Anyone who’s ever attempted any kind of creative or academic writing knows how easily work commitments, family obligations, procrastination, self-doubt, writer’s block, or something utterly unexpected can stop them in their tracks. An unrealistic expectation many novice writers have is to be able to write a brilliant chapter or an A+ paper in one sitting. But contrary to popular opinion, your muse won’t be inspiring you every time you sit down to write.
Importance and Benefits of a Writing Routine
The only thing that will get the flow going is carving out a consistent routine that will motivate you to write well even if you’re not feeling particularly motivated. One of the most important things you must do as a writer is develop strategies for creating the space and quiet you need to learn how and when you do your best writing. Implementing a solid writing schedule will do all of the above and, additionally, hold you accountable to your objectives, keep you on track, and boost productivity.
Naturally, a writing schedule will be different for everyone, depending on time, environment, goals, etc.
Feel free to experiment with these time-tested tips to establish (and adhere to) a writing routine and use the ones that work best for you.
Tips to Put a Writing Routine in Place
1. Schedule a Time for Writing
Pick a time of day that works best for you – early morning suits many creative writers because the brain is fresh and creative ideas flow freely. But many others prefer writing after dinner because they’re night owls, have a day job, or because the peace and quiet of the night helps bring out their best writing. This time should be non-negotiable – everything else should work around your writing time, not vice versa. Even if you can’t write every day, make sure you clock in multiple times a week or at least once a week.
Take it a step further by putting your writing time on your daily planner or calendar. Physically writing it down makes it more official like any other appointment you’re obligated to keep. You can start right now – open your phone calendar and schedule your writing time. Allocate a realistic amount of time that you know you can stick to, highlight it in a bright color, and set a reminder.
This way, your daily writing sessions will become a habit, just another part of your routine, you take to even when you don’t feel like it.
2. Find Your Writing Space
If you managed to carve out time to write every day, it’s time to create a designated writing retreat that has the right atmosphere to inspire you. This could be at a desk, on a couch, or in the comfort of your bed – any place that helps you get in “the mood.” Set it up so it’s ready for you to write in, but not so comfortable that it makes you sleepy and unfocused.
Not every writer likes working from home – some might prefer background noise to silence, agreeable company to solitude, or the din of the subway to the tranquillity of a home office. If you want to strike a balance between seclusion and a social ambience, the library is a great alternative. Empty classrooms and coffee shops also tend to be writing-friendly without being too noisy or intrusive.
However, if you’re forced to do your creative work under less-than-ideal conditions or if your surroundings are full of distractions, there are several things you can do to tune out your environment and keep writing. These include using headphones to listen to your favorite playlist, a cup of coffee to trigger your brain and spark fresh ideas, or a few minutes of meditation to get those creative juices flowing.
You might have to experiment a bit to produce a conducive atmosphere, and the atmosphere in your chosen spot may change from time to time. But if you’ve been working out of Starbucks for a week and have just a couple of paragraphs to show for it, it’s time to find a place where you can actually be productive.
Creating an environment that will bring out the productive writer in you is critical to establishing a writing routine you won’t want to break.
3. Organize Your Work
Does your “writing” consist of messy notes scattered across notebooks and computer files? If your answer is yes, lack of organization is likely affecting your work. Take the time to sort out, condense, and reorganize your notes and drafts so they’re easy to access. Save them in folders in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Label all documents with a working title and track your progress in an Excel spreadsheet. This might sound like a massive task, but it will give you control over your projects. It will also save time and make working according to your schedule a lot easier.
Also, adopt an automatic backup system like Dropbox or Google Drive to house your writing-related files. Creative writing is far from easy, and there’s nothing worse than losing all of your hard work just because you forgot to back it up. With an automatic backup system in place, you are free to devote yourself to writing and writing alone.
4. Set Daily Targets
Now that you have organized your writing in one place, established a designated time and space for writing, and actually embarked upon a writing routine, it’s time to quantify the progress you’re making. Set a minimum daily word count goal to motivate you to get words on the page. Hitting your daily goal will give you a little boost and make you feel good about what you’re doing. Writing can be frustrating at times, so achieving a daily target allows you to control at least one of the components of the writing process. The power of tiny triumphs such as this cannot be overstated.
Once you are able to consistently achieve your goal of writing, say 500 words per day, aim for a higher target than you think you can manage. If, for instance, you’re barely averaging 500 words a day, set your sights on writing 2000 words. If you can’t manage it, consider the reasons and deal with them. Turn off your phone, unplug the internet, drink less (or more) coffee, get enough sleep – do whatever it takes, including tweaking your writing routine to get there. You will likely make it to 1000 or 1500 words per session, but that’s a substantial improvement on 500.
Adhering to a disciplined writing routine has its payoffs – crossing goals off the calendar, adding printed pages to the “done” pile, completing a manuscript in six months, getting an A+ on an essay – these will give you a sense of tangible achievement for what often seems like an unrewarding job. The key is to commit to the process, believe in yourself, and know that you can do it.
