What’s Your Writing Routine?
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing for a client, or working to get a book written, or aiming at a career in magazine writing, or building a blog, nothing happens until you put fingers to the keyboard (Gee, I keep getting reminded that I’m getting older. I wanted to write “until you put pen to paper.”
Every successful writer I’ve ever known or heard about has established some sort of writing routine. There’s something magic about writing on a regular basis. My hunch is once our brain and body know we’ve set up a routine they get ready for it, making the writing much easier.
Writing routines come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some people write every single day. They start at a particular time, either early or late, and write either for a specified amount of time or until they get X pages written. Others write five or six days a week. Some write only on the weekends, or before or after work.
I actually put my writing time on my calendar. Generally, the writing I do for myself, including this blog is done fairly early, from say 7 a.m. to 9 or 10 a.m. Then, after a short break, I move into the writing work I do for clients. I’m usually done writing by 2 or 3 in the afternoon.
Of course there are exceptions – lots of them. On Monday’s I’m at the clay studio from 11 – 1, so the writing falls before and after that. When I need to do the wash, I head for the laundry mat about 9, coming home to write while things are washing and again while they are drying. Appointments, either with clients or personal things like doctors, etc. interrupted my writing routine when I can’t schedule them for the afternoon. It doesn’t matter. The fact that I have a routine is what’s important.
I’ve written some other blogs on writing discipline you might find helpful:
- Great Writing Habits for Writers
- Window Washing is Not Writing
- Discipline and Persistence for Freelance Writing Success
What’s your writing routine? Tell us about it.
Write well and often,
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Abundant Freelance Writing - a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision - for those who want to get a book written.
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POSTED IN: Freelance Writing Tips and Ideas, Notes from a Writing Coach
11 opinions for What’s Your Writing Routine?
Matt Keegan
Oct 30, 2007 at 9:49 am
My writing routine varies, depending on the client and on the project.
However, there is one thing I’m fairly consistent about: I’ll do blogging and personal marketing first before I take on the work I have to do for my clients.
I start early, usually around 7 am, but I’ll take an exercise break a few hours later and handle any personal stuff that comes up. Squeezing in blogging and marketing, I’ll start my client’s work around 10 a.m. and go until 6 pm with breaks for lunch and goofing off.
No, I don’t write more than four to five hours or so each day as I find if I go over the amount, the quality of my work suffers.
Saturday mornings I may catch up on paperwork, but weekends are my time.
The Writing Habits of Effective Freelancers
Oct 30, 2007 at 10:32 am
[…] saying all of this as I just visited Anne Wayman’s blog where she posted the question, “What’s Your Writing Routine?” and I responded with my answer which you can read over […]
Marjorie
Oct 30, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Cool question! I’ve only recently restarted my full-time freelancing, so I’m still trying to figure out my routine, but it goes something like this:
7-9 blogging, answering emails (I have 4 blogs I try to update at least once a day)
9-12 research, interviews
12-1 lunch, read magazines/books
1-5 write, more research
On the evenings when my husband has a class, I may work until 9 or so, stopping to make dinner or prepare leftovers for when he’s done. I often have the TV running in the background at that time.
On weekends, I try to do nothing work-related, but sometimes it creeps up. For example, we may spend a couple of hours at Borders or Barnes & Noble, where I’ll do some magazine research to pick up some new markets or get some new ideas for either my blogs or my queries.
Of course, now that NaNoWriMo is just around the corner, much of this will probably change. I may cut back a little on the freelance writing to focus more on the novel.
Cheers,
Marjorie
Amber
Oct 30, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I try to be quite disciplined with my writing. Mornings are for the writing I do for clients, afternoons are for my own commerical projects, and evenings are for marketing, and for non-profit writing, like that novel I keep meaning to get round too!
The day is broken up by meals and chores, obviously, but I also try to make it to the gym a few times a week, and am out walking the dog every day, so I do get out of the house occassionally!
Anne Wayman
Oct 30, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Majorie and Amber… sounds like you’re doing well with making time for writing.
wingdingorama
Oct 30, 2007 at 8:12 pm
…however, it really depends. I find that there is a different energy with writing by hand verses writing by computer. (Now if I could only get used to the keyboard on my laptop I’d be in business!)
Harrison
Oct 31, 2007 at 8:16 am
I found that I only can write at the early morning from 7am - 9am. I just stuck and can’t write any words in other time. So I fix my writing time in the morning and researching for the rest of my time.
Bridget Wright
Oct 31, 2007 at 8:17 am
My writing routine is very hodgepodge. Alittle of this, a little of that, here a little, there a little, everywhere a little. My life is very full with three young children so I only get to write WHEN I can write. But I actually find that my creativity flows better when I have a lot of flurry around me. Go figure!
Anne Wayman
Oct 31, 2007 at 10:08 am
Wing - I don’t do well with a laptop either, and my handwriting is so awful I rarely write by hand.
Harrison - two hours a day adds up to a fair amount.
Bridget - I used to need a flurry… kids are grown now and I’ve learned to love and create in mostly quiet.
Wiped Out!
Nov 1, 2007 at 9:02 am
[…] case of brain fog sort of ties in with the post I did the other day called What’s Your Writing Routine? My experience tells me that once you’ve got a writing routine, that once you’ve got some solid […]
Mary Lynn Archibald
Dec 2, 2007 at 9:03 pm
My writing routine has evolved into a morning schedule. I’m in my office at 9 A.M. I answer e-mail, then start my day. I work until about 1 P.M., then eat lunch and go do something physical, either go to the gym, talk a walk with the dog, or something. Then I might rest and read for awhile before dinner. I take the night off, usually. Next morning, same thing. It works for me.
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