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5 Example Writings to Explore My Daily Routine Beautifully

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It might sound ordinary, but trust me, it’s like capturing the rhythm of your life in words. Your daily routine is a story waiting to be told , and it’s more fascinating than you might think.

Think about it – every day, you wake up, navigate through tasks , and wind down in your own unique way. The simple act of writing diary about your daily life can reveal surprising details, habits, and moments that you might overlook in the hustle and bustle of it all.

And guess what?

It’s a chance to connect with others. Everyone has their own routine, and sharing yours can help you relate to people, bond over common experiences , and maybe even inspire someone else.

Let me take you through this journey of exploring your daily routine, one ordinary yet extraordinary day at a time with beautiful examples.

Today was a pretty typical day for me, nothing too extraordinary, but still worth sharing. I got up in the morning, and let me tell you, my bed was way too cozy. It was a bit of a struggle to leave it, but I finally managed to crawl out. After shaking off that morning grogginess, I brushed my teeth and got myself all cleaned up. I chose a comfy outfit for the day and grabbed a quick breakfast – my usual cereal and milk. Nothing like a good old bowl of cereal to kickstart the day. I headed off to work, and as usual, it was a busy day with lots of tasks to tackle. My coworkers and I had some interesting conversations during our breaks, which made the day a bit brighter. In the evening, I was really looking forward to some downtime. I watched a few episodes of my favorite TV show on Hotstar, which was a fantastic way to unwind. Then, it was time to rustle up some dinner. I made a simple pasta dish, and it turned out pretty delicious, if I say so myself. Photo by JESHOOTS After dinner, I spent some time working on my hobby , painting. It’s my little escape from the daily grind. I must say, it’s incredibly therapeutic. Before calling it a night, I took a nice, relaxing shower, and I’m feeling all refreshed now. I read a bit in bed before dozing off early to be ready for whatever tomorrow has in store. That’s my day in a nutshell, Diary. It might not be the most exciting, but it’s my routine, and I’m grateful for the simple pleasures that make it special. Til tomorrow!

Well, today was a bit different, and I’d love to share it with you. My morning began with the usual battle with the snooze button. Eventually, I gave in and reluctantly rolled out of bed. Once I was up, it was the classic routine – brushing my teeth, splashing some water on my face, and selecting an outfit. Oh, and let’s not forget my trusty breakfast sidekick, a warm cup of coffee. That caffeine kick is essential! Work was, well, work. A steady stream of tasks kept me on my toes, but I did manage to squeeze in a pleasant chat with a coworker during our lunch break. Those little conversations make the day brighter. In the evening, I was in for a treat. I decided to try a new recipe I found online for dinner. It was a bit of an experiment, but the final dish turned out surprisingly tasty. A culinary success, I’d say! After dinner, I turned my attention to my guitar. Strumming a few chords and playing a song or two always brings me joy . It’s like my personal concert time, just for me with cool bollywood songs. Photo by RUPAM DUTTA As the day winded down, I treated myself to a long, soothing bath. It was pure relaxation. I then snuggled up with a good book, and that’s how I ended my day. Another day in the books, Diary, and although it may seem routine, there are always these little moments that make life interesting and worth living. Until tomorrow!

Today brought its own little adventures into my life. The morning kicked off with my usual battle against the alarm clock, but I finally hauled myself out of bed. I did my usual morning routine: brushed my teeth, washed my face, and picked an outfit. Of course, I couldn’t forget my sidekick, coffee. That cup of joe really gets me going! Work was the same old, same old. Lots of tasks to tackle, but at lunch eating curd rice, I had a fun chat with a coworker. It’s these moments that make the workday a bit brighter. The evening was special. I decided to try a brand-new recipe for dinner. It was an adventure in the kitchen, and the final dish turned out better than I expected. A culinary victory! After dinner, I spent time with my guitar. Strumming away, playing some tunes – it’s my personal jam session. Pure enjoyment! Photo by Jefferson Santos As the day wound down, I indulged in a relaxing bath. It’s a treat for my soul. I curled up with a good book, and that’s how I wrapped up the day. Diary, every day might seem like a routine, but there’s always something interesting happening if you look for it. See you tomorrow!

Today was a mix of ordinary and extraordinary, just the way I like it. The alarm clock did its usual annoying thing in the morning, but I eventually mustered the energy to face the day. My morning routine was the same old song and dance: teeth, face, and outfit selection, with my loyal coffee by my side. That cup of coffee is my daily superhero. Work followed the usual pattern, with a mountain of tasks to climb. But the highlight was a spontaneous conversation with a colleague at lunch. It’s these unplanned moments that add a splash of color to the canvas of my day. In the evening, I decided to whip up a brand-new recipe for dinner, and it was a delicious surprise. My taste buds had a little adventure right at the dinner table eating chicken tikka. Photo by Syed F Hashemi Afterward, my guitar was calling my name. A few chords, a melody, and it’s like my own personal concert. A soothing end to a day filled with life’s simple pleasures. So, Diary, while it may seem like just another day in the books, there’s always something exciting to discover in the details of my daily routine. Loving myself!

Another day to share with you, and it brought its own unique moments. The morning battle with the alarm clock continued, but eventually, I mustered the strength to get out of bed. My morning ritual was the same: teeth, face, outfit, and, of course, a comforting cup of hot coffee. That warm caffeine hug really gets me going! Photo by Tim Foster Work followed the same pattern, with a to-do list to conquer. But at lunch, I had a fun chat with a coworker that brightened the day. It’s these small interactions that make the grind more enjoyable. The evening had a twist. I decided to test a fresh recipe for dinner, and it turned out to be a delightful culinary experiment. A triumph in the kitchen! Post-dinner, I picked up my guitar. Playing a few tunes and strumming the strings is my personal escape, like a mini concert just for me. To wind down, I treated myself to a long bath. A pure luxury. Then, I snuggled up with a good book, bringing the day to a peaceful close. Diary, each day may seem routine, but there’s always something fascinating hidden in the ordinary. Talk to you tomorrow!

Every day, I start by waking up in the morning. I stretch and then take care of my morning routine : brushing my teeth, washing my face, and getting dressed. After that, I have a quick breakfast, usually cereal or toast, and then I’m ready to begin my day.

Whether it’s for work or school, I head out. I complete my tasks, interact with colleagues or friends, and have lunch. In the afternoon, I continue with my work or classes. Eventually, it’s time to return home.

In the evening, I unwind by watching TV, reading, or spending quality time with my family. I also prepare and enjoy dinner, often opting for simple homemade meals. It’s a time to relax and recharge.

During my free time, I like to pursue my hobbies , such as painting, playing music, or going for a leisurely walk. It’s a chance to engage in activities I’m passionate about.

Before bedtime, I take a soothing shower and wind down by reading a good book. I prefer to go to sleep early so I can be well-rested and prepared for another day.

This is how your typical day should unfold.

Everyday is a beautiful day!

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The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers

How many people die with their best work still inside them?

We often assume that great things are done by those who were blessed with natural talent, genius, and skill. But how many great things could have been done by people who never fully realized their potential? I think many of us, myself included, are capable of much more than we typically produce — our best work is often still hiding inside of us.

How can you pull that potential out of yourself and share it with the world?

Perhaps the best way is to develop better daily routines. When you look at the top performers in any field, you see something that goes much deeper than intelligence or skill. They possess an incredible willingness to do the work that needs to be done. They are masters of their daily routines.

As an example of what separates successful people from the rest of the pack, take a look at some of the daily routines of famous writers from past and present.

At the end of the article, I broke down some common themes that you can apply to your daily routines — regardless of your goals. To skip straight to those suggestions, click here .

E.B. White: “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

In an interview with The Paris Review , E.B. White, the famous author of Charlotte’s Web , talked about his daily writing routine…

I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me.

In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.

Haruki Murakami: “The repetition itself becomes the important thing.”

In a 2004 interview , Murakami discussed his physical and mental habits…

When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at four a.m. and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for ten kilometers or swim for fifteen hundred meters (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at nine p.m.

I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.

But to hold to such repetition for so long — six months to a year — requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.

Ernest Hemingway: “I write every morning.”

In an interview with George Plimpton, Hemingway revealed his daily routine…

When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there.

You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again. You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that.

When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love. Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.

Henry Miller: “When you can’t create you can work .”

In 1932, the famous writer and painter, Henry Miller, created a work schedule that listed his “Commandments” for him to follow as part of his daily routine. This list was published in the book, Henry Miller on Writing ( Kindle ).

• Work on one thing at a time until finished.
• Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.”
• Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
• Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
• When you can’t create you can work.
• Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
• Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
• Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
• Discard the Program when you feel like it—but go back to it next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
• Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
• Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards .

Kurt Vonnegut: “I do pushups and sit ups all the time.”

In 1965, Vonnegut wrote a letter to his wife Jane about his daily writing habits, which was published in the book: Kurt Vonnegut: Letters ( Kindle ).

I awake at 5:30, work until 8:00, eat breakfast at home, work until 10:00, walk a few blocks into town, do errands, go to the nearby municipal swimming pool, which I have all to myself, and swim for half an hour, return home at 11:45, read the mail, eat lunch at noon. In the afternoon I do schoolwork, either teach or prepare. When I get home from school at about 5:30, I numb my twanging intellect with several belts of Scotch and water ($5.00/fifth at the State Liquor store, the only liquor store in town. There are loads of bars, though.), cook supper, read and listen to jazz (lots of good music on the radio here), slip off to sleep at ten. I do pushups and sit ups all the time, and feel as though I am getting lean and sinewy, but maybe not.

Jodi Picoult: “You can’t edit a blank page.”

The last seven books Jodi Picoult has written have all hit number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In an interview with Noah Charney, she talks about her approach to writing and creating…

I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it — when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer’s block is having too much time on your hands. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.

Maya Angelou: “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

In a 2013 interview with The Daily Beast, the American author and poet discussed her writing career and her daily work habits…

I keep a hotel room in my hometown and pay for it by the month.

I go around 6:30 in the morning. I have a bedroom, with a bed, a table, and a bath. I have Roget’s Thesaurus, a dictionary, and the Bible. Usually a deck of cards and some crossword puzzles. Something to occupy my little mind. I think my grandmother taught me that. She didn’t mean to, but she used to talk about her “little mind.” So when I was young, from the time I was about 3 until 13, I decided that there was a Big Mind and a Little Mind. And the Big Mind would allow you to consider deep thoughts, but the Little Mind would occupy you, so you could not be distracted. It would work crossword puzzles or play Solitaire, while the Big Mind would delve deep into the subjects I wanted to write about.

I have all the paintings and any decoration taken out of the room. I ask the management and housekeeping not to enter the room, just in case I’ve thrown a piece of paper on the floor, I don’t want it discarded. About every two months I get a note slipped under the door: “Dear Ms. Angelou, please let us change the linen. We think it may be moldy!”

But I’ve never slept there, I’m usually out of there by 2. And then I go home and I read what I’ve written that morning, and I try to edit then. Clean it up.

Easy reading is damn hard writing. But if it’s right, it’s easy. It’s the other way round, too. If it’s slovenly written, then it’s hard to read. It doesn’t give the reader what the careful writer can give the reader.

Barbara Kingsolver: “I have to write hundreds of pages before I get to page one.”

The Pulitzer Prize nominee has written over a dozen books, the last nine of which have all made the New York Times bestseller list. During a 2012 interview , she talked about her daily routine as a writer and a mother…

I tend to wake up very early. Too early. Four o’clock is standard. My morning begins with trying not to get up before the sun rises. But when I do, it’s because my head is too full of words, and I just need to get to my desk and start dumping them into a file. I always wake with sentences pouring into my head. So getting to my desk every day feels like a long emergency. It’s a funny thing: people often ask how I discipline myself to write. I can’t begin to understand the question. For me, the discipline is turning off the computer and leaving my desk to do something else.

I write a lot of material that I know I’ll throw away. It’s just part of the process. I have to write hundreds of pages before I get to page one.

For the whole of my career as a novelist, I have also been a mother. I was offered my first book contract, for The Bean Trees, the day I came home from the hospital with my first child. So I became a novelist and mother on the same day. Those two important lives have always been one for me. I’ve always had to do both at the same time. So my writing hours were always constrained by the logistics of having my children in someone else’s care. When they were little, that was difficult. I cherished every hour at my desk as a kind of prize. As time has gone by and my children entered school it became progressively easier to be a working mother. My oldest is an adult, and my youngest is 16, so both are now self–sufficient —but that’s been a gradual process. For me, writing time has always been precious, something I wait for and am eager for and make the best use of. That’s probably why I get up so early and have writing time in the quiet dawn hours, when no one needs me.

I used to say that the school bus is my muse. When it pulled out of the driveway and left me without anyone to take care of, that was the moment my writing day began, and it ended when the school bus came back. As a working mother, my working time was constrained. On the other hand, I’m immensely grateful to my family for normalizing my life, for making it a requirement that I end my day at some point and go and make dinner. That’s a healthy thing, to set work aside and make dinner and eat it. It’s healthy to have these people in my life who help me to carry on a civilized routine. And also to have these people in my life who connect me to the wider world and the future. My children have taught me everything about life and about the kind of person I want to be in the world. They anchor me to the future in a concrete way. Being a mother has made me a better writer. It’s also true to say that being a writer has made me a better mother.

Nathan Englander: “Turn off your cell phone.”

Englander is an award–winning short story writer, and in this interview he talks about his quest to eliminate all distractions from his writing routine…

Turn off your cell phone. Honestly, if you want to get work done, you’ve got to learn to unplug. No texting, no email, no Facebook, no Instagram. Whatever it is you’re doing, it needs to stop while you write. A lot of the time (and this is fully goofy to admit), I’ll write with earplugs in — even if it’s dead silent at home.

Karen Russell: “Enjoy writing badly.”

Russell has only written one book … and it was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In an interview with The Daily Beast , she talks about her daily struggle to overcome distraction and write…

I know many writers who try to hit a set word count every day, but for me, time spent inside a fictional world tends to be a better measure of a productive writing day. I think I’m fairly generative as a writer, I can produce a lot of words, but volume is not the best metric for me. It’s more a question of, did I write for four or five hours of focused time, when I did not leave my desk, didn’t find some distraction to take me out of the world of the story? Was I able to stay put and commit to putting words down on the page, without deciding mid-sentence that it’s more important to check my email, or “research” some question online, or clean out the science fair projects in the back for my freezer?

I’ve decided that the trick is just to keep after it for several hours, regardless of your own vacillating assessment of how the writing is going. Showing up and staying present is a good writing day.

I think it’s bad so much of the time. The periods where writing feels effortless and intuitive are, for me, as I keep lamenting, rare. But I think that’s probably the common ratio of joy to despair for most writers, and I definitely think that if you can make peace with the fact that you will likely have to throw out 90 percent of your first draft, then you can relax and even almost enjoy “writing badly.”

A.J. Jacobs: “Force yourself to generate dozens of ideas.”

In an interview for the series, How I Write, Jacobs talks about his daily writing routines and dishes out some advice for young writers…

My kids wake me up. I have coffee. I make my kids breakfast, take them to school, then come home and try to write. I fail at that until I force myself to turn off my Internet access so I can get a little shelter from the information storm.

I am a big fan of outlining. I write an outline. Then a slightly more detailed outline. Then another with even more detail. Sentences form, punctuation is added, and eventually it all turns into a book.

I write while walking on a treadmill. I started this practice when I was working on Drop Dead Healthy, and read all these studies about the dangers of the sedentary life. Sitting is alarmingly bad for you. One doctor told me that “sitting is the new smoking.” So I bought a treadmill and put my computer on top of it. It took me about 1,200 miles to write my book. I kind of love it — it keeps me awake, for one thing.

Jacobs has advice for young writers, too…

Force yourself to generate dozens of ideas. A lot of those ideas will be terrible. Most of them, in fact. But there will be some sparkling gems in there too. Try to set aside 20 minutes a day just for brainstorming.

Khaled Hosseini: “You have to write whether you feel like it or not.”

In an interview with Noah Charney, Hosseini talks about his daily writing habits and the essential things that all writers have to do…

I don’t outline at all, I don’t find it useful, and I don’t like the way it boxes me in. I like the element of surprise and spontaneity, of letting the story find its own way. For this reason, I find that writing a first draft is very difficult and laborious. It is also often quite disappointing. It hardly ever turns out to be what I thought it was, and it usually falls quite short of the ideal I held in my mind when I began writing it. I love to rewrite, however. A first draft is really just a sketch on which I add layer and dimension and shade and nuance and color. Writing for me is largely about rewriting. It is during this process that I discover hidden meanings, connections, and possibilities that I missed the first time around. In rewriting, I hope to see the story getting closer to what my original hopes for it were.

I have met so many people who say they’ve got a book in them, but they’ve never written a word. To be a writer — this may seem trite, I realize — you have to actually write. You have to write every day, and you have to write whether you feel like it or not. Perhaps most importantly, write for an audience of one — yourself. Write the story you need to tell and want to read. It’s impossible to know what others want so don’t waste time trying to guess. Just write about the things that get under your skin and keep you up at night.

How to Apply This to Your Life

These daily routines work well for writing, but their lessons can be applied to almost any goal you hope to achieve.

For example…

1. Pushing yourself physically prepares you to work hard mentally. Vonnegut did pushups as a break from writing. Murakami runs 10 kilometers each day. A.J. Jacobs types while walking on a treadmill. You can decide what works for you, but make sure you get out and move.

2. Do the most important thing first. Notice how many excellent writers start writing in the morning? That’s no coincidence. They work on their goals before the rest of the day gets out of control. They aren’t wondering when they’re going to write and they aren’t battling to “fit it in” amongst their daily activities because they are doing the most important thing first.

3. Embrace the struggle and do hard work. Did you see how many writers mentioned their struggle to write? Housseni said that his first drafts are “difficult” and “laborious” and “disappointing.” Russell called her writing “bad.” Kingsolver throws out a hundred pages before she gets to the first page of a book.

What looks like failure in the beginning is often the foundation of success. You have to grind out the hard work before you can enjoy your best work. 1

If you want more practical ideas for how to build new habits (and break bad ones), check out my book  Atomic Habits , which will show you how small changes in habits can lead to remarkable results.

Special thanks to Brain Pickings , Barking Up the Wrong Tree , and The Daily Beast , where I originally found many of these stories.

Thanks for reading. You can get more actionable ideas in my popular email newsletter. Each week, I share 3 short ideas from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question to think about. Over 3,000,000 people subscribe . Enter your email now and join us.

James Clear writes about habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits . The book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages.

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I’m a Professional Writer, and Here’s Exactly How To Develop a Daily Writing Ritual That Improves Your Well-Being

While I write professionally for various clients and publications, my personal writing is a way of discovering myself and making sense of the world. It anchors me when I feel adrift and helps me process challenging life experiences. Mostly, it provides me with a deep sense of self and well-being.

My daily writing practice anchors me when I feel adrift and helps me process challenging life experiences.

Certainly, it isn’t always easy or fun in the moment. I stumble a lot; some days, ideas don’t reveal themselves quickly, or I can’t make sense of my thoughts in a way that feels cohesive. But it’s the process of sitting down and showing up to write every single day that continues to energize me and fuel my creativity.

• Dan MacCombie, LAC

The concept of ritualizing a writing practice is an essential part of The Writing Ritual , a four-week creative writing program I run to help adults—whether they consider themselves writers or not—tap into their creativity through the written word. Unlike with my client work, there are no word counts or briefs; participants are simply encouraged to explore their ideas and imaginations in a safe space through prompts and dialogue. And it works: I have shared The Writing Ritual with hundreds of people around the world and have heard from many that writing has been transformational to their well-being and ability to reflect and articulate their thoughts and emotions.

