Finding Your Ideal Writing Routine

I currently work a full-time job outside of my writing and book marketing on top of being a parent to a child under two years old.

So, when do I have time to write?

That’s a great question, and the answer is, whenever I possibly can if I’m not physically and mentally exhausted (this is all the time by the way).

A couple of months ago, I was really starting to feel burnt out from juggling everything, and I kept feeling as though I wasn’t devoting enough time to writing. At the beginning of the year, I had made a resolution to write at least one short story a week (Oh how ambitious I was). Then I changed it to a short story a month. I could do that, right?

Well, sort of. I ended up writing a short story every other month, and I’m proud to say I submitted one of them to a writing contest (results come out in November. Fingers crossed!).

The guilt I poured into myself when I didn’t quite meet my expectations for the year haunted me day after day. How can I call myself a writer if I never write?

As it turned out, the only time I had to write was in the late evening after we had put our daughter to bed. The problem was, I was not motivated to write. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and zone out from that day’s busy schedule. I desperately needed a writing routine.

So, here are some tips I came up with to help me get into the mood, and you might find these helpful too:

I had to force myself to write, even if I didn’t want to.

I resisted at first, but it’s like when you start your exercise routine: You start off complaining, and you just want to quit immediately. After a while, though, your body gets used to the movements, blood is pumping, and you get into the groove. Afterwards, you feel great and can’t wait to do it again.

No pressure writing zone

When I did finally sit down to write, I made sure to not put a lot of pressure on myself. If I told myself that I needed to write at least 3 pages, it was not going to happen. Instead, I told myself, just word vomit and see what happens. If you want to keep going, keep going. Take the pressure off.

Everything is writing

I started listing off all the times I write in my daily life. Brainstorming a story I’ve been thinking about for days. Making a journal entry. This blog. Once I listed it out, I realized I actually do a lot of writing. Every chance at writing meant that I was one step closer to being a better writer. Allow yourself to recognize your accomplishments. Glass is half-full kind of thing.

What type of writer are you?

I don’t mean what kind of characters you write or the stories you tell; what’s your ideal writing environment? I like absolute silence. I saw this TikTok the other day of this writer who says no one can be in the house if they are writing. I don’t have that luxury of being alone, but I do prefer it to be quiet enough for me to read what I have written out loud. Once you figure out your parameters, see if you can meet that goal every time you sit down to write, and if it will make for a better writing experience.

Writing prompt

I don’t always start off with a writing exercise, but it’s a really good way to get the creative juices going. I like to search on Pinterest for helpful writing prompts to try out. It really takes me out of my comfort zone.

Be positive!

This sounds cheesy, I know, but the power of positive thinking really does work. Instead of saying, “This is a terrible story, why bother finishing it?” say instead, “This story isn’t quite sounding the way I want it to. Maybe I should try a different point of view.” When you say to yourself, “You work so hard for nothing! Why keep going?” instead say, “Every time I write, it’s a stepping stone to the writer I want to become.”  

Adjust your writing routine to whatever suits you best. It’s your writing journey. Give yourself some credit. You’ve worked really hard. Just keep going. You are amazing!