Routine or No Routine?

To routine or not routine: that is a common question.

Does it help you as a writer to stick to a strict schedule every single day or not? 

In the end, like most things about writing, the answer really is: it depends. Some people need the order and method a routine gives them. They thrive on a strict schedule of writing from 5am until 8am, stopping for breakfast and walking the dog, then working until 11 when they give themselves 30 minutes for checking email. 1 hour for lunch before back to writing (except Tuesdays and Thursdays when there’s exercise class). Work day ends at 5pm. 

For others, that doesn’t do it. Maybe they work best in the afternoon so mornings are for emails, exercise, errands, and social media. Or they do their best plotting in the evenings while doing a jigsaw puzzle (Sabrina Jeffries swears by this method). 

Writing is creative and our minds are flexible when we get in gear for a new project. There’s no “one size fits all” for writing (does that really work with clothes either?) and there is nothing wrong with that!

Some of us need the perfect writing spot to do our best work, others type ideas on our phones while on a bus. You never know when the Muse will spark something.

I think the key is to find out what works for you.

Try a week of routine and see how it goes. That could mean plotting and outlining, not just writing. If you reach the end of the week and feel like you’re getting somewhere, try another week.

If you feel like you’re completely stifled, try another tactic. Remember, the important thing isn’t to write like everyone else. It’s to write something, or work somehow, on your Work In Progress, every day. It’s to discover your writing routine- even if that routine isn’t officially a routine.