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The benefits of embracing a daily writing routine

When I talk about my 15-minute writing ritual, a lot of people instantly tense up at the idea; most are only accustomed to writing emails, texts, or DMs, and any other writing feels, at best, foreign and at worst, entirely daunting. I get it—confronting a blank page isn’t easy (even for me, a professional writer). Our inner voice tells us we have nothing to write about or that our grammar isn’t quite right, and those fears alone can stop us from writing altogether. But writing for no other reason than just to write can open the door for introspection.

“As a society, we don’t really [focus on] connecting to our inner lives, where our hopes and dreams come from,” says therapist Dan MacCombie, LAC . “Writing connects us to what’s inside of us in a really powerful way...helping us process our feelings of vulnerability.”

A vast body of scientific research has also revealed several reasons to befriend the blank page. The more obvious benefits of writing include a boost in memory and cognition , but scientific studies have also found that expressive writing can strengthen the immune system in people with life-threatening illnesses, and writing down your worries or even writing a to-do list before bed can lead to better sleep .

Writing also serves as a powerful outlet for emotional processing and can be used as a complement to talk therapy or coaching. Indeed, research suggests that while bottling up thoughts and emotions can lead to physiological distress , confronting previous traumas through writing can improve your physical health and the functioning of your nervous system. That’s likely because writing helps organize an event in our mind, freeing up space from the constant buzz of thoughts and granting us the ability to see our own experiences from a healthy distance.

“For people who struggle to connect with their emotions, writing can help them focus on what they feel, moving from the nebulous to the specific.” —Dan MacCombie, LAC, therapist

“For people who struggle to connect with their emotions, writing can help them focus on what they feel—toward whom and what—moving from the nebulous to the specific,” says MacCombie. “Sometimes, I’ll suggest to my clients that they fill a page with what they’re happy about, sad about, angry about. The act of letting stuff come up from the subconscious can be helpful to facilitate emotional processing that might be hard to see otherwise.”

Beyond these benefits, a daily writing practice can help reveal who we are, and remind us of our lived experiences and growth. MacCombie also encourages people to write as a way of meaningfully preserving their memories: “We live in a world that’s filled with images, but words have an ability to evoke senses, emotions, and feelings,” he says. “Writing something down allows us to remember it better and have a record [to reference later].”

3 different types of writing for processing emotions and boosting creativity

1. expressive writing.

Expressive writing involves writing freely about a challenge, trauma, or stressful life experience and focusing on your feelings instead of the details of particular events. It’s a common form of writing used in therapeutic settings and has been shown to improve people's coping strategies and help them develop solutions to problems .

“Expressive writing helps give people more agency over their bodies and stories,” says MacCombie. “Putting a negative experience down on the page helps them see it in a new light.”

2. Morning pages

While "morning pages" is not a type of writing, per se, it refers to writing first thing in the morning (hence the name) before other thoughts or responsibilities can bubble up in your head. It comes from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and typically involves three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing immediately upon waking up. You can write whatever comes out of you—whether it's a list, an affirmation , or a dream you had the night before .

3. Creative writing

Creative writing is not bound by any specific form—poems, short stories, non-fiction, and fiction can all fall into this bucket. Writing creatively allows us to tap into the reservoirs of our imagination and transcribe our observations or thoughts in a free-flowing way.

As a simple way to practice creative writing, find an old photo, and look at it intently. Write about what you see, what you remember happening when it was taken or when you took it, and what you can remember or imagine exists just beyond the frame.

How to get started with a daily writing routine

The author Joyce Carol Oates says that “everybody has a story.” I like to lean into this mantra in The Writing Ritual and beyond because it’s a perfect reminder that the mind is a surprising place. Once you sit down to write, you could very well be surprised by the different thoughts and feelings that bubble to the surface.

When you’re first getting started with a daily writing routine, begin small. A few sentences or a single paragraph will do, as long as you commit to showing up for yourself every day. Below are a few other tips that can help support your new ritual.

1. Use prompts

If you’re not sure what to write about, use creative prompts to jog your memory or help you tap into your imagination. This can be as simple as choosing a single word to write about, such as “pleasure,” “happiness,” “grief,” “summer,” or “vacation.” What memories or emotions does the word bring up for you?

2. Write by hand

With so many interactions in our daily life occurring on a technological device, there’s something nostalgic and deeply worthwhile about making the choice to write by hand. Different from writing an Instagram caption or email, for which we can endlessly mull over the perfect phrase, writing by hand is all about letting your thoughts flow authentically without the interference of a backspace button. The study cited above on writing's power to boost memory also found this specific benefit to be unique to hand- writing.

Even so, writing somewhere is always better than abandoning the practice entirely—so, if you prefer to write on your phone or computer, you can still do so; just try to resist the urge to self-edit.

3. Write for 10 to 15 minutes per day

Establish a particular time for your new writing practice (set aside 10 or 15 minutes a day), just like you would for any other well-being practice, like taking a daily afternoon walk or doing a nightly meditation. Creating a routine habit out of writing is a simple way to generate forward momentum and stay motivated to continue writing.

During the time you choose for writing, set a timer and silence any social-media or work notifications so you can be fully present with the page, with as few distractions as possible. Even if, on certain days, you don’t feel like writing when the time for your practice rolls around, you still might be surprised by the thoughts and emotions that wind up on the page if you just get started.

Regardless of what gets put to paper, chances are, you'll leave the practice feeling more in tune with yourself and more empowered for whatever comes next in your day. “The simple act of prioritizing creative expression can really give people a sense of hope and self-efficacy,” says MacCombie.

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Daily Routines of Writers: Using the Power of Habits and Triggers to Write Every Day

by Guest Blogger | 26 comments

I’ll start with the bad news.

Much of what you’ve heard about daily routines is more fictional than the stories you’re writing. Everyone seems to have their own “key” to productivity: motivation, willpower, passion, and big goals being the most common.

While these all have the vague ring of truthiness, you’ve probably noticed that, in practice, the results of such methods are inconsistent to nonexistent.

Fortunately, there’s a simple cure.

The Problem With Common Productivity Methods

A daily routine needs to be automatic. Decisions require precious energy and grant us wiggle room to come up with clever excuses not to write. Daily consistency can’t be about gritting our teeth and simply wanting it more.

Because, one day, you’re going to wake up and not want to write at all .

This is why habits are the foundation of an effective daily routine. Once properly installed, they happen without our conscious involvement, and without sapping valuable energy for unnecessary deliberation.

But what of those old productivity stalwarts mentioned during the introduction?

Motivation and willpower are fleetingly unreliable.

Passion is a myth—completing the hard tasks critical for generating growth is often not enjoyable, largely because the human body tries to maintain a state of homeostasis.

And big goals, while great for impressing your friends, are often little more than written wishes with impossible deadlines. On the offhand chance you do accomplish such a goal, you often find yourself so torched by the end that you quickly backslide into old behaviors to escape the “dream big” private Gulag you unwittingly crafted.

Lost amidst this self-help shuffle is the skeleton key that actually controls all your behavior, positive or negative: habits .

Daily Routines Give You Freedom

Artists shy away from consciously constructing habits and daily routines because they’re worried their schedules will become inflexible or their creative work will suffer.

The truth is actually the exact opposite : an effective daily routine frees you from dozens of sundry decisions, thus allowing you to effortlessly immerse yourself within your creative work.

This isn’t a new discovery; prolific Victorian-era novelist Alexander Trollope penned 49 novels in his lifetime by maintaining a consistent daily writing routine from 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM before heading to work at the British Post Office. Of his daily routine, Trollope had this to say:

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”

Incremental progress and continuous improvement—that is, kaizen —doesn’t make for great copy. There will be no sudden light bulb moment that transforms you from a 500 word per day writer to one who regularly cranks out 6,000 words. Unfortunately, the internet has led us to believe that such massive leaps are the norm.

But while habits aren’t sexy, they do have one critical advantage over the self-improvement pack.

What Is a Daily Routine?

A daily routine is simply a chain of habits, lasting anywhere from ten minutes to a few hours. If you’re just starting out with consciously creating habits and routines, then a shorter one—with fewer moving parts—is recommended.

We all have daily routines that trigger at various times. A morning routine is the most obvious: we might wake, take a shower, get dressed, and have a cup of coffee, always in the same order. However, there are additional daily routines that we don’t consciously see. Most of these automated routines are beneficial, and require no tweaking.

A few, however, could use an overhaul.

And, since many prolific writers maintained consistent daily routines, you might want to construct an entirely new one to ramp up your writing output.

I’ll explain how to do just that using habits.

But first, let’s dive a little further into productivity.

The Two Keys to Productivity

While habits are critical to your productivity , they aren’t the only factor.

Habits make up about 50% of your daily productivity. Essentially, a habit is a behavior that’s been repeated long enough to become automated. You don’t need to decide whether or not to tie your shoes, or to wear a shirt: these decisions have been burned into your brain’s neural architecture through years of repetition. This saves us considerable time and annoyance.

We can apply the same principle to writing, eating, or any other area we’d like to change: burn in the right habits through repetition, and eventually they will become as automatic and effortless as tying our shoes .

Chain these habits together, and you have a daily routine that unfolds effortlessly.

But habits aren’t the whole story.

The other 50% of your daily productivity comes from energy management. Your energy levels are dictated by your sleep, diet, exercise, and understanding when you work/focus best. If you sleep poorly, your performance suffers—and it can even sabotage your habits and daily routines (you might skip shaving in the morning if you’re running on E).

Here’s where things get interesting: sleep, diet and exercise are all controlled by habits. In effect, almost 100% of what you accomplish on a day-to-day basis can be traced back to your habits.

The final point—understanding when you’re most alert—is a matter of self-awareness and experimentation. It is during these times of peak awareness & focus that you want to build daily routines—which, again, are simply chains of habits—and search for triggers.

What’s a trigger?

Good question—because triggers are essential to consciously creating habits and daily routines.

The Basic Architecture of a Habit

Habits form naturally. This makes them appear unremarkable (or impossible to consciously create). But much of your current life is already controlled by habit and routine.

The problem with naturally developed habits is simple: you haven’t consciously chosen them. Subsequently, it’s common for our minds to be overtaken by habit squatters: uninvited, non-beneficial behaviors that wreak havoc on our objectives.

Worse is when they snowball into ineffective daily routines. You’ve probably found that taking certain actions early in the day triggers a cascading effect—either good or bad—on your productivity. This is an example of an unconscious daily routine.

Luckily, habit formation—either creating a new habit, or changing a bad one—is simple once you understand the mechanics. And a black box process becomes crystal clear.

A habit has three components:

• Trigger (also called the “cue” or an “antecedent”)
• Behavior (e.g. the habit itself)
• Reward (also called “consequence”; e.g. what we get from performing the behavior)

In your brain, these three components of a habit become literally bundled together in a neural cluster. This is known as Hebb’s Law: neurons that fire together, wire together . The time frame between the trigger-behavior-reward sequence is condensed enough for these actions to form a neural link. Repeat this chain and the neural groove becomes stronger.

This is why, to change or create a behavior, we must start at the beginning of the chain: the trigger.

Triggers come from the environment, a certain time of day, a specific action (e.g. sitting down), a thought (e.g. “I’m bored”), a smell, sound and so forth. They immediately precede the behavior in question.

Examples of common triggers, and the resulting habit chains:

• Waking up (trigger) > shower (behavior) > cleanliness (reward)
• Morning coffee (trigger) > read the paper (behavior) > feel informed/smart (reward)
• Sitting down at your computer (trigger) > check your email (behavior) > dopamine rush (reward)

By becoming aware of the action/feeling/sensory stimulus immediately preceding a certain behavior, you can work to either repurpose these triggers or avoid them. This, in turn, will alter the behavior. If you routinely buy a doughnut on your commute, but figure out that the trigger is walking past the shop, then taking a different route will render that habit inert.

When it comes to new habits, triggers are equally important. The key to effectively using triggers is finding common actions (e.g. sitting, going through doorways, drinking your coffee) and then constructing effective habits around them. The more consistent and repetitive an action is, the faster the habit will get burned into your neural architecture.

You can then build entire daily routines around these common triggers—say, one for your morning coffee, one for your lunch coffee, then a final one for your evening cup.

But triggers alone are often not enough to solidify your habits.

And the other piece of the puzzle comes directly after the behavior: the reward.

Rewards come in two flavors: extrinsic and intrinsic. Although we believe that intrinsic rewards are best—e.g., we should enjoy writing in the morning for its own sake, or exercising because it makes us feel healthy—this is an egregious error, particularly in the early stages of habit formation.

While we all formed plenty of positive habits without the benefit of extrinsic rewards, it goes without saying that intrinsic motivation is clearly insufficient to create habits that have, to this point, eluded us.

Thus, implementing a system of extrinsic rewards is critical to solidifying habits. Unfortunately, however, we tend to do the opposite: we follow up a difficult behavioral change with what amounts to punishment.

Our “reward” for an intense workout will be a miserable egg white smoothie. Or we’ll do a writing session, then immediately “reward” ourselves with a series of cold calls. Or a chore we hate, such as emptying the dishwasher.

In our brain, this links the preceding behavior to negative feelings. It’s no wonder that our adherence plummets long before most behavioral change can become habitual.

Instead, we need to actually reward ourselves.

Common rewards include:

• Coffee, chocolate, soda —e.g. a small treat or a snack. You can use your morning coffee as a reward for doing 200 words after getting up. I frequently use lunch (because I love lunch) as a carrot for getting writing done.
• Watching a movie or video or reading a book. Usually we’ll cut these out, or only read so-called “serious” books. If you want to read a comic after doing your 200 words, do it.
• Playing a game. You have to be careful with any reward that can stretch out infinitely, but setting aside thirty minutes for Candy Crush or Halo 5 is effective.
• Social media. Again, it has to be bounded, otherwise you could spend three hours on Facebook.
• Checking email. Embarrassingly, I’ve used this as an effective reward.

If none of these are enticing, then come up with your own rewards—something that you like . Then cap your habit with that reward to reinforce the behavioral change on a neural level.

And enjoy it . Don’t spend the entirety of your reward time berating yourself or feeling guilty.

One final note: as time wears on, your brain becomes more accustomed to the intrinsic reward (e.g. the satisfaction of getting words down) and, often, you can reduce or remove the extrinsic reward.

The Final Step: Reps

After you’ve designed a habit, everything comes down to repetition . Think of your neural pathways like a groove. The more water you run through that groove, the deeper it becomes. Eventually you have the Grand Canyon—where something is so automated that it becomes part of who you are, without thinking.

The more common the trigger, the quicker you form a habit. Daily habits are best; those that can be performed multiple times a day are even better.

This makes sense even when doing something every day is suboptimal. Daily strength training is (generally) less beneficial than a three days per week program, as the muscles demand rest time to recover. But when I switched to exercising every day, I quickly went from a 70% compliance rate (with only three weekly sessions) to a 90%+ compliance rate (despite working out twice as much).

Because of this repetition, when I skip a workout due to injury/fatigue, there’s a nagging voice that makes me desperately want to do it anyway.

This took a couple months to “burn in,” but this habitual inertia is incredibly powerful when you experience it firsthand. So powerful, in fact, that I would have concluded that a story like the one above was either fictional or wholly exaggerated.

It’s not. Habits literally change who you are.

Keystone Habits (What Habits Should I Build?)

As with most things in life, certain habits have massively more impact than others. This is an example of the 80/20 rule, wherein 80% of the results are generated by 20% of your effort. Keystone habits are the cornerstone of that vital 20%: they are daily tasks that, when successfully and consistently completed, improve multiple areas of your life via a halo effect.

Getting in shape improves multiple areas: confidence, social interactions, focus, energy, and so forth.

Exercise is an example of a macro keystone habit—e.g. things that improve your entire life. Micro keystone habits, on the other hand, are field specific: playing guitar every day, for instance, dramatically increases your technical skill on the instrument and ability to create music. But the benefits are largely contained within a specific domain (although you might be happier/more content/be able to focus better), unless you’re a professional musician.

As a writer, there are three keystone habits that can push your career to the next level:

• Writing every day (or five times a week). The more you write, the better you get; the more you publish, the more money you make. In short, if your goal is to become a professional writer, then this is the #1 habit you should focus on. Note that “writing” includes stuff like revision.
• Reading every day. This is pure story fuel.
• Exercise. This is pretty much a keystone habit for everyone, but especially critical when you consider that writing is a very static task. Exercise can not only help us get out of heads, but has a litany of cognitive and physical benefits that will increase our focus and overall life satisfaction.

By the way: Putting these three habits together into a daily routine makes a lot of sense, especially if you’re strapped for time.

Common Obstacles

Behavior change is rarely easy. We all have habits that, upon reflection, we’d rather not possess. Similarly, we all have habits that we’d like to add to our daily regimen—but have, thus far, been unable to make stick.

Thus, here are four things to keep in mind when you’re either changing or creating habits.

1. The Grand Canyon

Since we all have habits that have been serving us poorly for a long time, that earlier metaphor about the neural pathways might have given you pause. Habits cut both ways: you can really burn-in terrible, automated behaviors. Many of us have.

Don’t beat yourself up; instead, understand that changing them comes down to identifying the trigger and then repurposing it for something more positive. Eliminating habits is very difficult, as the neural pathways (like the Grand Canyon) don’t disappear once they’re formed. Changing the behavior by replacing it with a more positive one is far more effective—this essentially creates a detour that bypasses the old habit’s neural pathway.

2. Habits don’t mean always

There are days where life breaks our routine and we skip a shower or tooth brushing. Nonetheless, we don’t view such occurrences as catastrophic or identity shattering—nor do people flee our presence because of the small woodland creatures that have suddenly taken up residence in our hair.

Habits don’t mean every day; they mean that, when you miss a day or an opportunity to perform one, it generally takes conscious effort—and it feels like something is off .

Iteration and experimentation are essential to changing your habits and building new ones. You will have many false starts and setbacks. Quickly moving on and attempting to build a habit differently—instead of burning failures into your neural grooves by repeatedly trying ineffective strategies or dwelling on mistakes—is a simple two step process.

1. Dissect why you failed. Was it a problem with the trigger or reward? Was it poor planning? Do you just not care about this habit?

2. Adjust the trigger or reward and try to build the habit again.

4. Harness the power of friction

Since our willpower is unreliable, even when we’re trying to build smaller habits, it pays to reduce negative temptations and distractions in the environment.

Create friction: For bad habits, set up obstacles and remove triggers from the environment. This can be something like changing your social media account password (or deleting the app from your phone). If you’re trying to eat better, not keeping cookies in the house ensures that you can’t eat any cookies when a craving hits.

Reduce friction: For good habits, we want to make jumping in as seamless and painless as possible. Thus, we can reduce friction by doing things like keeping our WIP open on our computer. Or our guitar out in the open.

Don’t underestimate the power of friction. You might think ten seconds sounds like it doesn’t make a difference.

You’d be amazingly wrong.

I practice guitar regularly (one hour a day). For a while, I put my tuner in a bag in the closet (five feet from the practice area). I didn’t tune the guitar for a month —despite playing every day, and knowing this was severely impacting the quality of my deliberate practice.

This immediately changed when I put the tuner on the shelf (still five feet away—just in plain sight). When it comes to building habits, reducing even a little friction goes a long way.

Habits for Writers

To this point, I’ve taken a more general overview of habits, simply because the concept has tremendous utility outside of writing. By widening our scope, I hope you’ve also identified various habits that are indirectly impacting your ability to create effective daily routines.

