Hey there! Thanks for tuning into another installment. I am really enjoying writing these blog posts and I hope you are finding them useful. If you have any suggestions or requests for topics, do let me know in the comments.
That said, let’s get to it.
As promised in my previous post on How to Find Your Writing Mojo, in the coming weeks we will be looking at how to create healthy writing routines. I was inspired to blog about routines after a conversation with a screenwriter friend of mine who was struggling to find consistency in his writing practice.
My friend thought perhaps the answer lay in regulation: strict word count quotas and stringent time keeping. In an ideal world (i.e. one where I am a professional writer and nothing else), I would have to agree with him. But it got me thinking that my life is just too much of a hot mess to comply with such uncompromising rules.
So this is why I decided to make this blog a two-parter. Both parts will look at how to build a healthy writing routine. However, today’s will be aimed at those with oodles of time on their hands. Whereas, next week’s will be for those with none. In both cases, the focus is going to be on “healthy” routines, routines that foster enjoyment and avoid burnout.
"Writing long into the night might feel like a win in the moment, but you sacrifice tomorrow’s performance when you do."
What is a Routine?
Firstly, even though you probably have a solid idea already, let's clarify what we mean by routine, just so we know we're on the same page. Google describes routine as:
"a sequence of actions regularly followed"
I like this definition as you can break routine down into the two fundamental elements. One, you must perform a “sequence of actions”. And two, you must perform them “regularly”. I like the term “regularly” because it can mean both at uniform intervals of time (i.e. I’m going to write every Wednesday at 5am), and frequently or habitually (i.e. I’m going to perform these writing actions whenever I get the chance). So it is achievable whether you have designated free time or not!
Creating a Healthy Writing Routine
If you reveal to other authors that you have lots of free time to write, don’t be surprised if their first response is to call you a “lucky [insert expletive of choice]!” However, what they don’t understand is that free time comes with its own pitfalls: listlessness, procrastination, and performance anxiety, to name but a few.
Deep down, actually having the capacity to attempt something is incredibly frightening, because if we fail, it’s not because of external factors, it’s because of our own deficiency. I know, harsh, right? How does anyone attempt anything, ever? It may be because they have a different mindset.
1. Mindset
It’s important to get your mind in the right place before you sit down to write. Approaching writing from a place of “I need to get this done and it needs to be brilliant” is a surefire way of fostering contempt for yourself and for your writing practice.
This is because you are approaching your writing from a place of lack. When you think you need something, you are saying to yourself that you are incomplete without it, that you are not good enough already. It is important to regularly remind yourself that you are enough as you are right now. Yes, achievement would be nice, of course it would, but it is not the thing that defines your worth as a human being.
Similarly, “failure” is not a negative reflection upon your character. For to “fail”, you first must try. And to endeavour is noble and brave. When seen in this way, failure is merely evidence of personal growth. As Miles Davis said, “If you’re not making a mistake, it’s a mistake”.
One practical thing that I do to get my mind in the right place before writing is to repeat the following mantra. This helps me to manage my expectations before blindly charging in:
I probably won’t finish this today, and that’s okay.
It doesn’t matter if what I write is good or bad.
What’s important is that I’m doing something I find meaningful.
Why not try composing your own writing mantra? Let me know what you come up with in the comments below!
2. Discipline
As mentioned, this blog post is for those who have time on their hands. Considering this, you should be able to identify times in your week when you are available to write. They may not be at the most convenient of times, but you should at least be able to pinpoint some distraction-free periods of alone-time.
"Discipline isn’t about burying yourself under a mountain of work in the hopes you can shoulder the burden"
Once you have identified them, it’s time to decide which periods you want to dedicate to writing. And don’t say all of them! That might work for the first week, but after that you’re going to start burning out. Remember, this is about creating healthy, sustainable routines. It’s important to set time aside for R&R also.
As an example, say you’re free after work between 6-10pm every weekday night. A good routine would be to set aside Monday/Tuesday/Thursday evenings for writing. That way you have a mid-week break on Wednesday and your Friday evening remains free to Netflix n’ chill.
Now when you first get in from work you’re going to want to have some dinner and draw a line under the day. But then say from 7-8:30pm, that’s your time to write. That then gives you an hour or so to wind down before bed. What’s more, ensuring you get an early night will mean that you’ll be recharged ready for tomorrow. Writing long into the night might feel like a win in the moment, but you sacrifice tomorrow’s performance when you do.
This is why I don’t advocate routines based around word count. Your productivity is going to swing wildly and saying you can’t stop writing until you hit 1k/2k/3k words is just going to add unnecessary pressure to your writing session. Stick to time-based routines like the one I describe above.
Remember, Discipline isn’t about burying yourself under a mountain of work in the hopes you can shoulder the burden. That’s actually the opposite of discipline! That is self-neglect, bordering on self-destruction. Discipline is about recognising your current limits and gently testing your boundaries.
3. No Phone Zone!
If you’re anything like me, the second you sit down to write, you immediately start looking for something to distract you from the blank page before you. If this is the case, you need to set up a space free from as many distractions as possible. Because otherwise the distractions will win!
If possible, lock yourself away in a quiet room by yourself. If, however, your house is like a kind of zoo for loud humans, try turning your desk so that it faces a blank wall, slip on your headphones, and drown out the world with some lo-fi tunes.
And of course, make sure you’ve got a thermos full of coffee ready to go so that you don’t have to keep going back and forth to the kettle!
However, there is one distraction that follows you wherever you go, and that’s because you carry it in your pocket. What’s worse is that it’s the most powerful one. I am of course referring to your phone!
When you sit down to write, do yourself a favour and lock your phone away in another room. It’s no good having it on the other side of the room you’re in. Studies have shown that even if it is off, just the presence of your phone can cause brain-drain, as it is competing for your attention. So make your writing space a no phone zone.
4. Pre-Writing Ceremony
One thing that I like to do to get me in the mood for writing is to have a little pre-writing ceremony. Some things I like to do include brewing a cup of coffee (obvs!), doing a short yoga session, or playing some classical music. It just brings a bit of class to proceedings. Furthermore, over time, like Pavlov’s dog, it conditions you to recognise this moment as a time for writing.
Let me know your pre-writing ceremony in the comments!
5. No Editing!
So you’ve managed your expectations, found time to write, created a distraction-free environment, and performed your pre-writing ceremony. You take a sip of coffee. Place your cup down. Your fingers grace the keyboard. You start to type. You’re doing it. YOU’RE ACTUALLY DOING IT!!!!
Then you think, “Hang about… Should I use an Oxford comma here?’ Before you know it, an hour has passed in a frenzy of google searches and it’s time to go to bed. 🤦
Resist the urge to edit as you go along. You are going to have to edit once the first draft is done, that is inevitable, so you might as well just save all of the edits for later and get to the end of your first draft sooner. Doing it now will cost you time overall. If you notice something, even if it’s something big like a plot hole, just make a note and move on.
Over to You!
There you have it. Those are my five suggestions for creating a healthy writing routine for those of you with time on your hands. To recap they are:
Get your mindset right.
Set up a disciplined but reasonable writing schedule that allows time for R&R.
Leave your phone in another room.
Perform a pre-writing ceremony to set the mood.
No editing!
If you found this helpful, I'd recommend checking out part two in this series: How to Create a Healthy Writing Routine (When You Have No Time).
Anyway, over to you! Let me know your tips and tricks for healthy routine creation in the comments.
Happy writing! x
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