This post covers my third Novel November video. If you want the latest videos as they go up, subscribe to the Andromedary Instinct YouTube channel.

This one covers coffee, sunlight, Tai Chi, big buildings, cortisol, and making progress on the novel. Video link and summary/details/links below the video. I probably won’t use the microphone again, but I have some better wireless mics to try out on future videos.

See the other parts of this series here:

Part 1: https://rsts11.com/2025/11/04/another-novel-november-this-time-with-video/
Part 2: https://rsts11.com/2025/11/11/back-up-its-3-2-1-contact-with-your-november-novel/

Coffee, sunlight, and my morning writing ritual. The first week of Novel November 2025 is done, and then some. I’m back as promised with a weekly update, and I’ll also walk you through my morning writing ritual.

Word count progress:
11/1-11/7: 16k words, about 2200 words a day. Pacing to 68k if I keep this up.
11/8-11/10: 3.5k words, 1151/day
Aggregate first 10 days (1/3 month): 19k words, 1900/day, pacing to 58k.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

00:00 Looking around downtown Sunnyvale
00:43 My Novel November update for 7 days of writing
02:09 Walking through my morning ritual (literally)
02:34 Set up my coffee
03:35 Look at the sky
05:08 Starting the writing session
05:57 The Air Supply Rule- do not edit
06:56 The goal is not 50,000 perfect words

MORNING RITUAL

A couple of years ago, I had a morning ritual with a spiral bound 6×9 pad, a double espresso via Nespresso Vertuo, and a glass of sparkling water. The ritual is a bit longer now, but it’s stuck with me for a few months now.

I start the day brewing 2-3 cups of coffee in the glass Clever Coffee Dripper edition, adding creatine and MCT powder and some heavy whipping cream after it brews.

While the coffee steeps, I stand outside and collect sunlight for help with my vitamin D, circadian rhythm, melatonin and serotonin and endorphin (oh my), and helping with cortisol along the way.

Then I head upstairs to my home office/studio, load up some music in Youtube, load up Reedsy Studio in the other half of the screen, and do a 25 minute sprint (or two) before logging into work.

I’ve recently found ⁨@AbbieEmmons and her sprint videos, which give you an atmospheric series of four 25-minute sprints with 5 minute breaks. Abbie, I signed up for Epidemic Sound through your link, so hopefully you’ll get a few bucks from that. (My referral link is below for my followers)

BEHIND THE CURTAIN/CREDITS

I’m still experimenting with the tools and locations for my videos, after almost two years away from Youtube production. I’m also working on clearing out my home studio space to have a more consistent layout and gear.

This video was recorded on-site at the Target parking garage in downtown Sunnyvale.

I used my iPhone 17 Pro Max front facing camera, with the JSAUX Omnigrip Magcool selfie-stick on steroids and the cilate wireless lavalier microphone.

MagCool Omnigrip: https://jsaux.com/pages/magcool-omnigrip
cilate microphone set: https://amzn.to/3LtbNrb

I also switched up the software stack, doing trimming in Microsoft ClipChamp and then getting Davinci Resolve 20 reinstalled for the “production.”

Music is from Cinematic Soundwaves: The Sequel (via Humble Bundle), a track called Spaced from Pack 42.

I mentioned For Wellness MCT powders in the video. Use my referral link or code ROBERT39273 to get $30 off your purchase (and I get $30 toward my next order too).

I’m also doing a creatine supplement in my morning coffee.
I started with Alpha Lion’s creatine (available on Amazon, or direct from Alpha Lion with 20% off using my link)

Now I’m trying Thorne Micronized Creatine on Amazon

The Clever Coffee Dripper is available in glass (around $70) and BPA-free plastic (around $40). I like the #6 filters but #4 filters work well too.

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Despite the affiliate and referral links, I have no official sponsorships, and nobody has any say on what I talk about in this video. If they did, they’d probably want me to shave.

Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀
https://vidiq.com/Andromedary