For example, you might have already formed the requisite daily morning writing habit “grooves,” but are only showing up half the time because of poor sleep. Which is the result of an ill-advised coffee at 7:30 PM habit that reduces your sleep hours from seven to six, making you tired and fuzzy-headed upon waking.

Thus, it pays to examine all our habits to determine their halo effects—either positive or negative.

However, since The Write Practice is (obviously) for writers, I’ll also give you a few writing-specific examples.

Changing old habits by repurposing triggers

OLD: morning coffee (trigger) > read paper/email etc. (behavior) > dopamine rush (reward) NEW: morning coffee (trigger) > write 250 words (behavior) > read paper/email (reward)

OLD: feeling bored (trigger) > go to ESPN/email/blog (behavior) > feeling informed (reward) NEW: feeling bored (trigger) > pull out a craft book and read for 10 minutes (behavior) > text a friend (reward)

OLD: Lunch (trigger) > go talk with friends/go to the food cart (behavior) > feel good/socially energized (reward) NEW: Lunch (trigger) > bring lunch, work on work in progress (WIP) for 15 minutes (behavior) > visit with friends when they return (reward)

Creating new habits

Sitting down (trigger) > flip to WIP and write for 5 minutes (behavior) > watch a short video (reward)

Booting up your computer (trigger) > work on WIP and write 200 words (behavior) > check social media (reward)

Walk the dog (trigger) > upon returning, work on WIP and write 200 words (behavior) > have a sandwich and give Rover the crust (reward)

Wake up (trigger) > drill scene structure for 10 minutes (behavior) > have breakfast (reward)

The numbers are placeholders and should be scaled to your schedule and skill level. If you can write 5,000 words per day, then it likely doesn’t make sense to work in 200 word blocks. That will probably decrease your productivity.

Conversely, if the longest thing you’ve written in the past three years is a Post-it note, 200 words might be a Herculean effort. Don’t worry about that; once you have the habit in your pocket, scaling the word count or time commitment is a simple matter of gradually bumping up that number.

Putting It All Together: A Daily Routine

We’re finally coming full circle to what the title of this promised: creating a daily routine. It’s important to understand habit construction first, as building a routine is as simple as putting those pieces together into a longer chain.

A quick refresher on the three components of habit construction:

Structuring your daily routine in a way where the links flow naturally into one another as a smooth series of triggers and rewards is critical to its effectiveness.

Morning routines are the most common, so let’s break one down. If you recall from earlier, the three keystone habits for writers are writing, reading and exercise. Thus, we’ll chain these together into a morning routine that takes about an hour.

You can, of course, adapt this for any time of the day, using any trigger as the start of your routine.

Waking up is a great trigger, since it reliably occurs on 100% of days. Thus, we’ll use that to kick things off:

Wake up (trigger) > read craft books for 15 minutes (behavior) > coffee (reward)

Right now, we have a fairly basic habit like the examples above. Reading is a good way to start the day off, since it takes less focus & brainpower than writing, which can be a little difficult with sleep fog (YMMV, naturally).

The secret sauce in building a routine from this single habit, then, is to use its final link—the coffee reward—as a trigger for the next habit. Which will give us something like this:

Wake up (trigger) > 15m reading (behavior) > coffee (reward/trigger) > 15m writing (behavior) > 5m email (reward)

Let’s take another step in the chain, using the five minutes of email reward as a trigger for a little exercise:

• Wake up (trigger)
• 15m reading (behavior)
• Coffee (reward/trigger)
• 15m writing (behavior)
• 5m of email (reward/trigger)
• 15m exercise (behavior)
• Protein bar (reward)

Links can be added to the habit chain ad infinitum. In general, however, a simple daily routine is best. Each additional behavior, trigger and reward introduce a new point of failure. If you’re out of coffee, that can throw the entire routine off, for example.

Daily Routines That Work

A robust daily routine is structured around triggers that happen every day, rewards that don’t interfere with your goals (e.g., if you’re trying to lose weight, half a cake is not a reward), and reliable individual components.

In other words, if your internet is out 25% of the time, then using email as a reward would be untenable.

Which leads us again to the concept of friction, and setting ourselves up for success. For the daily routine above:

• Keep a paperback book by your nightstand so you can roll over and start reading. (reduce friction)
• Don’t keep your phone/iPad/Kindle Fire there, as it’s easy to get sucked into a web browsing wormhole instead. (increase friction)
• Keep your computer on, with the WIP open overnight. Thus, when you come up with your coffee, the document is already waiting. (reduce friction)
• Set a timer for activities—emails, social media, video games—that can go on endlessly. (increase friction)
• Have your exercise mat/clothes set up the night before. (reduce friction)

A few more things to bear in mind when creating your daily routine:

Smoothly transition to the next habit

This is paramount in individual habit creation as well. Don’t muddy the neural circuit by doing three things in between the coffee and the fifteen minutes of writing (or whatever your chosen behaviors and rewards happen to be).

A trigger must be tightly bonded and immediately followed by the behavior. Likewise, the reward needs to come right after the behavior. Otherwise the chain doesn’t work.

Smooth transitions have the added benefit of dramatically increasing your efficiency and saving lots of time.

Consistent repetition

Perform your daily routine the same way, in the same order, for many consecutive days. This means that an effective daily routine you can follow is better than a mythical “awesome” routine that doesn’t fit your lifestyle.

As with habits, if you can repeat your routine multiple times per day, then it will become automated faster.

Analyze existing triggers and rewards

And, as for adjusting an unwanted routine: simply analyze the existing triggers and rewards. Often removing just one or two will cause the current routine to crumble and fade away.

Key Takeaways

While I hope you’re excited about using habits to build new daily routines, I’ll temper expectations by saying this isn’t an instant life renovation silver bullet. Habits take a long time to form—sixty-six days is commonly thrown around as the “average” time.

Unfortunately, like most things in self-help literature, this number is wholly fictional; the actual time depends on the person and activity. I sat down and meditated for thirty minutes a day instantly; it took me five years to form a regular exercise habit (and I’m still not all the way there). And don’t get me started on going to sleep before 3:00 AM.

After months—or years—of banging your head against the wall following bogus self-help truisms, spending months or years to change your behavior might sound untenable. Unfortunately, there is no alternative. It would be unrealistic—and, quite frankly, undesirable—to expect your brain to completely change overnight.

Nonetheless, as you put in reps, compounding takes over. At some point, you start progressing faster than you ever thought possible. This is the classic “overnight success” that took five or ten years to coalesce.

But if you’re persistent, that success could be you.

Since we covered a lot of ground, here are the key takeaways:

• Willpower, motivation, big goals and passion are unreliable for generating long term behavioral change. The Greek poet Archilochus said it best over 2,600 years ago: “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” Habits are your training. 50% of your daily productivity comes from habits; the other 50% comes from managing your energy through getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, and knowing what times of day you work best.
• Habits are built on triggers, behaviors, and rewards. Focusing on the triggers, then the rewards, will allow you to change old habits and also craft new ones.
• Triggers come from many places: the environment, time, thoughts, sensory stimuli, and more.
• Rewards should generally be extrinsic in the early stages of habit formation.
• Not all habits have equal impact; those that have a halo effect across multiple areas are called keystone habits .
• Three keystone habits for writers are writing every day, reading every day and regular exercise.
• Repetition is the key to burning in neural grooves and making a habit or daily routine automatic—executing your habit daily or multiple times a day will hasten the automation process .
• Replacing bad habits is much easier than eliminating them. Repurpose triggers for positive behaviors to turn time-wasting/negative habits into benefits.
• Expect to experiment with triggers and rewards—sometimes it’s not immediately obvious what is causing a certain behavior, or which extrinsic rewards motivate us.
• Daily routines are simply chains of habits. Craft them around consistent daily triggers and robust individual parts so that day-to-day life doesn’t interfere.
• Keep records. A check mark on a calendar or a simple log will allow you to instantly see your progress. This is critical, because progress is often slow enough to seem imperceptible.

The Power of Habits, Triggers, and Daily Routines

Habits are the most powerful driver of behavioral change on the planet. When consciously strung into well-crafted daily routines, they make you an unstoppable source of seemingly effortless productivity.

While the upfront cost of building habits might seem too high or too slow, consider this: once you’ve carved in those neural pathways, that behavioral change is permanent . No more discipline or watching motivational videos on YouTube. Zero time deciding what to do, or whining about “not feeling it.”

Just pure writing bliss and continual improvement. What could you accomplish if your brain was forever freed from the shackles of merely showing up? Imagine all your creative brainpower being marshalled toward writing the best stories possible—instead of more productivity hacks and tricks.

That’s the power of a bulletproof daily routine. The pieces are simple. But don’t let that fool you.

Lasting, permanent change is now in your hands.

The only question left, then, is this.

A year from now, who are you going to be?

Do you have a daily routine that helps you write? Let us know in the comments .

Take fifteen minutes to consider how habits and daily routines can positively impact your writing.

First, pick one existing habit you want to modify into a writing opportunity. Or, design a new writing habit to add to your day. If you’re ambitious, try constructing a simple routine of a few habits. Identify the trigger and reward and write out the complete chain.

Then, commit to completing the habit for the next thirty days if it’s a new habit, or continually iterating it over those thirty days if it’s one you’re trying to change. Check off the day on your calendar each time you perform the habit.

Share your habit and its trigger-behavior-reward sequence in the comments below . Be sure to encourage your fellow writers as we all work to develop healthy, productive habits.

Guest Blogger

This article is by a guest blogger. Would you like to write for The Write Practice? Check out our guest post guidelines .

26 Comments

Nicholas, thank you for a great post, which is timely for me. Just this morning, I thought about how I squander the first two hours after waking and wondered how to construct a more productive day. Your formula of trigger-behavior-reward sounds workable. For the next thirty days, my plan is waking-exercise-tea (reward/trigger)-WIPs-craft book. As I become comfortable with the process, I will extend it to the rest of my day.

Sounds like a good plan, Billie. Sometimes it takes a little while for the brain to get warmed up in the morning, too, so if a routine/activity doesn’t work right when you wake up, try experimenting with various times of day.

Great article, although I was thrown (embarrassingly, it turns out) by the acronym, WIP, which broke my concentration when I had to stop to Google it. Because our lives are flooded with acronyms which stand for different things in different settings, I would suggest a global replace so newbies can stick with it. Thanks for great info!

Amazing article. Very relevant especially in this time of having sooo many distractions on our tool to work: the computer! It’s hard to separate them sometimes. I really enjoyed this, so thank you.

This is true. If you’re struggling with internet distractions, there are various plugins that block aspects of social sites (e.g. Facebook’s newsfeed or YouTube’s homepage). There are also complete solutions like Freedom or Cold Turkey, which can block all sites or certain sites for a set period.

I know that for some people it’s difficult, but I find that writing a complete first draft on paper has reduced the amount of internet related distractions I have by half.

I agree with you. Writing in longhand seems to help me from distractions.

Wow. Your article is so timely for my writing and my life. When I retired, I found it difficult to accomplish anything. My life had usually evolved around the demands of work or school with pushing against deadlines as a motivation. Once I retired the deadlines were gone and with them the structuring impetus of my life. I finally got around to establishing what I called daily disciplines, 12 of them, which helped me put some structure and satisfaction back in my days. The disciplines included different forms of writing. Then, my personal disaster, a stroke, made performing those disciplines difficult. Well, as I am rewiring my brain to adapt to limited capacities I have slowly regained a modified 12 discipline activity. Your article made me realize that some of what I called disciplines fall into trigger, behavior, or reward categories. I have experienced some of the reward of establishing new habits. What I need to work on is continuing but to set my disciplines into a routine…I keep switching the order around but now think my freedoms might be wider and deeper if I approach these disciplines in the same order on a regular basis. Onto more self-discovery and hopefully some publishable writing!!!! Thank you, again, for such an important posting.

This is a great point; often school or work provides us with important structure/routines that disappear after we leave. An important part of being a full-time writer is replacing these structures with ones of your own, which it sounds like you did.

I’m sorry to hear about your stroke. You might want to check out the book The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. It’s a fantastic book on learning/brain plasticity in general, but it also contains a chapter with inspiring stories about individuals who retaught themselves various tasks after strokes or other brain injuries.

Thank you for your response and your suggestion to look for the book The Brain That Changes Itself. I am looking forward to finding it either at the library or through Kindle.

This is the most amazing article I’ve ever read!

I usually write if I feel like I have been so lazy. Or, if my break is too long between books. Or, when I’m excited. Great article! Thanks!

I used to crank out in between 500 to 1K words in twenty minutes when I was working on my previous WIP last spring. It was beautiful. But, since I spent summer, fall, and most of winter preparing for the next book in the series, my routine was wrecked. Basically, this post is exactly what I’ve been needing. Thanks!

I too am struggling with a daily routine since retiring. I am so grateful for retrogeegee’s comment and for your easy-to-follow article. Having a degree in psychology, my inner voice was screaming that I should have thought of this, but my heart’s loud cheers for this simple explanation have drowned out that voice. Thank you for sharing your insight!

This article is my agony to the tee. I spin around in circles doing everything but write. Looking at triggers/behaviours puts things in perspective and gives me a place to begin.

Great recommendations. I light a candle and say a prayer right before journaling and I snuff the candle with a prayer when I have finished writing. It really helps and it’s amazingly simple.

I don’t have a candle, but I use an old-fashioned green table lamp. There’s something about having it on that gets me in the mood to read and write.

This is the best post I’ve seen on this topic. Exactly what I needed to develop a healthy writing routine. Thank you.

I like how you presented this info. I like things boiled down and when i reflect on my habits I realize that i reward myself more than being productive. I get lost in the distrqctions that are there. By pointing out some options about rewards started giving me some ideas about what I can start doing to reward myself in better ways and control the reward systems.

This is extremely helpful. Thank you, Nicolas, for all of the amazing details included. I realized that I do my email first when I sit down to my computer. If I make that a reward and sitting down to the computer a trigger to write, it will make a huge difference. Writing then becomes the priority. I seem to have been treating it as the reward – I can only write if I take care of all my email first. Reversing this sounds wonderful.

I put off email frequently until after I do a writing related task, and it works well. It also helps with efficiency, since email has a tendency to send me down a rabbithole of links/responses/tasks unrelated to writing.

Good insights ! Thanks. My question is : what can I do when I start to be bored ? I generally start going on facebook, and than surfing on the web, without purpose and I lose lots of precious time. Then my energy level is so low that I start to wonder if I can write something. And I lose my stamina for writing. I have the same computer for writing and for fun. Should I buy a second one just dedicated to my scrivener ? Would it be helpful to reduce tension ? Thanks.

You can buy a different computer (which would act as a different trigger), or turn off the wi-fi (or use programs like ColdTurkey to cut off distractions). You could also take your laptop to a new room or a coffee shop (which acts as a different trigger). But, to be honest, I don’t do any of that (although you could experiment with any combination of them).

Boredom is inevitable, I think; the intrinsic rewards that come from writing (or any skill that demands concentration/lots of hours of intense focus) are doled out slowly, over days and months. As such, particularly in the beginning of developing a routine, other, more immediate rewards (TV/surfing) are going to be much more appealing.

The solution to defeating boredom/distraction is cultivating quality focus.

Focus is usually thought of as something we generate on-demand, but really it’s a skill. If you train yourself to task-switch constantly, this is what you’ll be “good” at – but, unfortunately, when the time comes to sit and do one task, your brain won’t be wired to accomplish this. This is fairly common in today’s culture, but luckily it’s also a simple problem that has a simple solution: your focus just needs to be trained.

The #1 fix? Just sitting there, doing one thing and not allowing yourself to do anything else. Start with a set block of time – 15 minutes, 30 minutes. Writing works, but you can cultivate focus in anything (e.g. reading). Here’s the kicker: during your writing block, you don’t actually have to be writing – but you can do absolutely nothing else (this is an old rule from Raymond Chandler, by the way). Soon you’ll be so bored that you have no option but to write.

Once you get some inertia going during a session, that usually continues.

You’ll also find that most distractions/urges to surf dissipate within 30 seconds to 1 minute. Occasionally they’ll be more persistent. But as you make it a habit not to give in, you’ll find that your focus sharpens – and you become more accustomed to being bored and not being thrown off by it.

Of course, occasionally there are times where your focus is just terrible, and it’s impossible to get rolling on a project. After holding out for five or ten minutes, sometimes it’s better to just go do something else and come back later.

Alls so true, Nicholas. Yeah! Cultivating ‘quality focus’, is what I, above everything else, must develop.

I’ve just recently discovered the wisdom and insights of Nicholas Erik via his website and KBoards, and I must say it’s some of the best, no-nonsense, down-to-earth wisdom I could ask for as a self-publishing author.

P.S. I’d also like to point out that the author Nicholas referred too isn’t Alexander Trollope, it’s Anthony Trollope.

I know it’s just another excuse, but sometimes I feel as if I need several hours worth of time blocks in order to feel productive. I find it interesting (and refreshing) that you list 15 min. spurts of writing/exercise/reading in your habit-forming process. Sometimes you just have to push aside the drain you feel from constantly tweaking your methods and just go for it. These are some wonderful ideas I’m definitely looking forward to implementing in my personal planner next week.

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The best writing exercises bring out our latent creativity. Especially if you ever feel stuck or blocked, making creative writing exercises part of your daily writing practice can be a great way to both hone your skills and explore new frontiers in your writing. Whether you’re a poet, essayist, storyteller, or genre-bending author, these free writing exercises will jumpstart your creative juices and improve your writing abilities.

24 of the Best Free Writing Exercises to Try Out Today

The best creative writing exercises will push you out of your comfort zone and get you to experiment with words. Language is your sandbox, so let’s build some sand castles with these exercises and writing prompts.

Write With Limitations

The English language is huge, complicated, and — quite frankly — chaotic. Writing with self-imposed limitations can help you create novel and inventive pieces.

What does “limitations” mean in this context? Basically, force yourself not to use certain words, descriptions, or figures of speech. Some writing exercises using limitations include the following:

• Write without using adverbs or adjectives.
• Write without using the passive voice – no “being verbs” whatsoever. (Also called “E-Prime” writing.)
• Write a story without using a common letter –  just like Ernest Vincent Wright did .
• Write a poem where each line has six words.
• Write without using any pronouns.

Among exercises to improve writing skills, writing with limitations has the clearest benefits. This practice challenges your brain to think about language productively. Additionally, these limitations force you to use unconventional language – which, in turn, makes you write with lucidity, avidity, and invention.

Freewriting & Stream of Consciousness

What do you do when the words just don’t come out? How can you write better if you can’t seem to write at all? One of the best poetry exercises, as well as writing exercises in general, is to start your day by freewriting.

Freewriting , also known as “stream of consciousness writing,” involves writing your thoughts down the moment they come. There’s no filtering what you write, and no controlling what you think: topicality, style, and continuity are wholly unnecessary in the freewriting process. While the idea of freewriting seems easy, it’s much harder than you think – examining your thoughts without controlling them takes a while to master, and the impulse to control what you write isn’t easy to tame. Try these exercises to master the skill:

• Do a timed freewrite. Start with five minutes.
• Freewrite until you fill up the entirety of something – an envelope, a receipt, a postcard, etc.
• Freewrite after meditating.
• Freewrite off of the first word of today’s newspaper.

Among daily writing exercises, freewriting is one of the best writing exercises. Poets can use freewritten material as inspiration for their poetry. Prose writers can also find inspiration for future stories from the depths of their consciousnesses. Start your writing day with freewriting, and watch your creativity blossom.

Copy What You Read

Plagiarism is still off the table; however, you can learn a lot by paying attention to how other people write. This is what we call “reading like a writer.”

