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Finding stability in creative chaos has been my lifelong journey as a fiction writer living with schizophrenia. Drawing wisdom from master storyteller Walter Mosley's advice on daily writing routines, I've discovered powerful connections between maintaining creative discipline and managing mental health challenges.

My mornings belong to fiction writing—after coffee, breakfast, and digital newspapers, of course. This dedicated creative time, respected by my spouse and protected in my schedule, provides essential structure that benefits both my novels and my mind. When symptoms of schizophrenia threaten to overwhelm with confusion and disorientation, these established routines become anchors in the storm. Simple activities—feeding wild birds, watching films, housekeeping, gardening, playing piano—transform into meaningful touchstones that guide me through difficult days.

Organization tools like planners help me visualize and maintain this framework without becoming trapped by rigidity. Even during relapses or psychotic episodes, I continue writing through journaling, which serves dual purposes: maintaining my creative practice while tracking mental health patterns and warning signs. Similarly, medication management requires its own carefully crafted schedule—I take antipsychotics and epilepsy medications in late afternoon rather than evening, accommodating my 4am wake-up time. The beautiful synchronicity I've found is that the discipline required for successful writing directly enhances my mental health management, and vice versa. Whether you're a writer, someone managing mental health challenges, or both, I hope my experiences offer insight into the profound power of thoughtful routines. Subscribe to my channel and podcast for more on living creatively with schizophrenia, and share your own routine strategies in the comments!

#WritingRoutine, #WritingTips, #WritingProductivity, #SchizophreniaAwareness, #MentalHealth #MentalHealthWriting, #WritingforWellness

References and online Links
Walter Mosley: Course “Teaches Fiction and Storytelling, Masterclass app.

Clever Fox Planner Pro (visit https://amzn.to/437AUVA).

Clever Fox Mental Health & Anxiety Journal (visit https://amzn.to/3FXGwtQ)

The Clever Fox links are Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Overlife, A Tale of Schizophrenia, by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/454WgW6).

“Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies,” by Diana Dirkby (visit https://amzn.to/42Z81KY).

The links to my books are Amazon Affiliate Links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

website: https://dianadirkbywrites.com (fiction writing)

website: https://aussiemathematician.io/ (mathematics)

Blog: https://dianadirkbywrites.com/blogs/

Podcast: Schizophrenia As I Live It (audio)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2186769.

Podcast: Fractured Ink: Writing in Life’s Chaos (video) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUxDLjcuok9SMcaBbm3M7KNpNztvZ73H0

Instagram: @dianadirkby_writings (https://www.instagram.com/dianadirkby_writings/)

Facebook Page: Diana Dirkby Writings (https://www.facebook.com/DianaDirkbyAuthor)

X-account: @dianadirkby (https://x.com/DianaDirkby)

YouTube channel @DianaDirkbyWrites (https://www.youtube.com/@DianaDirkbyWrites)

Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

Pastime With Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

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Today marks a meaningful transition as I conclude "Schizophrenia As I Live It" and introduce my new creative journey, "Fractured Ink: Writing in Life's Chaos." While living with paranoid schizophrenia remains an essential part of my identity, my fiction writing is expanding to embrace the full spectrum of my experiences.

"Fractured Ink: Writing In Life's Chaos," or "Fractured Ink," for short, delves deeper into topics that have shaped my life beyond mental illness—from exploring sibling abuse in my second novel "Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies" (https://amazon.com/dp/B0DPXW76DV/) to sharing how I built a successful career as a research mathematician and university professor despite my diagnosis. You'll discover how adaptation, fortunate circumstances, and supportive colleagues helped me navigate professional challenges while managing schizophrenia.

The podcast balances serious subjects with life's joys. Humor has been crucial to my survival, and I'm eager to share what makes me laugh. I'll talk about finding love in marriage, my passion for bird watching and nature walks, and why love is never wasted—even when directed toward complicated relationships. Every Sunday at 5 pm PST, I'll bring you new episodes in both audio and video formats, available on Apple Podcasts and my YouTube channel "@DianaDirkbyWrites." (https://www.youtube.com/@DianaDirkbyWrites)

As we embark on this new chapter, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support throughout "Schizophrenia As I Live It." That podcast will remain available as a resource, while "Fractured Ink" expands our conversation. Episode 0 is already available as a preview, with Episode 1 premiering tomorrow. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, join the discussion in the comments, and let's continue exploring life's challenges and celebrations together.

My website and social media:

My Instagram: @dianadirkby_writings (https://www.instagram.com/dianadirkby_writings/)
My Facebook Page: Diana Dirkby Writings (https://www.facebook.com/DianaDirkbyAuthor)

My X-account: @dianadirkby (https://x.com/DianaDirkby)
My YouTube channel @DianaDirkbyWrites (https://www.youtube.com/@DianaDirkbyWrites)

#fiction #novel #families #relationships #challenges #schizophrenia #CPTSD #epilepsy #siblingabuse #mentalhealth #nature #birds #birdwatching

Do you love to watch wild birds from inside your home? Then, your answer is a feeder that won a British Birdwatching Innovation Award and was updated just this year, 2025. It is designed with clear, strong plastic, so nothing obstructs the view of the birds who visit it to feed. It has extra-strong suction cups that ensure it stays in place. It has a high roof, which is also suitable for larger birds. Where can you find it? To see it on Amazon, click on the following link: https://amzn.to/42jxzDF. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #ad #commissionsearned #birds #wildbirds #birdfeeder #nature #birdwatching

Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

Pastime With Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

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A significant transition is underway as I prepare to close "Schizophrenia as I Live it" and launch my new podcast "Fractured Ink." While schizophrenia has been central to my story, it's just one piece of a complex puzzle that includes complex PTSD, absence epilepsy, and my creative identity as a novelist and poet. These conditions, as I explain, "feed off each other" in ways that create a uniquely challenging yet creatively fertile internal landscape.

My journey from research mathematician and university professor to published fiction writer has given me new ways to explore and express my experiences. Through my novels "The Overlife: A Tale of Schizophrenia" and "Three Kidnapped, Three Siblings, Three Furies," I've chosen fiction over memoir as my medium for addressing difficult topics including mental illness and sibling abuse. As I share in the episode, "Tell Me A Story," this approach allows me "artistic freedom to wrap these topics in a story worth reading for its own sake."

The name "Fractured Ink" perfectly captures this next chapter – representing both the fracture of my mind as I navigate multiple disorders and my dedication to writing as a means of healing and connection. I hope you'll join me as this new podcast expands beyond schizophrenia to encompass all aspects of my life and creative work. The current podcast will remain available on all platforms, with the final episode announcing when "Fractured Ink" launches. Have you found that creative expression helps you process your own life challenges? I'd love to hear your thoughts as we continue this journey together.

#writer #fiction #schizophrenia #ComplexPTSD #epilepsy #families #friends #familyrelationships

Pastime With Good Company by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company

Pastime With Good Company, composed by King Henry VIII, played by The Chestnut Brass Company