of personal creativity every day. As a writer, I find it’s helpful to focus on writing for yourself and creativity as much as you focus on writing for money so that you continue to enjoy the process of writing.

I start cooking dinner around 6pm or go out for dinner with my sister, friends or boyfriend. I never really stop writing throughout the day no matter what time it is because ideas are constantly coming to me. So if I’m not at my computer, I’m jotting notes into my phone.

I try to get to bed by 11pm. Of course, every day is different and I always have different meetings with people, errands to run, events to attend etc. But this outline definitely touches on the structure of my day-to-day.

Your book, Whatever Happened to Romance climbed to #1 on iTunes. Did that surprise you?

I was surprised by how quickly it happened but strongly believed there was a large audience for the content when I first started writing it. Love is such a universal topic and so many women I know enjoy reading relatable books that they can laugh at and recognize themselves in the characters. At the end of the day it also comes down to discoverability and spreading the word and I was fortunate to have a great network of people around me who supported me and plastered the book all over their social media.

What’s in the works for the next book? What subject matter are you looking into?

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing another satirical book about love, but this time I want to write it from a place of being in a relationship. The first book explored the struggles and insecurities of being a single girl but girls in relationships are faced with struggles, too. Technology has transformed the way we interact with one another all across the board so I think it would be interesting to write about how it’s changed our behaviour when we are in a relationship. Perhaps I’ll call it, I’m in a Relationship, Now What? The idea still needs to be developed, that’s for sure.

I’ve also been really drawn to writing a fictional book but again. At the moment it’s about focusing on one idea at a time without spreading myself too thin. It’s great to have different ideas to get your creative juices flowing; however, the best results come from focusing all of your energy onto one particular project at a time.

The process of mining one’s personal life for stories is nothing new. Were there ever stories that you thought were too personal to include in your writing? How do you decide what to write about and what to remain mum about?

I wanted to create something that would be incredibly candid and honest so I didn’t want to sacrifice the quality of work by cutting anything “too personal” out. The only time a story was cut out was when it didn’t do anything for the narrative. Although, as it was a work of non-fiction, I did pay attention to making sure that I didn’t dissect or criticize a particular guy too harshly. I think you can subtly get the point across about certain people without being too nasty, so that is the only time I censored myself to an extent.

Have you ever gotten flak from guys you used to date about being mentioned in your book? If so, what happened?

To be honest, no. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact most of them don’t read. But in all seriousness, everyone has been a really good sport about it. One of the guys I wrote about even gave me permission to include his phone number in his chapter so other girls could message him. (Clearly I used to date a lot of men with winning personalities…)

So, whatever did happen to romance? Do you think there is any way to go back to that 1950’s-era of proper dates, manners and guys looking for commitment? Do we really want to?

I don’t think that it’s feasible for us to date exactly like people did in the 1950s because we’re living in such a different world now. However, I do think there are certain aspects from the fifties that we could marry with modern-day dating. Making romance work today boils down to three things: a mutual respect for one another, consideration of each other’s time and feelings, and being your genuine self. When all of these three things combined are present in both parties, only then do you have a foundation for a solid relationship.

Romance isn’t dead, we’re just not as willing to accept it. That pertains to both men and women. We’re too caught up in presenting ourselves in a certain way and acting “too cool” as a means to avoid getting hurt. Essentially romance is just buried under a pile of misconceptions, vulnerabilities, insecurities and ego.

What is the most romantic thing you’ve ever experienced?

The most romantic thing I have ever experienced was when my boyfriend surprised me with a rooftop dinner in Barcelona overlooking the ocean and the whole city. We went for massages and when we were finished he got the spa staff to set up a table with wine and food so we could eat dinner while watching the sunset. It was insanely beautiful.

What was the worst date you ever went on? What happened?

The worst date I ever went on was when I went for a drink with this guy I met at a bar and didn’t realize at the time that he wasn’t my type at all. (Tequila goggles.) Anyway, after a painful two hours of routine conversation, he invited me to his house saying he was having a party and that I would know everyone there. For lack of better judgment (tequila goggles), I decided to go for one more drink and socialize. Of course when we got there, no one was there. I waited it out for thirty minutes thinking people would show up but it never happened. Then as I was about to leave he went in for a kiss and said to me, “I like you so much right now.” As if that’s what every girl wants to hear. I excused myself without reciprocating the kiss when he turned the light on and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay? I even like looking at you with the lights on.” Needless to say, I never returned his messages again.

What advice would you have for other women that want to write for a living?

Do it! Write all day, every day about anything and everything. The more you write, the better you get at it and the more ideas will come to you. Don’t be afraid of that little voice inside your head that may whisper doubts to you. If you can overcome that voice, no one else’s words will hurt you. Any job worth having is competitive and tough, but if it is your passion then every single word you write and struggle with is worth it! I would rather work 24/7 through blood, sweat and tears to achieve the goals I’m truly passionate about than settle into a comfortable 9-5 position and always wonder what if?

What is the best part of your job? Worst?

The best part of my job is the whole writing process – from the initial idea coming to me, to brining it to life by stringing words together and seeing the final product. Nothing feels better than finishing a piece of writing that I am proud of.

The worst part is being glued to a computer all day long and sometimes losing track of time when you’re so enamored by what you’re working on. I often finding myself crazy-haired and bleary-eyed after trying to finish a particular piece of writing, but if that’s the only complaint I have, I would say I’m pretty lucky!