Reading like a writer means paying attention to the craft elements that make an excellent piece of literature work. Good writing requires different writing styles, figurative language, story structures, and/or poetry forms, as well as key word choice.

When you notice these craft elements, you can go ahead and emulate them in your own work. As a fiction writer , you might be drawn to the way Haruki Murakami weaves folklore into his stories, and decide to write a story like that yourself. Or, as a poet, you might be inspired by Terrance Hayes’ Golden Shovel form — enough so that you write a Golden Shovel yourself.

• Read a favorite poem, and write your own poem in the same poetic form.
• Blackout poetry: take another poem, cross out words you don’t want to use, circle words you do, and write a poem based on the circled words.
• Copy a single sentence from a favorite novel, and write a short-short story with it.

Among free writing exercises, this is a great way to learn from the best. The best kinds of exercises to improve writing skills involve building upon the current canon of works — as Isaac Newton said, you achieve something great by “standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Write From Different Perspectives

The conventional advice given to writers is to “write what you know.” We couldn’t disagree with that statement more. The best creative works force both the writer and the reader to consider new perspectives and learn something new; writing from a new point-of-view makes for a great exercise in expanding your creative limits.

Try these ideas as daily writing exercises:

• Write a story with the same plot, but with two or more perspectives. For example, you could write a lover’s quarrel from two different view points.
• Write from the point-of-view of a famous historical figure.
• Write a story or poem from the perspective of an object: a statue, a doll, a roomba, etc.
• Write from the perspective of a person you dislike.

While playing with perspective makes for a great fiction writing exercise , poets and essayists can do this too. Patricia Smith’s poem “Skinhead,” for example, is a persona piece written from the perspective of a white nationalist, but the poem clearly condemns the speaker’s beliefs.

Thus, perspective writing also works as a poetry exercise and an essay writing practice exercise . If you’re stuck in your own head, try writing in someone else’s!

Write Metaphor Lists

All creative writers need figurative language. While metaphors, similes, and synecdoches are more prominent in poetry , prose writers need the power of metaphor to truly engross their reader. Among both exercises to improve writing skills and fun writing exercises for adults, writing metaphor lists is one of the best writing exercises out there.

A metaphor list is simple. On a notebook, create two columns. In one column, write down only concrete nouns. Things like a pillow, a tree, a cat, a cloud, and anything that can be perceived with one of the five senses.

In the other list, write down only abstract ideas. Things like love, hate, war, peace, justice, closure, and reconciliation — anything that is conceptual and cannot be directly perceived.

Now, choose a random noun and a random concept, and create a metaphor or simile with them. Delve into the metaphor and explain the comparison. For example, you might say “Love is like a pillow — it can comfort, or it can smother.”

Once you’ve mastered the metaphor list, you can try the following ideas to challenge yourself:

• Create a coherent poem out of your metaphor list.
• Turn your metaphor list into a short story.
• Try making lists with a different figurative language device, such as personification, pathetic fallacy, or metonymy.

Any free creative writing exercise that focuses on figurative language can aid your writing immensely, as it helps writers add insight and emotionality to their work. This is an especially great creative writing exercise for beginners as they learn the elements of style and language.

Daily Journaling

Of course, the best way to improve your creative writing skills is simply to write every day. Keeping a daily journal is a great way to exercise your writing mind. By sitting down with your personal observations and writing without an agenda or audience, a daily writing practice  remains one of the best writing exercises , regardless of your genre or level of expertise.

Consider these ideas for your daily journal:

• Track your mood and emotions throughout the day. Write those emotions in metaphor — avoid commonplace adjectives and nouns.
• Write about your day from the second- or third-person.
• Journal your day in verse. Use stanzas, line breaks, and figurative language.
• Write about your day backwards.
• Write about your day using Freytag’s pyramid . Build up to a meaningful climax, even if nothing significant seemed to happen today.

Learn more about keeping a journal here:

How to Start Journaling: Practical Advice on How to Journal Daily

Writing Exercises: Have Fun with Them!

Many of these writing exercises might feel challenging at first—and that’s a good thing! You will unlock new ideas and writing strengths by struggling through these creative challenges. The main point is to have fun with them and use them to explore within your writing, without indulging too many monologues from your inner critic.

Are you looking for more exercises to improve your writing skills? Our instructors can offer prompts, illuminating lectures, one-to-one feedback, and more to help you improve your craft. Check out our upcoming creative writing courses , and let’s put these skills to practice.

Sean Glatch

Thank you for this. I’ve been stuck for months—more than that, actually, and you’d think that a pandemic stay-at-home would be the perfect time to do some writing. But no. I’m as stuck as ever. In fact, the only time I seem able to write consistently and well is when I’m taking one of your classes! I’m still saving my pennies, but these exercises will hopefully get me writing in the meantime. Thanks again!

Hi Kathy, I’m glad to hear some of these tips might spark your creativity 🙂 I feel the same way, I was hoping the stay-at-home order might spark some creativity, but we shouldn’t push ourselves too hard – especially in the midst of a crisis.

The best part about writing: all you have to do is try, and you’ve already succeeded. Good luck on your writing endeavors!

Bravo….!What a great piece! Honestly I learnt a lot here!

I picked interest in poetry just a week ago after reading a beautiful piece which captivated my mind into the world of writing. I’d love to write great poems but I don’t know anything about poetry, I need a coach, a motivator and an inspiration to be able to do this. This piece really helped me but I will appreciate some more tips and help from you or anyone else willing to help, I am really fervid about this.

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for your comment! I’m so excited for you to start your journey with poetry. We have more advice for poetry writing at the articles under this link: https://writers.com/category/poetry

Additionally, you might be interested in two of our upcoming poetry courses: Poetry Workshop and How to Craft a Poem .

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at [email protected] . Many thanks, and happy writing!

[…] 24 Best Writing Exercises to Become a Better Writer | writers.com  […]

Hi, kinsey there. Thanks for giving information. it is a very informative blog and i appreciate your effort to write a blog I am also a writer and i like these type of blogs everyone takes more knowledge to check out my essay writing website

As a writer, I often struggle to break free from the chains of writer’s block, but this blog has gifted me with a map of inspiration to navigate through those creative storms. It’s like being handed a box of enchanted writing exercises

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7 Steps to Developing a Daily Writing Practice

September 18, 2019 By Nina Amir Leave a Comment

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Whether you’re looking to finish your first book or simply hone your writing skills, a daily writing practice can help you reach your goals.

Not only that, but it also can be extremely therapeutic. By putting down all of your thoughts and ideas for the day on paper, you can better work out what you’re feeling and why. (Bonus: This therapy is completely free!)

But to maintain a daily writing practice, you’ll need to stay focused, committed, and follow a few simple steps.

The Importance of Writing Regularly

Keeping your commitment will require you to make writing a habit, a part of your daily routine.  When something becomes routine, it means we don’t even have to think about that action anymore—we just do it.

Did you have to think about brushing your teeth, getting dressed, or turning on your coffee machine this morning? Probably not.

Your goal should be to make sitting down and writing just as automatic. The best way to do this is by establishing a process that is simple and, hopefully, enjoyable for you.

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How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice

These seven tips will help you establish a successful daily writing practice so you can beat procrastination once and for all.

1.     Find Your Productive Hours

Different people work best at different times. Perhaps you hit your stride as you sip your morning coffee before the rest of the house is up and running. Or, perhaps you’re a night owl who does her best work with the murmur of late-night talk shows in the background.

Either of these options is perfectly fine as long as you feel like you’re in your peak productivity hour.

What doesn’t work is telling yourself you’ll write “sometime today” or “sometime tomorrow.”

Because life happens. You’ll get swept up in helping your kids with homework, or a work meeting that runs unexpectedly late. Before you know it, it’s nearly midnight, and you’re just about ready to sleep when suddenly you realize that you were supposed to write today.

To avoid this cycle and replace it with a successful routine, choose a dedicated time—one in which you know you won’t be interrupted or distracted—and write at that hour every day.

2. Create Your Space

If your cramped desk facing the wall of a gloomy guest bedroom doesn’t inspire you to write, I don’t blame you. You’ll be far more likely to stick with (and maybe even look forward to) your writing routine if you have a space in which you actually enjoy spending time.

Don’t have one? Make one!

Clear off a writing surface, and try to keep it as decluttered as possible. If you’d like, keep just a few photos on your desk of a place or person that inspires you or reminds you of your goals.

You might also add a soothing candle or whatever you need to feel relaxed and focused.

Make your writing space one you actually want to spend time in, and you’ll see the difference in your productivity and your ability to develop a daily writing practice.

3. Set Goals

Each day before you begin writing, establish a clear, measurable goal. For example, maybe you want to write 500 words, two pages, or for one uninterrupted hour.

Write your goal down on your calendar or daily agenda planner. This will help you visualize your goal while also keeping you accountable. Plus, there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing off a task that will bring you one step closer to your bigger dreams.

Make sure that your goals are clearly defined but also realistic enough that you can achieve them if you stay focused. By setting lofty goals, you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment when you fail to reach them—and that will likely discourage you from continuing altogether.

4. Be Prepared

Returning to your writing space, it’s important to keep your area neat but also ready for your next session.

If you write early in the morning, for instance, take a few minutes the evening before to tidy up your desk, charge your laptop, etc. This will save you precious time in the morning and help you get started with more momentum.

5. Eliminate Distractions

Even if you’re used to working with the TV on or some classic rock playing, it probably hasn’t done your productivity any favors.

Try swapping out talk shows and reality TV for some classical music, soft ambient noise, or just the natural sounds of your backyard.

Disable any distracting notifications from social media. In fact, you may just want to go ahead and leave your phone in another room. You also can set up your notifications to alert you only when select contacts call or message.

This one may seem pretty hard at first, but you’ll find that you can accomplish so much more when you aren’t tempted to stalk your friend’s tropical getaway on Instagram or lose an hour watching dog videos.

If you do happen to enjoy watching dog videos, you can use that as a motivating force to get your work done. Tell yourself that once you’ve reached your daily goal, you’ll reward yourself by watching your favorite videos, taking a walk, or calling up a friend—any little thing you enjoy and that will keep you going.

6. Take Breaks

I can’t stress this one enough. Just as it’s critical to stay focused when you’re trying to be productive, it’s also important to take breaks.

If your daily writing practice involves more than an hour of writing, don’t forget to be gentle with yourself and take breaks as needed.

It might feel like the best and quickest way to reach your goal is to just sit down and write non-stop. But taking a few minutes to walk around outside, stretch, or make yourself a cup of tea can actually do wonders for your mind and creativity.

If you’re up against some frustrating writer’s block, the best thing to do is take a break and refresh your mind. This way, when you’re ready, you can return to your work with fresh eyes and ideas.

7. Use Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are a great way to get your ideas flowing and inspire yourself out of a creative rut.

If you’re simply trying to fine-tune your writing skills, writing prompts can help you by providing a fresh topic each day.

However, they also can be extremely helpful for anyone working on a novel, nonfiction book, or more substantial project. If you’re encountering writer’s block, try out a few prompts to see if they inspire you with any new ideas.

Practice Makes Perfect

A daily writing practice can help you become a better writer and a stronger communicator. You may also find that it provides therapeutic benefits, as well.

So, what are you waiting for? Find your comfiest chair, grab a pen, and start writing!

How did you develop your writing habit? Tell me in a comment below …and share this post with a writing buddy!

About the Author

Tom Corson-Knowles is the bestselling author of 27 books including  The Kindle Publishing Bible  and  founder of  TCK Publishing , an independent book publishing company.

Tom has taught more than 80,000 authors how to write, publish and market their books like professionals through his online training courses, including Ebook Publishing School, a free training program that shows authors how to publish and launch their first book.

Photo courtesy of Brasoveanu George Bogdan

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• Essay on My Daily Routine | 200, 300, 400, 500 Words for Class 1-10

In our student life, we all need to follow a strict routine to get better output in the study and our health. We can manage time in a better way when we follow a daily routine. Here we have got some short and long essays on my daily routine for all class students. These essays are on every size, you can find a suitable one for yourself. 

In This Blog We Will Discuss

Essay on My Daily Routine in 200 Words

Everyone should follow a daily routine . As a student, I follow a very simple and easy routine for myself. I have made this routine with the help of my brother and one of my teachers. My day starts very early in the morning. 

I get up at 5 o’clock and go for a morning walk . I am very aware of my health. I try my best to keep myself fit and fine. After the morning walk, I bath with cold water and then take a rest for 10 minutes. 

After the rest, I eat my breakfast. And then I go to my reading room . I love to read science and English in the morning time. It’s the best time to concentrate on study. Then I prepare myself for school. 

Exactly at 9.30 o’clock, my father takes me to school. I come back from school at 3 PM in the afternoon. I eat my lunch in the school break time, I keep my food with me. Then I take a rest in my home and go out for playing cricket. 

Then I come back home before getting dark outside. I start reading at 6 PM and read till 9 PM. Then I eat my dinner. Before going to sleep, I watch television for 30 minutes. That’s all my daily routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 300 Words

Introduction: 

If you are following a daily routine that could bring some serious changes in your life. First of all, it will let you live a life in a fixed schedule and you can manage things in a better way. For the students, it’s a mandatory thing to follow. 

Because it can improve your study style and get better results for yourself. I also follow a daily routine as a student, and I am going to share things about my routine here. 

My Daily Routine: 

My routine is very simple but I follow it very strictly. Take a look at my daily routine here. 

4.00 AM – I get up early in the morning. 

4.00-4.20 AM – I brush my teeth and wash my face. 

4.20-5.00 – I go for a small morning walk and some basic exercises. And I get back to home. 

5.00-5.20 – I take a shower with cold water. 

5.20-7.00 – I prepare all my school tasks and homework. 

7.00-7.30 – I eat my breakfast. 

7.30-9.00 – Again I study and prepare my school tasks. 

9.00-9.30 – I prepare myself for going to school and got to school. 

9.30-3.30 – I spend all these hours in the school. I eat my lunch there. I keep my food with me. I love eating lunch with all my friends. 

3.30-4.30 – I get back to home and take rest. 

4.30-6.00 – I play cricket outside and then get back to home. 

6.00-9.00 – I study a lot in that time.

10.00 – I go to sleep after eating my dinner and watching TV for 20 minutes. 

That’s all about my daily routine. 

Conclusion:

I make some changes in the routine when I have free time or leisure time. Overall that’s a huge experience for me to follow this productive routine. 

My Daily Routine Essay in 400 Words

Introduction:

If you want to get the best result from your work, then you need to manage time properly. And time management becomes so easy when you are following a daily routine. As a student, I follow a very strict but simple routine and it helps me a lot to improve my study and other things. Today I will share everything about my routine. 

My Daily Routine:

My day starts very early in the morning. I wake up at 4 o’clock. I used to wake up very late, but when I heard about the health benefits of early rising , I started to get up early. Then I brush my teeth and go for a small morning walk . 

I enjoy the walk very much because it helps to feel good in the early morning. Sometimes I do some basic exercises too. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I prepare my school tasks. I love to study math and science in the morning time. 

Because I can give better concentration on that period. I get ready for my school at 9 o’clock and my mom drops me there at 9.30 o’clock. I spend most of the time on my day at the school. I eat my lunch there in the school break time. 

I come back from the school at 3.30 PM and then I take a rest for 30 minutes. I love to play cricket in the afternoon. But every day I can’t play. 

My Evening and Night Routine:

When I get back home after the playing in the field, I feel very tired. And then I wash and take rest for 30 minutes. I eat some juice or something else that my mom prepares for me. I start to study at 6.30 PM in the evening. 

Most of the day, I keep reading till 9.30. That’s the most important part for my study. I prepare all my homework and do some extra studies too. And then I eat my dinner and watch Television before sleep. 

Conclusion: 

That’s all about my daily routine. I try to follow this routine always. But sometimes I need to bring some changes in the routine. And when I spend holiday and off day from school, I can’t follow this routine at all. I think this routine is helping me to use my time in the best work and complete my study tasks properly. 

Essay on My Daily Routine in 500 Words

To become successful, everybody should follow a strict schedule or routine. Especially in student life, we need to maintain our time properly. If we fail to maintain time then we can’t make a good result in the examination. 

Today I am going to share my daily routine and my experience here. I am a very regular guy who follows a routine. I made that routine almost six months ago with the help of my elder brother. 

I make some small edits and changes in the routine due to my own preference. 

I consider the morning is the most important part of the day. In the morning, you will find lots of peace and a calm environment. My class teacher suggested me to get up early morning. I followed here that suggestion very seriously and that made my day. 

Now I always get up at 5 o’clock in the morning. First of all, I go to the washroom and brush my teeth. I wash my face and wipe the water with a towel. Then I go for a small morning walk. I know the morning walk is very important for good health. 

Sometimes, I do exercise too. Most of the time I walk almost 30 minutes and the doctor said that’s enough for me. This little workout keeps me strong for the rest of the day. I come back to home after the walk and get fresh again. 

I eat my breakfast then. After eating breakfast, I study Math and Science in the morning time. I think morning is the best time to study. 

School Time: 

I go to school at 9.30 o’clock in the morning. My father drops me here with his car. I get a break at 1 o’clock after four classes in a row. And finally, I go home at 4 PM with my mom . 

She comes to pick me up from school every day. Because it takes almost 20 minutes to go home from school by car. I enjoy school time very much.

Eat and Sleep Routine: 

I eat my breakfast and then I eat my lunch in the school break time. I take my lunch with me. My mother is very aware of my food. She always cooks something interesting to me. I love eating Pizza and Burger, but she doesn’t buy me that kind of fast food. 

She prefers to cook them for me. I love her cooked Pizza very much. And finally, after reading and watching TV at night at 10 o’clock, I go for my sleep. When I go to bed, I think about my entire day. 

Holiday Routine: 

When my school is close and I have lots of spare time, my daily routine becomes a bit different. I add time for video games, playing in the field with friends, and spending more time with my cousins. 

That’s all about my daily routine. I love to follow this routine and I am very serious about it. I think It’s perfect for me. You can follow my routine too. 

10 Lines Essay on My Daily Routine

10 line essays are easy and short. Here is a 10 lines essay on my daily routine. I am sure you will be able to learn these 10 lines essay easily. 

1. A person who follows a good routine can handle his work and time properly. It’s easy to manage your time when you are on a routine. 

2. It’s a high priority for the students. And that’s why I follow a very simple routine to manage my time. 

3. My daily routine is very easy and simple. It helps me to study properly, eat on time, and take care of my health. 

4. I get up early in the morning and pray first. My mother always suggests me to pray in the early morning. 

5. And then I go for a morning walk. After a 30 minute walk, I come back home and go for a bath and then I eat my breakfast. 

6. I go to school at 9 o’clock and get back home at 3 o’clock. I eat my lunch in the school break time. I keep my food with me. 

7. I go outside to play cricket with my friends in the afternoon. I enjoy that time a lot. I think that’s the best part of my day. 

8. I read almost three hours at night. And then I eat my dinner. 

9. Before going to bed, I watch TV for 30 minutes. I love watching cartoon channels. 

10. That’s all about my daily routine. That is very simple and easy. 

How can I write my daily routine? 

If you want to write a daily routine, you can take suggestions from your teacher or someone elder from your family. When I wrote my first daily routine, I was very confused. But finally, I came with a very productive and successful schedule of my life. I suggest you look back on your day and think about how do you spend your time. You need to find where should you spend most of your time and where not. 

How important is a daily routine?

A daily routine is a very essential thing that will make your day easy. I hope you will be able to create a very useful and proper daily routine. 

