writing routines | how to fit writing into a busy schedule

The credit for the idea for this post goes to Deigan from Deigan Marie! I really liked her post about her writing routines and I thought it’d be fun to share my routines as well! 

Routines. 

I tend to thrive on them. They’re part of how I think. When I want to add something new into my life my first thought is usually to make it into a habit. 

That being said, that doesn’t mean that having writing routines and sticking to them are always easy for me. I can also tend to work on other things that I think are important and then not have very much time to write. But during the past year, I’ve developed some routines and habits and I’ve learned a lot about what helps me write. 

Your routine has to be tailored to fit you, your schedule, and your goals. I’m sharing mine with you to maybe give you some inspiration, motivation, and ideas, but don’t feel like my way is the only way or that the way I write is the only way to be productive. I’ve just figured out what works for me—I’m still figuring it out, by the way, and I’m sure my systems could be better!—and I’d love to share it with you to help you find what works for you. 

And I’d also like to say that my routines are always changing! I am always changing my schedule to fit my life at the moment. There’s no reason to stick to a certain routine if it’s not working for you. The routines below are the ones that I tend to come back to—even if they’re slightly altered—over and over again. 

Morning routine

This is my favorite time of the day to write, when it comes to productivity, because it ensures that I get my writing done in the beginning of the day before I get distracted with other responsibilities or unexpected circumstances arise. 

Exactly when in the morning I write varies. Right now, I’m trying to write between 8am and 9am, after chores and breakfast but before school. But there have been times when I’ve written between 7am and 8am and I’ll probably be doing that again sometime. 

What I love about writing in the morning is that I tend to feel fresher because I haven’t yet been working for hours and draining my creative/mental well. It’s also just a quieter and more peaceful time of the day—that’s more true for when I write between 7am and 8am though—and it feels good to get a good chunk of work done early in the day. 

That being said, there are reasons that I don’t always write in the morning…

Afternoon/evening routine

At some point in my writing journey, I got in the habit of writing in the afternoons, and now my brain associates that time with sitting at my desk and typing out the next section of my novel. So while there are benefits to writing in the morning and reasons why I do like to make that my routine sometimes, I also just think it’s more fun to write in the afternoon, especially in the winter when it gets dark and cozy. 

I also think that my brain is just more awake and creative in the afternoon, as long as I’m not super tired. 

“…but I feel like writing is the last thing I have time for!”

I know. I know. But if it’s a priority for you, you can find a way to include it in your day. Believe me, it is possible. I’ve done it. Here are a few tips for if you feel the above statement applies to you. 

#1 Determine your priorities

First of all, you need to determine whether or not writing is a priority for you. If it isn’t, then you’re right, it doesn’t have a place in your schedule. But if it is a priority, there are probably things in your day that are not and that can be taken out to make room for writing. 

#2 Be flexible and willing to find what works for YOU

There is no “right” schedule. There is no proven method you can follow that works every single time and that makes you massively productive. No, you have to find what works for you and your life, at the moment. I say at the moment because your life might change and you might have to change your writing routines as well. I know for me, I feel like I’m always changing my routines and trying to find what routine best fits me now. 

Fitting writing into your schedule isn’t something that you figure out once and forget about. It’s an ongoing process and it’s okay to change what you do frequently. Just make sure you’re doing what makes you feel the most productive and creative. 

#3 Fit it in where you can

This is for when you’re really busy, or for when something comes up and you can’t have a full writing session like you normally do. It’s perfectly fine to break your session into mini sessions and tuck them into your schedule where you have room. 

I find that for me, this method isn’t always ideal, but when I have a really busy day or when it’s taking me longer to write the amount of words I want to and I have to move on to something else, breaking my session into pieces and scattering them across the day helps me to still accomplish my writing goals even though I don’t have time for a full session.

#4 Realize that you can’t (and shouldn’t) be doing everything

This is a hard truth to swallow, isn’t it? There are so many things to learn and do that each day can suddenly seem much too short and your schedule way too full. But the truth is, you don’t have time for everything and so you have to decide what you want to make your priorities and then not worry about setting everything else aside. 

I know it’s hard to hear, but you can’t be an award winning author, a master of guitar, have a garden that is in a constant state of abundance and lushness, learn piano, cook a gourmet supper every night, study Hebrew, and read for hours every day. It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But somehow, I don’t think that kind of schedule would work how you’re imagining it to. Just trust me. 

Just so you know, that last paragraph was for me. 😉 

#5 Schedule your writing time when you know your energy is the highest

This is going to be different for everyone, and you might not be able to do this in every season of your life, but scheduling your writing sessions for when you know your energy is high is only going to set you up for more success and joy. 

For some, this may be the morning, for others the afternoon, and for others nighttime. Whatever it is for you, writing when you feel creatively alive and fed will help you write better, write more, and have more fun while doing so. 

If writing is a priority for you, it deserves your best, right? That means not scheduling your writing session for the end of the day, after you’ve completed your entire to-do list, and are thoroughly worn out. 

Just so you know, that last paragraph was definitely not for me. I’ve never even thought of doing that.  

In conclusion…

Life can be extraordinarily busy, we all have first hand experience with that fact, but writers who are serious about their writing and who know that writing is a priority for them make time for it in their schedules. 

They determine their priorities.

They are flexible and willing to find what works for them.

They fit writing in where they can, when needed.

They realize that they can’t do everything (no matter how enticing the thought feels) 

And they schedule their writing time for when they know they’ll feel they’re best creatively. 

Now you know how, so go look at your schedule and make time for your writing! You deserve it, the future of your writing deserves it. 

It’s possible and you can do it. I believe in you!