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The Daily Routine of a Full-Time Writer

When I asked you what you’d like me to write about this year, I received a surprising number of requests for “a day in the life” post. James Richards wrote:

Give us a peek into your day and show us what a day of writing looks like for you. Your work habits, your goals per day & etc. Let us see how you format your workday.

I’ve been waiting to share this post until spring arrived, so I could also share some photos that actually have  green in them. And since spring  finally arrived (and the smoke from the Alberta fires finally left—sending love to all our friends up north right now), I decided now is the time!

So come along with me today as I show you what my routine looks like on an average day.

A Few Notes on High-Quality Habits

Daily routines are one of my favorite topics. In fact, I’m a bit of a routine nut. Mostly, this is because my INTJ brain goes little nuts (literally) without structure and stability and predictable patterns, but also because I truly believe in the power of high-quality habits. I have seen their rewards in my own life, not just in the short-term, but as years of good habits have paid off in all areas of my life.

Here’s a quote I picked up somewhere from Will Durant:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

Here’s another one from James Clear, author of  Atomic Habits:

The more control you have over your attention, the more control you have over your future.

My goal is to make sure every moment in my day, everything I do, every to-do on the checklist is as absolutely high-quality as possible. I’m always tweaking to try to maximize my time and energy to allow me to pack in only the best stuff. If something is low-quality with poor returns, I figure out a way to eliminate it or replace it. I live my life like I imagine a pro athlete eats their meals—every calorie and nutrient optimally has a purpose. One good habit that takes even just five minutes, done every day, offers huge returns down the line.

That said, I also have to be careful. Once I get a habit started, I am  super consistent, which means it had  better be the right habit. For instance, if I’m consistently doing the wrong exercise every day (or doing it wrong), I’m going to be doing myself more harm than if I was only sporadically remembering to do the right exercise.

It’s valuable to consider your daily habits and rate how high quality you think each one is (e.g., how healthy is your regular breakfast?). Then you look for ways to leverage little moments in your day. After all, as the fly says in A Bug’s Life :

I only get twenty-four hours to live, and I’m not going to waste it here!

It goes without saying that I’m extremely privileged to be able to manage my days how I want. I work for myself from home, and I don’t have kids, dependents, or many outside demands on my time. This allows me a lot of flexibility in tweaking and adjusting my schedule. For instance, I used to write in the late afternoons, but as my thirties have ticked on, I find my brain is just too fried and exhausted to be sensible by then—so I’ve switched my fiction writing to the morning. What’s best for any one writer will always depend on their own energetic preferences, as well as outside demands upon them, including work and family.

Morning Routine

I like to be out of bed by six and get my eyes on the sun as soon as possible. I putter around for a bit, oil pull for my teeth and gums , do skin care, and brush my teeth. Breakfast starts with a warm glass of lemon water, which I drink while standing in the sun. I follow that up with two baked eggs (farm fresh right now from the generous neighbors), since I wake up hangry and do not have the patience to stand over the stove. While I’m waiting for the eggs to cook, I’ll eat an apple. I end with some sort of carb; right now, I’m using a grain-free blueberry muffin mix from Bob Redmill.

• Prayer/Meditation/Yoga/Workout

Next up is what I have come to consider the most important part of my day. I take a full two hours at least five days a week to focus on prayer, various meditation/visualization/energy practices, yoga (or what I call yoga—it’s really just light stretching), and working out. I’ve struggled with chronic muscle pain in my neck and back for many years, but I’m managing it pretty well now, thanks in part to my diet (I cut out all sugar, grain, nightshades, and dairy for five months over the winter and saw huge changes in my pain levels) and in part to a workout routine that I feel is finally paying off. I alternate core, arm, and leg workouts by day.

This is probably my favorite part of the day. 🙂 After working out, I take half an hour to sit on my infrared heating pad and read whatever non-fiction books are grabbing my fancy at the moment. I’m always hungry again by this point, so I eat a nut-butter protein bar. I really like these from Lairds right now, since they do a pretty good job balancing carbs and protein.

Actually, this is also my favorite part. I could walk for hours—but, alas, I usually only have time for about thirty minutes. I’m fortunate to be able to walk outside in nature. The trees and the grass are glorious right now, so green it almost makes my eyes hurt–which is a change from the usual drought (although apparently we’re still in a drought?). I use my walk as my time to talk to myself and clear my brain. I sort through ideas I may have encountered while reading, dig through anything that’s bugging me, and work through patterns and theories I’m playing with.

And now is the writing time of the writer’s daily routine. After showering and dressing after my walk, I settle in for an hour with my fiction work-in-progress. Right now, I’m in the process of outlining a new fantasy novel (tentatively called  Wildblood , a Celtic-inspired tale about a dying princess and an immortal protector). I prefer to outline longhand in a notebook , away from my computer. Since I currently have an extra desk set up in my bedroom, I’m using it exclusively for my fiction writing. I like having the psychological cue that this is writing space and not check-your-email-and-do-business-stuff space.

I light a candle to set the container and play music I’ve downloaded onto my phone. I’m not much of a phone user, so I’m not usually too tempted by keeping it at my elbow. But I always put it on airplane mode, both because I always do that to mitigate EMF exposure where I can and to keep from being distracted by notifications.

Right now, as I’m outlining, my routine is pretty simple. I will glance over my notes from the day before and dive in. I’m pretty loosey-goosey in the outlining stage and don’t put much pressure on myself to be perfect or to always write on topic. I ramble a lot, veering away from the story sometimes to discuss thematic theories or even writing techniques with myself.

Outlining Your Novel (Amazon affiliate link)

I have, of course, written about my outlining process extensively elsewhere. Basically, I look at outlining as brainstorming. My outlines are a conversation with myself on the page. I ask myself questions and follow my curiosity wherever it leads, using my sense of the story’s structure to always come back to what blanks might still need filling in.

>>Click here to read the full transcript of the outline I used when writing my dieselpunk novel  Storming

At the end of the hour, I will glance over the day’s notes and highlight those I want to keep for later. Every few months, I will stop and transcribe the highlighted notes into my Scrivener outline for easy reference.

Afternoon Routine

• Work: Blog Project/Social Media/Other Projects

After lunch, I’ll take another quick walk outside to check the mail, then head to my computer desk to get to work. I like to start out working on that week’s blog post and podcast episode. One day I will write the post, the next I will edit it, then record the podcast, then edit the podcast, etc. I will also use this time, before my brain fries out too bad, to work on social media posts. If I have time here, I may also work on whatever other projects need my attention. Sometimes this might be a new project underway, but more and more, it is maintenance or upkeep on existing material I’ve published whether on this (now gigantic) site or in my books .

• Coffee Break

By 3PM, my head usually feels like it’s ready to fall off, so I take a thirty minute coffee break. I’m obsessed with the British Baking Show (even though I don’t bake) and have been watching it and its spinoffs pretty much non-stop for over a year. Right now, I’m extra in love with the  Junior Bake Off . I usually split the episodes in half, both to make them last longer and to make sure I’m back to finish work in a reasonable amount of time.

Let me just say that for someone of my personality (who tends toward workaholism), letting making myself taking this break in the middle of the afternoon has been a game changer. It totally recharges my energy both physically and emotionally (because JBO is hilarious!), lets me rest my eyes for a bit, and gets me moving at least a little bit away from desk.

• Email/Shopping/Education

I return to my desk around 3:30 to tie up the day’s loose ends. Usually, I will sort and answer emails at this point, as well as look through my “daily” sites, such as those for the weather and personal banking. I keep several different email accounts, which allows me to sort my emails into categories—business stuff, social media stuff, and subscriptions/shopping stuff. I don’t let myself look at the subscriptions/shopping one until last, since it can see me opening a dozen tabs I want to look at and explore.

Sometimes I will use this last bit of the afternoon to work on projects, but I also let myself use this time for educational purposes. If there’s a YouTube video I want to watch, a course I’ve purchased, or just an article I want to study, this is in when I work on it.

Evening Routine

• Supper and Household Chores

I quit the computer at 5:30, eat supper, then usually spend thirty to forty minutes catching up on other chores, like laundry and house cleaning.

• TV/Tiny Bit of Phone Time

Then it’s finally time to collapse on the couch (on my infrared mat again) for a hour and a half or so to watch TV (I admit it: kinda a  Jeopardy! nerd), before starting my evening routine. I usually let myself have a tiny bit of phone time first, usually just browsing online shopping that I might not have had time to really do (or enjoy) earlier. My phone is off by 8:20PM. I put on my heavy-duty blue light glasses and don’t look at another screen for the rest of the night.

• Final Practices

I try to journal every night. I’ve journaled sporadically throughout my life, before completely falling off the wagon for a few years when I was going through a tough time. But then, toward the end of that rough patch, I started writing at least a page every day. I believe it is a practice I will continue throughout my life. Not only is it cathartic and brain-clearing in the moment, but I have found so much  support and context for my own process by being able to look back through old journals and see where my head was at during certain challenges and decisions. I make it a daily point to read the journal entry from one year previous, and it is often so enlightening and comforting (and humbling) to see how I have changed (or not changed) in regard to particular struggles or goals.

During the summer months, I get to do one of my favorite things  ever , and that is walk outside at night with no light but the moon and the stars, and no company except the trees talking to the night birds. (At the house I lived in previously, I got to walk in a centuries’ old graveyard. Oh yeah.) This year, I bought myself a pair of leather earthing shoes so I can get the added benefit of grounding out the day’s electricity while strolling.

By now, it’s nearing 9:30PM and I’m pretty zonked. I end my day reading fiction and try to be in bed by 10:30. (A little earlier would probably be better, but the books are just too good, you know?)

So there’s my day in the life. Obviously, this is my “ideal” routine, with no interruptions from outside sources or appointments or shopping trips, etc. It’s a good day. It’s a day I’m always happy to wake up to and always feel satisfied at the end of. I hope this little peek into my life right now was interesting and that perhaps you picked up one or two ideas that feel inspiring for your life as well!

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! What does your daily routine look like? Tell me in the comments!

Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast in Apple Podcast or Amazon Music ).

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

I’m jealous. Your day sounds fabulous! I spend my day in a stuffy office doing a job I hate. I scrape to find time to write.

I’m one of those whose schedule is always in flux due to a paying job. I work on my writing at work when not busy. I easily put in 3-4 hours of writing/editing/outlining, or learning while at work and when at home. On my days off, I’ll work for 2 hours, take a break. Go play with my dogs or visit the horses or just chill by enjoying the view. then return to work. I live in the middle desert, so it is dry with a lot of juniper, brown grasses, and wild life like my pronghorn, jack rabbit, cotton tails, road runner, moles, a few snakes and of course the every present bugs. Being outside is a must for me, even in the winter. I enjoy the warm weather but also like my winters where we do get snow and heat with a wood stove. I’m learning to set aside time to do the things I avoid because I don’t feel like I’m good at it like social media, setting up a website, etc. And unlike you, I do everything on the computer because I misplace papers all the time. My reading time is while my other half is watching TV. To keep from getting lost oin research on the computer, I allow only 5 clicks and then I have to return to work.

Ah, the 5-click research rule is genius!

Thanks for this. So just to be clear: your writing time is an hour per day? I’m surprised you manage to be so prolific with books though you clearly invest a lot of time in the blog and social side of life. Does this change depending where you’re at with your writing project?

That’s what I’m doing right now. I took several years off from fiction writing and am just now easing back into it.

Wow, sounds awesome! My schedule is more of an idea than a practice, but I’m working on new habits that will help it solidify. This is an encouragement!

All practices must start with ideas. 🙂

Funny how much you sound like me. The EMF awareness, balanced food, blue light glasses, healthy shoes, the whole nine yards. ^_^ Thanks for the post! It’s always fun to read other peoples’ routines.

“Healthy shoes”–I’m going to start calling them that!

Thanks for sharing. Gokhale sounds familiar. I’ll definitely check it out.

Hi John! Thanks for sharing this info. I’m looking into it.

And thanks, K.M. For sharing your routine with your readers. I’m about to start writing full -time so this was very helpful!!

This is the post I’ve been waiting for! Alas and now I see that, at least what I believe, is that you actually seem to be a naturally organized individual. I can picture that back in junior high and high school you were very likely a self-disciplined student who started that book report the first day just like the teacher said. I have your wonderful book on outlining and I love it and it use it, but there is also a natural part of me that wrestles with being so disorganized as far as my notes and sequence of events, all and that. I suppose that if I discipline myself to sit in the same chair everyday at the same time, the organization will follow. It’s also fascinating to see how the physical habits such as exercise, fresh air, and good nutrition make a difference in our productivity. Thank you again for all your help!

I do believe the key to successful habits is recognizing the natural bends and curves of our personalities. Structure is my happy place; I have to consciously work at spontaneity. But others are different, and the spontaneity is their greatest gift.

THANK YOU for reminding me, and others that we do have spontaneity and other gifts. God can work with all of us and He does send us each inspiration to use and to share.

Indeed. We’re all here to benefit and learn from each other’s gifts.

This is timely, because I’ve been struggling to set a schedule for myself. I was literally scolding myself about it when I came to this post. My sleep patterns are all messed up right now, partly for external reasons and partly because I just don’t sleep as well as I need to.

To combat my sleep trouble I’m experimenting with “green noise” (which as far as I can tell just means nature-oriented white noise, like rainfalls, etc). I stumbled across a video at the Guild of Ambience on YouTube that puts me in a relaxing mood in the hours before bedtime, of a thunderstorm and cracking fireplace .

My thing is that I’m a natural night owl, so I enjoyed writing around midnight or later, because anyone who might interrupt me would be asleep.

But … I come from a family of night owls, which means that since my parents are retirement age, my mother now calls me at 2 am 🙂 Not to mention the friend who works the night shift. I’m strongly contemplating becoming a full-time Day Walker until I can cross a few things off my to-do list 😉

I’m getting back to my long-neglected journal as well, and my mother actually sent me an email about the importance of “writing the vision” just an hour ago. Synchronicity!

On one hand, my to-do list is short, but on the other hand everything on it is time-intensive. So, a establishing a routine has become a necessity.

In regards to struggling with certain habits, something I’ve been learning for myself is to hold those habits in a bit of compassion. To look at them and ask *why* is some part of me insisting on doing this (staying up too late, etc.)? Instead of condemning that part, I try to understand the deeper wisdom it’s communicating. Even if it’s running a script that isn’t productive, the underlying reason is almost always sound. If I can identify and work with that, I can often find a more effective way to meet that need.

That’s an exercise that bears looking into. I can pinpoint one thing in particular, a thread worth following. Thanks!

Yay! Pull the thread! That’s one of my favorite ways to start on something. Never know where it will lead you. 🙂

He, where’s the sleeping? Speaking for the geezer contingent, there’s nothing more important that a good night’s sleep! I have to be honest. I’ve completely lost control of my writing schedule since I got returned to the office, which took about 90 minutes of free time out of my daily schedule. I write when I get the chance to, but I do some sort of writing activity (outlining, critting, revising, drafting) almost every day other than Sunday. If you count journaling, I write every day. I know at some point I need to fix time for writing and book appointments with myself, and that will probably happen in a few weeks. More seriously Katie, I do not see time for friends/family in there, and I hope those relationships are a part of your life, though I do recognize this is none of my business.

In my book “some sort of writing activity” counts as writing as much as the writing.

Okay, I love reading about other people’s routines here, but what’s bugging ME is that I saw that little clip of you sitting and writing at your desk, and… you appear to be hand-writing right to left? Is that correct? I watched it 2 or 3 times, and yeah… you DO appear to be writing in your notebook RIGHT TO LEFT, which to me is BACKWARDS. Can you clarify that at all?

Hah. No, I’m right-handed. The video perspective is flipped. Good eye. 😉

I love the peacefulness of your day. Calm and quiet and all the connecting with nature. We are hoping to move out of town and onto some acres this year (lots of miracles need to happen).

I hope it happens for you! I love being the country.

Thank you for sharing this. It’s inspiring. I start my day with meditation and some stretching, but sleeping issues mean I’m not a morning person. I would like to be; I miss mornings. Catch up on emails, blogs, and some Duolingo. Afternoons are writing time. Exercise before dinner, usually too much TV (I’ve already binged TGBBS & Jr.), then reading to calm my mind before sleep. My routine has improved since I started, and I’m keen to continue improving. Keeping a weekly planner on my desk helps keep me accountable.

“The more control you have over your attention, the more control you have over your future.” Love this.

So fun to see your daily routine and the lovely pictures, esp. of you out in the meadow surrounded by trees. I’m another INTJ who thrives on routines. I try to write morning pages daily, but resume them after morning Mass if I don’t get up in time. I need to do morning chores before writing though and love walking with my dog. Since covid times, my husband has been joining me for walks and I have to admit as much as I love it, I still miss my solitary walks. I’ve started walking to church though (it’s newly built on our island and soooo beautiful) so it’s a perfect way to get additional quiet time. Best writing time for me has changed over the years. In the beginning, it was at night after I put my husband and kids to bed. I’d take an afternoon nap with my kiddos and an hour nap bought me 2-3 hrs at night 🙂 Later, it was during school hours. But 2:30pm always came too early for me. lol. I still kind of keep school hours but enjoy writing until about 4pm. Once in a while I’ll stay up late. There’s just something about the night-time that’s just so wonderful. I can’t explain it. But I can banish any distracting with a simple “demain.” Our landlord in Belgium always said this if we asked him for anything, lol. I’ve discovered I was much more disciplined with kids at home. Now I can while an entire day away reading (I call it research–all of it, hehe). But it sure is nice having grown kids. When they visit, all routines go out the window.

I agree. I love writing in the winter evenings, when the night comes early. There’s just something very grounded about being in a small pool of lamplight with the darkness all around.

Thanks for this peek into your daily routines, it gives me inspiration for some adjustments I can make.

Thanks for reading! 🙂

At first, I thought this post was satire. Daily Routine Of a Full Time Writer…. and then writing only one hour a day lol I write more than that with a full time job but if it works for you that´s even better I guess.

That’s just fiction writing. I have a probably “bad” tendency to think of writing time as only applying to fiction. “Projects” are what I call non-fiction. But, yeah, I spend more time in the business of writing than the actual writing on most days.

This is SO interesting, Katie! Thanks for sharing!

First of all, shout out to all your crunchy references. 😉 Morning sunlight, EMFs, lemon water, grounding/earthing–my wife and I have been on our own healing journeys the last few years, so I really appreciate those rhythms.

In terms of the actual writing life, I’ve got a question for you, but it takes a bit of rambling context first. I’ve done quite a bit of thinking around what a full-time writing life would look like for me (what writer hasn’t?), and I know that I would struggle with a perceived lack of productivity…or at least a perceived lack of productivity that directly leads to financial output. I love the writing process itself, but I imagine I’d struggle at the end of most days with anxiety around being unsure I’d taken enough concrete steps toward growing my business. For instance, I love outlining and brainstorming and would do it all day, every day. I know it’s a necessary part of the creative process that leads to actual writing, which leads to finished books, which leads to revenue streams. But that part of the process is so loosely tied to any financial output, I feel like I’d struggle to be present to it.

Do you ever struggle with a sense of it’s “just” outlining or it’s “just” research? Do you ever feel like you’ve wasted your time when you could’ve been doing something more productive to grow your business?

In my heart, no creative effort is ever a waste of time. I truly believe that. Creating with our Creator has rewards in and of itself. But those rewards aren’t always financial, and you have to be more conscious of the financial impacts of your creative choices when its your livelihood, right?

After all of my rambling, I think I’ve landed on my intended questions:

How do you balance engaging the creative process with openness and patience while also being conscious of making decisions that impact the bottom line?

Is it difficult to dedicate time to a creative process that may or may not lead to tangible output? I’m thinking of your morning fiction writing time, specifically. It’s pretty easy for me to dedicate a lunch hour researching stuff or brainstorming an outline because absolutely nothing is riding on it. I imagine it’s more difficult to commit time to that particular part of the process when you could be, for instance, banging out another blog post that you KNOW is going to be read by a bunch of people.

I always appreciate your perspectives!

Good question. And this is something I am still working with in my own life. If you’ve followed the blog for any length of time, you may know that I spent the last seven years or so going through a major burnout, which climaxed with three years of writer’s block for my fiction.

I have learned so much in these years about the importance of a creative life including downtime and scheduled space for just being and thinking and dreaming. But I still catch myself–all the time–feeling like I’m not being productive enough. I have spent a lot of this year working through programming about what actually adds value to my life and my job and the bottom line–and it isn’t always the tasks with the most obvious productive output.

Actually, I may write a post on this, because it has been and continues to be such a huge growth arc for me: that creativity happens as much, if not more, in the non-productive moments as in the moments actually spent writing or producing something for public consumption.

It’s a balance for sure, and I have worked (and am working) through a lot of lack-based mindsets that being able to earn a livelihood only happens if I’m pushing myself to produce, produce, produce.

Katie, if I had to support myself with my writing, I doubt I would feel that I could take that hour to work on stories of my heart. I would be far more interested in commercially-driven books. Also, I find nonfiction a lot less taxing than fiction. I used to question the value of creative work that didn’t give results right away, but I had a shift in my attitude after my religious conversion. I’m in this for the long haul and I try to remember that nothing is wasted. I’ve been singing in our little Latin choir for a decade and only now able to sing alone or hold my part. But it’s still hard and I’m often just a beat away from completely falling apart. I think of artists like Vincent van Gogh who didn’t sell a painting in his lifetime, yet, what an artist! Thank God he didn’t stop. Anyway, sorry for rambling. It’s such a good question and you are so very thoughtful in your replies. I’m learning a lot here, both from you and your commentators. Thank you all.

@Vijaya: This is beautiful. I agree with everything you’re saying. “Nothing is every wasted” is something I return to all the time in my own life. 🙂

I love the quote about habits. What we choose to spend our time doing shapes who we are. A fellow INTJ, I also used to be very deliberate about when and how I did tasks, duties, and practices… and then grad school happened. 🙂 The discipline developed by consistency has still been helpful in a less structured lifestyle, though!

I can attest that it’s good to find a balance!

As another INTJ I found this really interesting- thank you. I’m hopeless at maintaining a routine, I even journal about how hopeless I am at sticking to a routine 🙂 I think I’m a scanner as I find focusing very difficult and I am easily distracted. I write when I’m in the mood even though my head is full of ‘stuff’…I need to try harder I think – maybe I could start with outlining my novel rather than percolating it in my head…

Outlines have always been my best friends. You might be interested in this post I wrote about my process specifically from the viewpoint of an INTJ: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-get-stuff-done-as-a-writer-or-how-this-intj-leverages-her-te/

Thank you. Love your outline book (and there’s a great James Patterson Masterclass) but I’ll go read this now

Holy smokes! Thank you so much for that link–I nearly cried when I read that because I go through the same stuff (Men in Black movie where a character considers all the variables–quite angelic actually) and have to force myself to get out of the studying/analysis mode. Love outlining. I’m good at revisions. But that first draft is a killer. Deadlines help. Handwriting has helped me tremendously. I didn’t quite understand the opposite thingie–but it makes sense that we need to spend some time shoring up our weaknesses. And Anne, I’ve done the same as you–beat myself up in my journal for not being able to stick to my own goals. We should give ourselves some grace, no?

I have a 115k word manuscript and I’ve abandoned it to start again. It’s pretty rough but I’m hopeless at editing. I am Olympic gold standard at beating myself up though Vijaya 😊

I love writing by hand. I do all my brainstorming/outlining that way, and it is so helpful for dropping me into my creative brain. Glad the post resonated for you!

Thanks for sharing!

I’m currently trying to find a schedule that works for raising a puppy, tending a garden, keeping a house vaguely clean, and working on a graduate degree (in writing). So seeing a structure that includes exercise and food and breaks is genuinely inspirational. <3 Thank you for modeling those habits!

Well, it’s been a long road for me learning that schedules *should* be such. 😉 Puppies help though…

This sounds like an amazing routine! I’m trying to figure out what actually works for me these days since what I used to do in my 20s was to stay up half the night writing. I’m naturally nocturnal and late night was my most productive time, but now I have two kids who are up at 6am. I also went back to paid work this year, teaching middle school English and really only got any writing done by going to the library for a few hours on one day of the weekend. I find it takes me so long to get grounded back into that world that shorter stretches don’t work very well for me. I have my girls in half day camps over the summer, so trying to maximize my mornings for productivity. I’ve always wondered whether I was the only writer who can’t read fiction right before bed. If I read much, then I spend all night having dreams where my mind tries to continue or finish the story and I wake up often, so it’s not restful. Maybe since I’m not writing enough during the day, my brain wants to write at night! Anyway, only nonfiction for me at bed time.

Hah, I’m exactly the opposite. I can’t read non-fiction before bed, because then my brain is off to the races integrating and expanding on what I’ve read. I like dreaming about fiction. 😉

Mine is I do my chores first-inside or yard work outside. We will build a chicken coop at my house since we have chickens. I will have seven in all. When chores are done, I am doing two projects writing-one a novel and the other a screenplay. My yard work is re-planting perennials or digging holes for the ones that need to go in the ground. We are also planting grass in the not-dog yard. Walking is also good for me for ideas. I like to write down and then type what I write. I do like to watch movies that are not Westerns. I don’t like those. I do like to read. What do you like to read?

Sounds lovely! I like to read a good mix of things: fantasy, romance, classics. Right now, I’m lovely Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist .

Wow! My writer’s day is so different to yours. In a nutshell: 8-9am = Wake up, shower, drive kids to school 9-10am = Emails, admin, bills, phone calls, breakfast, Twitter 10-1pm = Fiction writing, no phones allowed 1-1:30pm = lunch, go outside 1:30-5:30 = more writing OR research/reading/note-taking, no phones allowed (pick kids up from school at 3:15pm / make a cup of tea!) 5:30pm until bed = dinner, TV, family time I like to get all the ‘worse’ stuff out of the way first, eg. paying biIls, organising appointments. My brain fries as the day goes on, so the first three hours of writing are my best/freshest. Afternoons are for reading and research. Sometimes I read in bed at night, and I also like reading on cosy Sunday afternoons. Everything I read is from the 19th century because I write historical fiction. P.S. I know I should be posting this under your recent ‘Imposter Syndrome’ blog, but while I’m here… you are the furthest thing from an imposter I can imagine. I’ve dissected your work on archetypes literally sentence by sentence and took paaaaages of notes a few months back. It is the most brilliant framework for character arcs I’ve ever come across, and has already greatly impacted my work. No one can hold a candle to you when it comes to this detailed level of ‘back end’ analysis!

Aw, Rebecca, thank you. I saw your comment this morning. It was a lovely way to start the day. So glad you’ve found the archetype book useful. It has been so meaningful in my own life, and I am delighted that it resonates with others as well. I have some new projects in mind along those same lines. Stay tuned! 😉

Wow, sounds like a great routine. I get up 5.45 and write for an hour, then write morning pages /do journaling, meditate for 15 minutes and then start to get ready for work. I work from 9-5 and usually work out during lunch or after work. I read in the evenings. Hoping to become a full time writer to one day.

Good for you! I hope you’re able to make the transition in the perfect timing. In the meantime, this sounds great!

I ran across this article and believe I will create a similar routine to your. My husband just passed away suddenly and I am seeking structure in my new life. Found it and thank you.

Sending love, Patricia. I know that schedules and routines have been so helpful in supporting me through challenging times. I hope you find exactly what is right for you.

My typical day finds me ending my overnight shift at 8am, driving home for 30 – 45 minutes, doing laundry and talking with husband and then taking a lot of medication and going to sleep. My husband wakes me between 4and 5:30pm, bathing, dressing, packing things to keep me occupied during overnight shift, and arriving at work by 8pm. then I begin my work routine with client which is highly confidential but I will tell you he can’t walk and he needs medical equipment to go from point A to point B everywhere he goes. So I take care of him, and he chooses his bedtime and waking times. He’s a good guy, I love him like younger brother, and have been with him over 10 years, working is a good experience for me, now. I have been trying to get back to my writing, but there are many interruptions at work and it’s not always easy. I still want to work out my slave girl story, that is the one that interests me. I would like it to be a series, because I loved the Sword of Truth series so much. I have worked out a romance sub story and a way to keep the series going, how to go to different locations and that sort of thing and this time I have better research material. My husband, with just him being himself provided many ideas. So I hope someday, I get to the point where I am working on this project:)

I know how frustrating it can be when it’s difficult to find time (or energy) to write. But I have come to believe that writing sometimes has to happen in its own perfect timing. Your story will be there for you when the time is right to return fully. 🙂

Thank you so much! It means so much that you have left the message. that is it in a nutshell. sometimes it is so hard to find the time and /or energy, so well said. have a great day!

I begin every single day at 4 am. I write my first major drafts on good paper with a fountain pen. I harvest my subconscious thoughts from the night before with a calm and fresh mind. Ideas tumble out, plots develop magically, interesting incidents arrive in droves. This continues until my dog wants a walk about 7 am. I try to get two to three more hours in before family duties intrude. Creativity rapidly fades and is slaughtered by the television. The rest of the day goes to other activities, editing, researching, piano practice, and what ever. Activities later in the day can be by keyboard on my computer (I am a good typist), dictated into Dragon, version 15.6, occasionally a little editing on paper printouts. Creativity is dead as a doornail by 2 pm. I carry a small notebook everywhere I go and record random ideas when they hit. I have a pen that lights up and record ideas at night without bothering my spouse. I require many edits of my novels to polish them to a workable state. It is a joy to send them to Draft2Digital for distribution. My schedule is well engrained since I retired seven years ago and changed career from engineering to authoring historical fiction. On another topic, you posted a couple of years ago on the Enneagram. I just read it a month ago. I bought Cron and Stabile’s book as well as Personality Types by Don Riso, and have read both twice. I finally have confidence in my characters. I use especially Riso’s book to write my characters as they suffer from the burdens of stress and interact with other characters. One degenerates into PTSD. Kate, you have boosted my writing by many levels with these posts. I owe you profound gratitude. Thank you. Cliff at Desert Coyote Press

So glad you discovered the Enneagram and found it helpful. That’s great to hear!

It was cool to hear that you are an INTJ… me too! I have appreciated your clear and precise thinking

INTJs are supposed to be one of the rarest personality types, but I do think there are quite a few of us who congregate around these here parts. 😉

Hi Miss Weiland, My name is Izzy, I am fifteen years old, and I LOVE to write! I’ve been writing for personal pleasure, outside of school, for about four years now, but in the past year or so, I’ve begun truly taking my writing seriously. I would love be an author, and I’m hoping someday I’ll be good enough to make my dream come true. It was an absolute blessing when I discovered your website three months ago! So far, I’ve been bombarded with so much new wisdom and learned of all the intricate details needed in writing a novel! (You would never have thought when reading a particularly enchanting novel, that the author probably slaved for days trying to figure out their MC’s Ghost, Lie, Want, and Need. 😂) As of September, I’d been sitting on an idea for a book for a few months already and stressing over how to plot it out. (I’ve had a sketchy relationship with both plotting and pantsing and I was at a loss for where to begin.) When I discovered your website and the Storming Outline you provided, and after reading the brief introduction, I adapted your plotting technique instantly; it appealed to every part of my overcomplicating, perfectionist personality. Three months in, and so far, it’s been perfect. I love the detail you go into and the attention you pay to each and every part of your story. While we’re on the topic of compliments, honestly, you seem like a fun best friend who happens to be an expert on all things writing! 😊 I love your writing style and the intelligent voice it projects. I more than respect how vocal you are about your faith and appreciate to hear how you include God in your writing process. I’ve been more than grateful to be able to read your posts and expand my writing tool belt. You’re a true blessing to the writing world, miss Weiland 💙. I’m currently working on plotting the first novel in a fantasy series I someday hope to complete. The catch seems to be that, after a particularly troubling 2022, I can no longer write without feeling the affects of crippling self doubt and harsh inner judgement 🫢. Everyone is their own worst critic (the little voice is especially harsh as an author, I’ve heard), but I can’t seem to move past the fact that I *am* fifteen years old and not at all fit to be writing novels. There is that talent and wisdom that comes with age and experience, neither of which I possess, but I hope that it’s not a decade later until I could even be considered publishable material. Writing professionally has been a dream of mine for a while now, and I’m so grateful to you for helping me towards that dream. My one question to you is wondering if you have an advice or wisdom for an aspiring author working through the young stages of finding her style. Thank you again, miss Weiland, for writing so that others can too. -Izzy

P.S. Sorry for the long bio… 😅

Thanks for your comment, Izzy! Very glad to hear you’re enjoying the site and finding the info useful. The fact that you’re starting your writing so young is a wonderful thing. Learning to write well is a life-long journey; it’s never-ending! By beginning so early, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to gain so much experience as the years go on. Don’t be hard on yourself for being at the beginning of your journey. It’s a beautiful place to be, and it will be gone before you know it.

I always encourage people (myself included) to focus more on the process than the outcome. I particularly like the Anne Lamott quote: “Being published isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But writing is.” Enjoy the process wherever you’re at. 🙂

My top advice for young writers is the reminder that writing is a journey of stages. It’s hard work, but also exceptionally rewarding, so don’t lose your joy as the going gets tough. Be consistent in studying and practicing. Everything else comes with time.

You might find these posts helpful:

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/writing-perfectionism/ https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/the-writers-inner-critic/ https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/imposter-syndrome-for-writers/

All the best!

Thank you so much! I truly appreciate the encouragement (and the posts). Wishing you a happy New Year!

On my days off my routines is something like yours. But on work days those can either be 730-2 or 7-2 or 830-430. I have two jobs. Things are changing for the better. Recently started doing a HB90 course you might know about 🙂 I started fallowing you before Sara. In the morning I have my coffee, light my morning candle while listening to soft jazz music and blog away. Then the walks, and house work, some reading then I will write as well. Now I have a new office I’m working on! So working on my planners in there. I know the routine will change once spring is here. Alberta is very dry and still no snow

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How To Create A Writing Schedule And Routine That Works

Ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get your writing done? Me too, and we’re not alone. Many writers struggle to find a balance between their day-to-day responsibilities and their passion for words. That’s where a writing schedule comes in.

In this article, we delve into the importance of having a writing routine. We provide you with practical tips on how to create one that suits your lifestyle. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you’ll discover how to make the most of your peak creative hours.

How To Create A Writing Schedule

Crafting your own writing schedule begins with a good, hard look at your daily routine. Let your lifestyle, not just your passion for writing, guide you in structuring a schedule.

From daily routines of writers, we learn that consistency is key . Think about when you’re at your most alert. Your brain waves might be at their peak at sunrise, or perhaps you’re a night owl and find tranquility after dark.

Despite popular opinion, a writer’s daily routine isn’t about carving out massive chunks of uninterrupted time. It’s more about short, consistent timeframes. For instance, Ernest Hemingway believed that stopping while you still have ideas could keep the momentum for the next session, taking advantage of your peak creative hours.

A crucial part of becoming a successful writer involves establishing a solid writing routine. Just like renowned authors, you need to carve out a unique writing schedule that fits your lifestyle and comfort .

Establishing your own writing schedule is not an instantaneous process. Take time to understand and implement what works best for you. Start by observing the most effective hours during your day when your creativity level peaks . Are you more productive in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings? Answering these questions will help you set up an optimal novel writing schedule.

Using a writing schedule template is a convenient way to start. It emulates the daily routines of successful writers, giving you a head start. As you continue, remember to tweak the schedule – add or subtract time slots based on your convenience and productivity.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Whether you’re following famous writers’ routines or creating your own, the key is consistency. Always prioritize continuity over the quantity of hours in your writing routines. With patience and persistence, you’ll find writing become an integral part of your daily routine.

Get A Free Writing Schedule Template

Next comes the creation of your own writing schedule template . Make it simple and achievable. It should be a handy tool rather than a pressure point.

Here’s a sample table to get you started:

Modify it as per your needs and convenience. Remember not to pack in too much. Find out what works best for you and learn as you go along. The goal is to make your novel writing schedule become a natural and enjoyable part of your day.

Cultivating a steady writing habit requires patience and persistence. Stay driven and before you know it, your passion will seamlessly blend into your routine, leading to a productive and satisfying writing routine.

Writing Routines Of Famous Authors

By exploring the writing schedules and writing routines of renowned authors like Stephen King and Ursula K. Le Guin, you’ll gain insights into how they’ve shaped their craft. Every writer’s approach differs, so in using them as a foundation, you can adjust and tailor a schedule that matches your lifestyle and preferences.

Stephen King’s Writing Schedule

King is renowned for his commitment and dedication when it comes to his writing routine. It’s not about having a magical or inspirational moment for him – it’s about consistency and discipline. King has stated that he writes 365 days a year, including his birthday and holidays. This, for him, is the essence of a daily writing routine.

How Many Words Does Stephen King Write A Day?

One of the most attention-grabbing aspects of Stephen King’s writing schedule is his word count target. King aims to write 2,000 words a day. But don’t let the huge number intimidate you. The idea here isn’t to match his pace but to derive inspiration, proving that setting a daily objective can be incredibly productive and beneficial for your routine.

Ursula K Le Guin’s Writing Schedule

Consider another viewpoint from the renowned science-fiction and fantasy writer , Ursula K Le Guin ( Earthsea Series ). Unlike King’s writing marathon, Le Guin’s writing routine focused more on ensuring quality over quantity. She believed in dedicating two hours in the morning exclusively for writing. Whatever transpires within that time, be it a single paragraph or several pages, she regarded it as progress. Her discipline translated into a writers daily routine highlighting that fitting in a ‘set hours’ schedule could be just as effective.

These two examples of writers routines are helpful in shaping your unique writing schedule. Following the routine of famous authors is not about mirroring their practices, but about taking guidance and reassessing your own writing schedule. Therefore, revisiting and realigning your routine based on such inspirations could greatly help you develop a powerful and rewarding novel writing schedule.

Do I Need To Write Everyday?

The idea of maintaining a daily writing routine might seem intimidating. Common questions are “do I need to follow a stringent writing schedule?” or “is it really necessary to write every day?”, and the answer may surprise you.

While it’s important to establish a writing routine, it doesn’t have to be daily. Remember, the consistency of your routine and the quality of your output matter more than the quantity of work.

For those who need an organized structure, writing schedule templates based on the daily routines of famous writers are available as excellent starting points. With these different writers routines, you have the power to tailor your schedule to what suits you best. It’s completely fine if your daily writing routine is unlike the typical “writers daily routine.” Emulating the novel writing schedule of Stephen King might not work for everyone. Your writing journey isn’t his; it’s uniquely yours.

So, establish your own rhythm with your writing schedule. Stick to it and remember, it’s the methodical nature of the routine itself that counts.

In the next section, we dive into ways you can create a routine that harmonizes with your lifestyle.

Can I Adjust My Writing Schedule?

Absolutely! Remember, it isn’t about the quantity of hours you put into your writing schedule, but how effectively those hours work for you. Like famous authors, your daily writing routine should adapt to your distinctive lifestyle and personal commitments.

Famed novelist Stephen King sticks to a morning schedule, writing 2,000 words each day without fail. Ursula K. Le Guin used a different approach, writing in the afternoons after attending to family and household chores in the morning. Meanwhile, Toni Morrison made time for writing early in the morning, before her children woke up.

Each author had a unique writing routine radically different from the others, showcasing the flexibility of a writer’s daily routine. So, don’t hesitate to customize your writing schedule template as per your needs. Your writing schedule should make your creative juices flow, not stifle them. Be it a daily routine or a novel writing schedule, make adjustments, redefine your goals, and find the rhythm that suits you.

Learn More About Writing

So, you’ve got the gist of creating a writing schedule that’s tailored to your lifestyle. Remember, it’s all about finding a rhythm that works for you. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, it’s not about the quantity of hours you put in, but the consistency of your routine. Take inspiration from successful authors like Ursula K. Le Guin and Stephen King, but don’t feel pressured to mimic their routines. Your writing schedule should be as unique as your writing style.

Embrace the flexibility that comes with being a writer and don’t be afraid to make adjustments as your needs change.

If you’d like to check out more writing tips , head here.

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How To Build A Daily Writing Habit

In a realm where words are our greatest tools, writers understand the profound impact of a daily writing practice. It sharpens your craft, fuels your creativity, and lays the foundation for a prolific writing career. In this article, we delve into the nuances of building and sustaining a habit of writing. Regardless of your chosen genre or experience level, this guide will equip you with practical insights and strategies to transform sporadic writing into a daily ritual.

Understanding the Benefits of Daily Writing

While not a panacea, consistent writing offers many advantages:

Reinforcement of Fundamentals : Consistent writing reinforces the fundamental building blocks of writing, including grammar, punctuation, syntax, and vocabulary. It keeps these essential elements fresh in your mind.

Improved Clarity : Writing habitually encourages you to express your thoughts with greater clarity and conciseness. Over time, you learn to communicate complex ideas in a straightforward manner.

Creativity and Innovation : Regular writing encourages creativity and exploration of different writing styles , genres, and voices. This experimentation fosters innovation in your writing.

Feedback and Learning : Through making a habit of writing, you can seek feedback from peers, mentors, or editors. Constructive criticism allows you to recognize areas where you can grow.

Adaptability: Writing regularly allows you to adapt to different writing tasks and genres. You become a versatile writer capable of handling various forms of writing, from creative fiction to technical documents.

Enhanced Editing Skills : Habitual writing provides ample material for practice in editing and revising your work. This process is crucial for refining and polishing your writing.

Increased Confidence : As your writing skills improve through consistent practice, you gain confidence in your abilities. This confidence can motivate you to try tougher writing tasks.

Voice Development : Over time, a habit of writing helps you discover and refine your unique writing voice . You become more attuned to the style and tone that resonate with your audience.

Overcoming Common Obstacles

In the pursuit of a daily writing habit, you might encounter some common challenges. These difficulties are not impossible to overcome, and with the right strategies, you can tackle them and keep up with your writing routine.

Lack of Time

Finding enough time in our busy lives for daily writing can be tough. Yet, there are practical solutions to this issue. Time management is a skill that can greatly benefit your daily writing habit. To make the most of your available time, consider these practical tips:

1. Prioritize Writing : Place writing on your daily to-do list and give it the importance it deserves. Think of it as a meeting with yourself that you cannot miss.

2. Set Specific Writing Times : Allocate specific times during your day for writing. It could be early in the morning, during lunch breaks, or in the evening. Consistency in your writing schedule can make it a habit.

3. Use Time Blocks : Divide your writing sessions into manageable time blocks, such as 30 minutes or one hour. Stay attentive during these periods, and you’ll notice that you complete tasks more efficiently in less time. Additionally, you can enhance this approach by incorporating the Pomodoro Technique .

4. Eliminate Multitasking : Avoid multitasking while writing. Dedicate your full attention to your writing task during your allotted time, as this can lead to greater productivity.

5. Minimize Interruptions : Inform your family or colleagues about your writing schedule to minimize interruptions. Turn off notifications on your devices and create a distraction-free environment.

You can also make use of extra tools such as Traqq , time tracking software. These apps can be particularly useful in improving your time management skills, ensuring that you can consistently set aside time for your writing goals. Here is how time-tracking software can help you:

1. Identifying Time Usage : Time tracking software allows you to record how you spend your day. By reviewing these logs, you can identify pockets of time that could be dedicated to writing but are currently underutilized or spent on non-essential tasks.

2. Setting Goals : Many time-tracking apps enable you to set specific goals for your daily activities. You can establish a goal to write for a certain amount of time each day and track your progress toward achieving it.

3. Visualizing Patterns : These tools often provide visual representations of your time usage, making it easier to see where your time is going. You may realize that you’re investing excessive time in activities that don’t contribute to your writing goals.

4. Adjusting and Adapting : As you consistently use time-tracking software, you can make informed adjustments to your daily routine. You’ll be able to see what’s working and what needs improvement in your time management strategy.

Writer’s Block

Writer’s block can pose a significant challenge when you’re striving to establish a habit of writing. However, there are effective strategies to conquer this common obstacle.

One approach is to consider changing your writing environment. Sometimes, relocating to a different room, working outdoors, or simply rearranging your workspace can invigorate your creativity. A change in surroundings can stimulate fresh ideas and perspectives.

Another beneficial approach is to divide your writing goals into smaller, more attainable steps. Instead of staring at a blank page, set achievable objectives, such as writing a paragraph or outlining a section. These smaller goals can feel less intimidating and help you make gradual progress.

Additionally, don’t hesitate to take short breaks when you’re feeling stuck. Stepping away from your writing for a few minutes can help clear your mind, offering a renewed perspective when you come back to your work.

Another approach that deserves particular attention is the practice of freewriting:

Start Writing, No Matter What : Set a timer for a specific duration, like 10-15 minutes, and write continuously during that time. Don’t think about grammar, structure, or coherence; the goal is to get words on paper.

Don’t Edit as You Go : Resist the urge to edit or revise while freewriting. Focus on capturing your thoughts and ideas without self-censorship.

Embrace Stream of Consciousness : Write whatever comes to mind, even if it seems disjointed or unrelated to your main project. Often, you can access valuable insights hidden within your subconscious by engaging in freewriting.

Use Prompts if Needed : If you’re unsure where to start, use prompts like “I remember,” “What if,” or “The first thing that comes to mind is…” to jumpstart your freewriting session.

Lack of Motivation

When motivation wanes, it’s essential to reconnect with what inspires you. Take a moment to reflect on your passions, goals, and the reasons you started your journey in the first place. Revisiting your initial enthusiasm can help rekindle the fire within. Surrounding yourself with inspirational content, such as books, quotes, or success stories related to your field, can also provide a much-needed spark.

At times, external factors can offer you motivation. Share your goals with a friend, mentor, or colleague, so they can provide support and help you remain focused. Knowing that someone is expecting progress from you can be a powerful motivator.

Additionally, consider setting deadlines or rewards for yourself. These external incentives can help you stay on track and maintain a consistent level of motivation, even when your internal drive falters.

Tips for Building a Habit of Writing

Here are some tips to help you establish and maintain a habit of writing effectively:

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Goals : Set both short-term and long-term writing goals. Short-term goals could be daily or weekly targets, while long-term goals might involve completing a novel or publishing a collection of short stories. Having a mix of goals keeps you motivated.

SMART Goals : Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, instead of saying, “I want to improve my writing,” specify, “I will read one writing-related book every month for a year to enhance my skills.”

Daily Word Count Targets : Establish a daily word count target that fits your schedule and writing pace. Consistency is more important than the amount, so choose a goal you can realistically achieve.

Writing Journals : Keep a writing journal to track your progress, ideas, and achievements. This provides a record of your journey and can be a source of motivation during tough moments.

Choosing the Writing Tools : Find writing tools that suit your preferences. Whether it’s a physical notebook, a word processing software, or a specialized writing app, having the right tools can make the writing process more enjoyable.

Engaging in Creative Exercises : Set aside time for creative exercises to stimulate your imagination. Writing prompts, brainstorming sessions, or even doodling can help in overcoming writer’s block.

Finding Local or Online Writing Groups : Joining a writing group, whether in your local community or online, can provide valuable support and accountability. Sharing your work, receiving feedback, and engaging with other writers can boost your motivation and creativity.

Public Commitment through Social Media or Blogs : Share your writing goals and progress publicly on social media or through a blog. The accountability from your audience can motivate you to stay on track. It also helps build a supportive community of fellow writers.

Remember that building a writing habit takes time and effort. It’s important to acknowledge that setbacks are a natural part of any creative endeavor, including building a habit of writing. There will be days when life’s demands or creative blocks disrupt your routine. These setbacks are not failures but opportunities to learn and grow. Embrace them as moments to reassess and refine your approach, always keeping in mind that persistence and resilience are the keys to long-term success in the world of writing.

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How to Develop a Daily Writing Habit (for the Long-term)

Whether you want to write a book, build a successful blog or start a newsletter, a daily writing habit will help you get there.

Even if you can only write for 15 or 30 minutes each day, that's enough to see real progress. The words add up faster than you think. You'll be amazed by how far you can get by writing as little as 100 words a day.

When it comes to writing habits, most writers struggle. Not because they don't have the time or aren't capable of writing every day. They don't have the right tools and processes in place to make it possible.

If you want to develop a daily writing habit, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll explore:

• What are the benefits of a daily writing habit?
• Is writing every day a good fit for you?
• How many words should you write every day?

Do you have to write every day?

• How can you make your writing habit sustainable?
• Strategies you can use to start developing your writing habit today.

Let's get started!

A daily writing habit is a powerful tool to help you achieve your writing goals. For many writers, it's the only way to make progress while juggling a full-time job and other responsibilities, leaving them with limited time for writing.

Of course, you don't have to write every day. If you find that writing in occasional, super-productive bursts works better for you, that's perfectly fine too.

In any case, daily writing shouldn't feel like a burden. Even if you decide to develop a writing habit, you don't have to write every single day for the rest of your life. Taking breaks is healthy. Take as much time off as you need between projects to prepare for the next push.

Stephen King does exactly that. He doesn't sweat it when he doesn't have a project. Once he starts working on a book, he writes 2,000 words every day, no matter what — including weekends and holidays.

3 Benefits of Writing Every Day

A daily writing habit has certain advantages you won't get any other way.

Here are three benefits of making writing an integral part of your daily routine.

No Room for Excuses

I'm sure you've experienced something like the following. You wake up with a vague sense that you should start working on that draft you've been putting off for so long.

You get distracted in the morning and miss your writing window before work. To make up for that, you plan to have your lunch alone and get some words written. But then your colleagues decide to have lunch together and ask you to join. You don't want to be the only person to refuse, so you come along.

You still have a few more hours left after work, but you're tired. You don't feel like writing, and you pass out on the sofa before you can decide.

This pattern can go on for weeks and months without you writing a single word.

Every day, you have to decide whether you'll write or not. The ambiguity leaves room for excuses to creep in.

Too tired? Too busy? Oh, well!

Committing to writing every day eliminates the tension that comes from having to decide. You've already made that decision. Then you can focus on making it happen.

Writing every day is so simple.

Excuses are much easier to dismiss because you aren't just postponing your writing for one day. You're breaking a promise that you made to yourself.

Build Momentum

Like many other things in life, writing gets easier the more you do it. The more you write, the less intimidating it becomes.

Your "writing muscle" adjusts to the process over time.

A daily writing habit allows you to build momentum. You will be faster and feel much less exhausted after each session. Writing 500 words isn't that big of a deal when you're doing it every day.

At some point, it will start feeling odd when you don't get to write anything during your day. A writer in motion tends to stay in motion.

The Words Add Up Fast

When you write every day, you will produce a lot of material. The words add up fast whether you're writing blog posts, short stories, screenplays or books.

As Ray Bradbury said when he advised new writers to finish a short story every week for a year, "It's impossible to write 52 bad stories in a row."

You will explore ideas that you would've never considered before. Your writing and storytelling abilities will inevitably improve.

You will have pieces to submit to competitions or magazines or to publish online. You will be able to seek feedback from editors and fellow writers alike.

Are you working on a book? Regardless of how big your target word count is and how few words you write every day, you will get there. That instantly puts you ahead because 90% of people who start working on a book never finish the first draft.

10 Strategies to Help You Develop a Long-lasting Writing Habit

The benefits of a daily writing habit are clear, but developing one certainly isn't easy. The first few weeks are the hardest but also the most important.

Here are ten effective strategies that you can use to develop a long-lasting writing habit. These tactics will help you stay focused, motivated and accountable.

1. Create Space for Writing in Your Life

You're already filling the waking hours in your day with activities. Whether they're productive or not, they all serve a purpose in your daily routine.

Perhaps you have a job, run a business or are raising a family. You spend time with your friends or loved ones. You might also take some time to exercise, relax or unwind.

The first mistake writers make is trying to add writing to their already busy schedules. It's not as easy as turning your evening TV time into a writing session. Writing is hard work. You'll have to make real compromises.

When doing too much, the slightest change to your circumstances will throw you off. When that happens, writing will usually be the first thing you abandon.

Make sure you give yourself enough time and energy to write. Create space for it in your daily routine so that you can do it sustainably.

2. Start Small

Most people start by setting a daily word count goal. Usually, this comes at around 500 and 2,000 words per day. While these goals are perfectly achievable, trying to hit them from the start will lead to frustration and (ultimately) failure.

Writing is a lot like running, as Haruki Murakami showed in his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running .

Like running, writing has a limit on the number of words you can produce each day. It does improve with practice, but if you try to do too much too soon, you will hit a wall.

Imagine attempting to run 5 miles every day with no prior athletic training. You may be able to do it a few times, but you'll have quit already by the end of the week. Similarly, writing 2,000 words daily is too ambitious in the beginning.

Start small and work your way up. Whatever daily goal you have in mind, divide it by ten and start from there. Only increase it once you can comfortably reach your goal for seven consecutive days.

3. Schedule Your Writing Sessions in Advance

Many writers prefer to write at the same time every day. It may be early in the morning before work or late at night before bed. Some write during their lunch break or on their commute.

Writing at the same time every day creates a rhythm that helps you keep going. You train your brain to be ready to write at a specific hour.

If this isn't possible, schedule your writing sessions ahead of time — preferably at least a day in advance.

By scheduling a specific time, you're making an explicit commitment. Put it on your calendar and treat it as any other appointment.

You wouldn't skip a meeting with your boss or a date with your partner without saying anything. If something truly urgent comes up, reschedule your writing session to a different time.

Treat your writing time with the same respect that you would treat the time of other people.

4. Make Writing a Priority

Maintaining a writing routine would be easy if every day were the same. But life brings about all sorts of disruptions, sometimes daily. You can't always get everything done.

When things don't work out as planned, your writing time is often the first thing to go. The boiler stopped working. Your car broke down. The trains are delayed. That means you no longer have time to write. Or does it?

If you dream of publishing a book or launching a blog, writing is probably pretty important to you. Do you give it the appropriate priority in your life?

When you miss your morning train, you wouldn't go back home and skip a day at work.

"Oh well, no point in going in now."

You committed to writing every day. Protect your writing time, and treat it with the respect it deserves. Don't give it up unless there's an emergency.

5. Come Prepared

Staring at the blank page without knowing where to start or what to write about can be extremely discouraging. It happens to all writers sometimes. However, maintaining a daily writing routine will become nearly impossible if it becomes a regular occurrence.

That's why it's crucial to prepare for each writing session in advance. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, think through what you'll be working on the next day.

Some writers prepare extensive outlines, while others get by with a vague idea of where they want the story to go. Do whatever you need to so you can start writing as soon as you sit down.

Many writers stop writing in the middle of a paragraph or sentence. When they return to their draft the next day, they can immediately finish what they started. It helps them to recover their train of thought and overcome the blank page syndrome.

6. Track Your Progress

Writing projects can take weeks, months and sometimes years to complete. Although the words add up over time, it can feel like a right slog when it takes two weeks to finish chapter 38 out of 125.

The middle of a project is often the most difficult. The novelty wears off, but the end is still far away. On top of that, the most exciting stuff usually happens at the beginning or during the climax of your story. The middle part is where you build tension and connect the dots — not the most engaging material to write.

Tracking your progress can help you quantify how much work you're putting in and keep you motivated throughout the entire project. By staying on top of your word count, you can set smaller goals and celebrate hitting them along the way.

That said, tracking how much you write and processing that data into useful insights can become a chore of its own. That's where Writing Analytics comes in. Our editor tracks various metrics while you write. When you finish, it processes the data into actionable insights right away.

There will be times when you feel like you'll never finish. When that happens, focus on hitting your daily goal. Just write the words, however bad they seem. Take it one step at a time.

7. Build a Streak

Losing $100 will annoy you more than winning $100 will make you happy. Psychologists call this cognitive bias loss aversion . Our brains experience the pain of losing much more powerfully than the pleasure of gaining.

Writing streaks leverage this bias by tracking the number of consecutive days you hit your writing goal. When you miss, you have to reset the counter back to zero.

As your day counter climbs higher, you naturally don't want to lose your streak.

When developing a writing habit, make sure to start tracking your streak. If you use Writing Analytics, the app marks the built-in habit tracker when you write or revise. It also resets the counter when you miss a day.

8. Stay Accountable

For most people, writing is a completely self-motivated endeavour. When starting out, you don't have a boss or publisher waiting for you to deliver a finished manuscript.

If you quit tomorrow, nothing will happen. Chances are nobody will even notice. When it gets tough, it's way too easy to give up.

Getting as much accountability as possible is vital to force yourself to follow through.

Set daily goals and do your best to hit them. If word goals don't work for you, consider setting time goals instead .

Join a writing group or a writing challenge . Enlist a friend and text them every time you finish your daily writing session.

Make quitting as hard as possible. Doing so will make getting on with your writing the preferable thing to do.

9. Never Skip Two Days in the Row

Despite your best efforts, you will likely miss a writing day at some point. It happens to everyone.

It can be disheartening to lose your streak, but it's important not to panic or beat yourself up over it. That only makes things worse.

Remember that missing a day doesn't mean that you failed. It's not all or nothing. Don't give up just because you missed a day. Instead, focus on getting back on track as soon as possible. Even if you only succeed 70, 80, or 90 percent of the time, that's still much better than not writing at all.

When you do miss a day, do whatever is in your power to write the next day. Cancel your evening plans. Skip other activities to make sure you have plenty of time to write.

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits , says that missing a day is a mistake, but missing two days in a row is the start of a new habit.

Never skip two days in a row and risk falling back into your old habits.

10. Change Your Habit When It Stops Working

Life is constantly changing. What worked for you in the past may no longer be feasible when you change jobs or move into a different area. Even small changes can affect your ability to maintain a writing habit significantly.

Let's say you change jobs. Your commute goes up from 30 minutes to over an hour. If you used to get up at 5 a.m. to write, waking up an hour earlier may not work.

Pushing through with the sheer force of will may work for a while. It will get you through a few bad days, but it won't work forever.

Don't linger on something that is no longer working. When your circumstances change, look for new ways to fit writing into your schedule.

Perhaps you could take the train instead of driving to work and use that time to write? You could write on your lunch break or go to a coffee shop after work to get some writing done.

Don't be afraid to experiment and change things up. Routines are an iterative process.

Final Thoughts

Writing every day can unlock a world of possibilities for your writing career. You will generate a steady stream of material and practise your craft daily. As you build momentum, the words will start flowing more easily.

A consistent writing habit is what separates frustrated aspiring writers from published professionals.

You can absolutely develop a steady and sustainable daily writing habit if you put these strategies into practice.

Don't let missing a day discourage you. Focus on your long-term goals. Be intentional about finding a routine that works for you. Your persistence will pay off.

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How to Build a Daily Writing Habit

When it comes building a daily writing habit — or any sort of endeavor for that matter — one of the biggest challenges is to keep showing up every day.

For the better part of the past ten years, I have been writing pretty much every day. My daily writing routine has ebbed and flowed over the years, that’s for sure. These days, my ideal writing time is first thing in the morning before anyone else in the house is awake. The iPad, Magic Keyboard, a quiet house, and a cup of coffee make an excellent combination.

For the past 10 years, I have been able to make a full-time living and build a business that provides for several other amazing people. All of it is thanks to writing .

There are many more benefits to writing beyond building an audience.

For me, it started because I wanted to write. I felt compelled. I still do, in fact. Even though it definitely sucks at times — okay, most times — I often joke that the only thing worse than writing is not writing. Sigh.

In addition to writing every day for the courses , articles , and newsletters that we produce, I also usually write in my Day One journal app every day.

Writing helps with your overall creativity.

Writing brings clarity to your ideas, your thoughts, even the decisions you need to make.

If you are wanting to build an audience…

If you simply want to write and share something regularly for your newsletter or on your blog…

Or if you want to write in order to get stuff out of your head so you can see it more clearly…

…then build a writing habit.

How to Build Your Writing Habit and Write Every Day

This article is based on one of the lessons in our popular Learn Ulysses writing course. In it, I’ll show you exactly how to build a writing habit and start writing every day.

I’ve got a few steps for you that will have the greatest impact in your endeavors to build a writing habit. If you do one of these, it’s going to help significantly. If you combine them together, then that’s when you’re really going to be off to the races.

Let’s dive in…

1. Pick a Time (Seriously, Do It)

If you listen to nothing else, listen to this:

Set a time for when you are going to have your next writing session.

If you are waiting for a time to strike when you feel it, or if you’re waiting for a chance when you’ve got some unexpected free time, then it’s probably never going to happen.

• Look at your calendar.
• Find a 15-minute window in the next day or two.
• Block that off as your writing time.

Congrats! You’ve just picked a time for when you’ll show up to do some writing. Now, don’t change your mind. Don’t reschedule it. Don’t wimp out on yourself.

2. Decide Where You’re Going to Write

Step two is this:

Set the place.

This is next level. This is ninja productivity here.

If you’ve scheduled your writing time on your calendar, then the next step is to decide where you’re going to be when it’s time to write.

It can be your kitchen table. It may be your local coffee shop (if possible), maybe your home office. Even your car! It doesn’t really matter where, only that you know.

By deciding the when and the where, you are removing ambiguity.

Clarity helps with follow-through.

3. Have a Plan: What will you be writing about?

Do not — I repeat — do not go into your writing time with dual focus .

Dual Focus slows you down and pulls your attention elsewhere.

Dual Focus when writing is those times you sit down to write an article, but you don’t yet know what to write about. So first you have to focus on coming up with a topic or idea before you can move on to focus on the writing itself . This wastes your writing time.

Thus, step three is to have a plan for what you will be writing about . That way you can get right to work.

If you’ve ever set aside time to write, and you sat down at the keyboard, and just stared… looking at that stupid cursor… wondering what to write about, wondering where to even start… it sucks, right? It feels discouraging and frustrating.

But if you have a plan and you know what you’re going to write about , then you can just get to work. It makes your daily writing time far more productive.

Putting it all together: Build a daily writing habit by knowing when, where, and what

If you combine the when , the where , and the what , then watch out. You’re off to the races. You will be unstoppable. You will be writing every day.

You can do all of that — everything I’ve shared so far — you can do all of it right now in about 60 seconds.

In just 60 seconds, doing even just these three things on repeat, that’s how you build your writing habit. That’s how you build the creative habit.

Bonus Tips for Building Your Writing Habit

Okay. If you’ve got the when, where, and what figured out, then here are a few bonus tips that I’ve incorporated into my own writing habit over the years.

Have Start-Up Routine

The first bonus tip is to have a “start-up” routine for your writing time.

When you wake up in the morning, do you have a basic routine in the morning? Even a default routine?

Routines help you go through regular motions without having to think about it.

You do it day in and day out, and you don’t have to think about it. You can just do that activity mindlessly.

Consider how powerful it would be if you had a routine before you began your difficult writing time — a routine you could just get into without having to think about it.

A “start-up routine” primes your mind to do that difficult creative work.

For me, I have a few simple things that I do.

I’ll put on headphones, and I have some musical, instrumental music that I listen to. It’s the same music every single time, over and over and over. Every day, it’s the same music. The music has become pavlovian. It primes me. I open up the same app — Ulysses of course — so that I’m also comfortable in my writing app. I know right where I am.

And so just a few little things with my routine — sitting down, the music, the app… and I am ready to go.

My start-up writing routine does a few things.

For one, it tells my brain, “It’s time to write. Here we go.” And it helps me get into the writing flow much faster.

Additionally, I’m removing all the novelty from the writing process. I don’t have a whole bunch of expectations or over-eager excitement about my writing time. It is a daily habit that I have. And by removing all the novelty from the process, there’s nothing left to distract me from doing the creative work itself.

Start Small In Order to focus on Consistency

Set a low bar for success — especially at the beginning.

This goes for any habit that you’re starting. You want to start small at the beginning because the thing that matters most is consistency .

It is better to do 15 minutes every day than to do two hours all at once, once a week. Because consistent effort over time will bring about massive results.

Keep Yourself Accountable

The final bonus tip for building your creative habit is this: Be accountable.

So many of us are great at keeping commitments we make to other people, but we are poor at keeping the commitments we make to ourselves.

And so, with some sort of accountability, you are far more likely to follow through on the commitment you’ve made to yourself.

The first type of accountability is public accountability. Tell people what you’re doing. Announce it on Twitter or Facebook or whatever. Announce it on your blog, “Here’s what I’m doing.” Share your work and the process of what you are working on.

I try to do this as much as possible by sharing my work and telling people what I’m working on. Even telling people that I publish an email newsletter every Friday. All of that is a form of public accountability for me.

Secondly, there is personal accountability. I use a habit tracker to monitor my regular writing progress and to mark off and keep track of each day that I write.

TL;DR;BDSTTB

Too long; didn’t read; but did scroll to the bottom…?

Let’s recap. The three pillars for building a writing habit where you write every day are:

• Set a time.
• Pick a place.
• Have a plan.

Additionally, if you also have a start-up routine , set a low bar for success , and do something to keep yourself accountable , then you’ll have all the pieces in place to follow through.

Doing one of these things — any one of these things — is going to help you so much. If you do more than one, if you combine a few of them, it’s going to have a massive impact, and soon you will have an unstoppable writing habit.

Speaking of writing… My all-time favorite writing app is Ulysses. I have written millions of words in this app. Including this article right here.

As a professional Ulysses nerd, I’d love to show you some of the things I love most about this app.

Free, Mini-Masterclass: Using Ulysses

Ulysses is our pick for the best writing and notes app out there. And we want to help you get the most out of this app that we ourselves use every single day.

In this mini-masterclass, you’ll discover ideas and examples for better organization, faster idea capture, and even how to use Ulysses for improving your productivity.

Discover how to use Ulysses for:

• How to set up Ulysses for better organization (instead of having all your stuff in one big pile of mess).
• Ways to capture your ideas, and then turn those ideas into something publishable and usable.
• Experiments and hacks in productivity.

The full replay of this live event is available [here](https://thesweetsetup.com/ulysses-mini-masterclass-video-replay/).

The Daily Routines of Great Writers

By maria popova.

UPDATE: These daily routines have now been adapted into a labor-of-love visualization of writers’ sleep habits vs. literary productivity .

Kurt Vonnegut’s recently published daily routine made we wonder how other beloved writers organized their days. So I pored through various old diaries and interviews — many from the fantastic Paris Review archives — and culled a handful of writing routines from some of my favorite authors. Enjoy.

Ray Bradbury , a lifelong proponent of working with joy and an avid champion of public libraries , playfully defies the question of routines in a 2010 interview :

My passions drive me to the typewriter every day of my life, and they have driven me there since I was twelve. So I never have to worry about schedules. Some new thing is always exploding in me, and it schedules me, I don’t schedule it. It says: Get to the typewriter right now and finish this. […] I can work anywhere. I wrote in bedrooms and living rooms when I was growing up with my parents and my brother in a small house in Los Angeles. I worked on my typewriter in the living room, with the radio and my mother and dad and brother all talking at the same time. Later on, when I wanted to write Fahrenheit 451, I went up to UCLA and found a basement typing room where, if you inserted ten cents into the typewriter, you could buy thirty minutes of typing time.

Joan Didion creates for herself a kind of incubation period for ideas , articulated in a 1968 interview :

I need an hour alone before dinner, with a drink, to go over what I’ve done that day. I can’t do it late in the afternoon because I’m too close to it. Also, the drink helps. It removes me from the pages. So I spend this hour taking things out and putting other things in. Then I start the next day by redoing all of what I did the day before, following these evening notes. When I’m really working I don’t like to go out or have anybody to dinner, because then I lose the hour. If I don’t have the hour, and start the next day with just some bad pages and nowhere to go, I’m in low spirits. Another thing I need to do, when I’m near the end of the book, is sleep in the same room with it. That’s one reason I go home to Sacramento to finish things. Somehow the book doesn’t leave you when you’re asleep right next to it. In Sacramento nobody cares if I appear or not. I can just get up and start typing.

E. B. White , in the same fantastic interview that gave us his timeless insight on the role and responsibility of the writer , notes his relationship with sound and ends on a note echoing Tchaikovsky on work ethic :

I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me. A girl pushing a carpet sweeper under my typewriter table has never annoyed me particularly, nor has it taken my mind off my work, unless the girl was unusually pretty or unusually clumsy. My wife, thank God, has never been protective of me, as, I am told, the wives of some writers are. In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.

Jack Kerouac describes his rituals and superstitions in 1968:

I had a ritual once of lighting a candle and writing by its light and blowing it out when I was done for the night … also kneeling and praying before starting (I got that from a French movie about George Frideric Handel) … but now I simply hate to write. My superstition? I’m beginning to suspect the full moon. Also I’m hung up on the number nine though I’m told a Piscean like myself should stick to number seven; but I try to do nine touchdowns a day, that is, I stand on my head in the bathroom, on a slipper, and touch the floor nine times with my toe tips, while balanced. This is incidentally more than yoga, it’s an athletic feat, I mean imagine calling me ‘unbalanced’ after that. Frankly I do feel that my mind is going. So another ‘ritual’ as you call it, is to pray to Jesus to preserve my sanity and my energy so I can help my family: that being my paralyzed mother, and my wife, and the ever-present kitties. Okay?

He then adds a few thought on the best time and place for writing:

The desk in the room, near the bed, with a good light, midnight till dawn, a drink when you get tired, preferably at home, but if you have no home, make a home out of your hotel room or motel room or pad: peace.

Susan Sontag resolves in her diary in 1977, adding to her collected wisdom on writing :

Starting tomorrow — if not today: I will get up every morning no later than eight. (Can break this rule once a week.) I will have lunch only with Roger [Straus]. (‘No, I don’t go out for lunch.’ Can break this rule once every two weeks.) I will write in the Notebook every day. (Model: Lichtenberg’s Waste Books.) I will tell people not to call in the morning, or not answer the phone. I will try to confine my reading to the evening. (I read too much — as an escape from writing.) I will answer letters once a week. (Friday? — I have to go to the hospital anyway.)

Then, in a Paris Review interview nearly two decades later, she details her routine:

I write with a felt-tip pen, or sometimes a pencil, on yellow or white legal pads, that fetish of American writers. I like the slowness of writing by hand. Then I type it up and scrawl all over that. And keep on retyping it, each time making corrections both by hand and directly on the typewriter, until I don’t see how to make it any better. Up to five years ago, that was it. Since then there is a computer in my life. After the second or third draft it goes into the computer, so I don’t retype the whole manuscript anymore, but continue to revise by hand on a succession of hard-copy drafts from the computer. […] I write in spurts. I write when I have to because the pressure builds up and I feel enough confidence that something has matured in my head and I can write it down. But once something is really under way, I don’t want to do anything else. I don’t go out, much of the time I forget to eat, I sleep very little. It’s a very undisciplined way of working and makes me not very prolific. But I’m too interested in many other things.

In 1932, under a section titled Daily Routine , Henry Miller footnotes his 11 commandments of writing with this wonderful blueprint for productivity, inspiration, and mental health:

MORNINGS: If groggy, type notes and allocate, as stimulus. If in fine fettle, write. AFTERNOONS: Work of section in hand, following plan of section scrupulously. No intrusions, no diversions. Write to finish one section at a time, for good and all. EVENINGS: See friends. Read in cafés. Explore unfamiliar sections — on foot if wet, on bicycle if dry. Write, if in mood, but only on Minor program. Paint if empty or tired. Make Notes. Make Charts, Plans. Make corrections of MS. Note: Allow sufficient time during daylight to make an occasional visit to museums or an occasional sketch or an occasional bike ride. Sketch in cafés and trains and streets. Cut the movies! Library for references once a week.

In a 1965 interview , Simone de Beauvoir contributes to dispelling the “tortured-genius” myth of writing :

I’m always in a hurry to get going, though in general I dislike starting the day. I first have tea and then, at about ten o’clock, I get under way and work until one. Then I see my friends and after that, at five o’clock, I go back to work and continue until nine. I have no difficulty in picking up the thread in the afternoon. When you leave, I’ll read the paper or perhaps go shopping. Most often it’s a pleasure to work. […] If the work is going well, I spend a quarter or half an hour reading what I wrote the day before, and I make a few corrections. Then I continue from there. In order to pick up the thread I have to read what I’ve done.

Ernest Hemingway , who famously wrote standing ( “Hemingway stands when he writes. He stands in a pair of his oversized loafers on the worn skin of a lesser kudu—the typewriter and the reading board chest-high opposite him.” ), approaches his craft with equal parts poeticism and pragmatism:

When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there. You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again. You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that. When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love. Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.

Don DeLillo tells The Paris Review in 1993:

I work in the morning at a manual typewriter. I do about four hours and then go running. This helps me shake off one world and enter another. Trees, birds, drizzle — it’s a nice kind of interlude. Then I work again, later afternoon, for two or three hours. Back into book time, which is transparent — you don’t know it’s passing. No snack food or coffee. No cigarettes — I stopped smoking a long time ago. The space is clear, the house is quiet. A writer takes earnest measures to secure his solitude and then finds endless ways to squander it. Looking out the window, reading random entries in the dictionary. To break the spell I look at a photograph of Borges, a great picture sent to me by the Irish writer Colm Tóín. The face of Borges against a dark background — Borges fierce, blind, his nostrils gaping, his skin stretched taut, his mouth amazingly vivid; his mouth looks painted; he’s like a shaman painted for visions, and the whole face has a kind of steely rapture. I’ve read Borges of course, although not nearly all of it, and I don’t know anything about the way he worked — but the photograph shows us a writer who did not waste time at the window or anywhere else. So I’ve tried to make him my guide out of lethargy and drift, into the otherworld of magic, art, and divination.

Productivity maniac Benjamin Franklin had a formidably rigorous daily routine:

Haruki Murakami shares the mind-body connection noted by some of history’s famous creators :

When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at 4:00 am and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for 10km or swim for 1500m (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at 9:00 pm. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind.

William Gibson tells the Paris Review in 2011:

When I’m writing a book I get up at seven. I check my e-mail and do Internet ablutions, as we do these days. I have a cup of coffee. Three days a week, I go to Pilates and am back by ten or eleven. Then I sit down and try to write. If absolutely nothing is happening, I’ll give myself permission to mow the lawn. But, generally, just sitting down and really trying is enough to get it started. I break for lunch, come back, and do it some more. And then, usually, a nap. Naps are essential to my process. Not dreams, but that state adjacent to sleep, the mind on waking. […] As I move through the book it becomes more demanding. At the beginning, I have a five-day workweek, and each day is roughly ten to five, with a break for lunch and a nap. At the very end, it’s a seven-day week, and it could be a twelve-hour day. Toward the end of a book, the state of composition feels like a complex, chemically altered state that will go away if I don’t continue to give it what it needs. What it needs is simply to write all the time. Downtime other than simply sleeping becomes problematic. I’m always glad to see the back of that.

Maya Angelou shares her day with Paris Review in 1990:

I write in the morning and then go home about midday and take a shower, because writing, as you know, is very hard work, so you have to do a double ablution. Then I go out and shop — I’m a serious cook — and pretend to be normal. I play sane — Good morning! Fine, thank you. And you? And I go home. I prepare dinner for myself and if I have houseguests, I do the candles and the pretty music and all that. Then after all the dishes are moved away I read what I wrote that morning. And more often than not if I’ve done nine pages I may be able to save two and a half or three. That’s the cruelest time you know, to really admit that it doesn’t work. And to blue pencil it. When I finish maybe fifty pages and read them — fifty acceptable pages — it’s not too bad. I’ve had the same editor since 1967. Many times he has said to me over the years or asked me, Why would you use a semicolon instead of a colon? And many times over the years I have said to him things like: I will never speak to you again. Forever. Goodbye. That is it. Thank you very much. And I leave. Then I read the piece and I think of his suggestions. I send him a telegram that says, OK, so you’re right. So what? Don’t ever mention this to me again. If you do, I will never speak to you again. About two years ago I was visiting him and his wife in the Hamptons. I was at the end of a dining room table with a sit-down dinner of about fourteen people. Way at the end I said to someone, I sent him telegrams over the years. From the other end of the table he said, And I’ve kept every one! Brute! But the editing, one’s own editing, before the editor sees it, is the most important.

Anaïs Nin simply notes, in a 1941 parenthetical comment, in the third volume of her diaries :

I write my stories in the morning, my diary at night.

She then adds in the fifth volume , in 1948.

I write every day. … I do my best work in the morning.

Lastly, the Kurt Vonnegut routine that inspired this omnibus, recorded in a letter to his wife in 1965:

In an unmoored life like mine, sleep and hunger and work arrange themselves to suit themselves, without consulting me. I’m just as glad they haven’t consulted me about the tiresome details. What they have worked out is this: I awake at 5:30, work until 8:00, eat breakfast at home, work until 10:00, walk a few blocks into town, do errands, go to the nearby municipal swimming pool, which I have all to myself, and swim for half an hour, return home at 11:45, read the mail, eat lunch at noon. In the afternoon I do schoolwork, either teach or prepare. When I get home from school at about 5:30, I numb my twanging intellect with several belts of Scotch and water ($5.00/fifth at the State Liquor store, the only liquor store in town. There are loads of bars, though.), cook supper, read and listen to jazz (lots of good music on the radio here), slip off to sleep at ten. I do pushups and sit-ups all the time, and feel as though I am getting lean and sinewy, but maybe not. Last night, time and my body decided to take me to the movies. I saw The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , which I took very hard. To an unmoored, middle-aged man like myself, it was heart-breaking. That’s all right. I like to have my heart broken.

For more wisdom from beloved authors, complement with Kurt Vonnegut’ s 8 rules for a great story , Joy Williams on why writers write , David Ogilvy’ s 10 no-bullshit tips , Henry Miller’ s 11 commandments , Jack Kerouac’ s 30 beliefs and techniques , John Steinbeck’ s 6 pointers , and Susan Sontag’ s synthesized learnings .

— Published November 20, 2012 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2012/11/20/daily-routines-writers/ —

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