Creating a writing routine can be difficult — here's why

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember — and reading even before that. I love to dive into stories and fully imagine myself in new worlds and times, almost becoming one of the characters myself. When I went to college and studied journalism, stories became a lot more real. For me, I really loved getting to tell someone else’s story in their own words and with the added benefit of research for the readers.

However, writers can sometimes run into problems when it comes to the actual “writing” part of the job. Writers’ block pops up, perfectionism turns into procrastination, and silly things like “life” can get in the way. So how do people create a writing routine that works for them? And why is it so hard to maintain something like that?

The answer is frustratingly simple: people have different brains and different ways of getting work done. What’s important is to not get hung up on forcing yourself to work in a way that “should” be productive according to someone else. Develop your own routine and base it on what works best for you.

How to come up with a writing routine

What kind of writer are you?

In the writing community, people are often categorized into two groups: pantsers and plotsers (and sometimes a combination of the two). At first glance, these seem pretty self-explanatory: pantsers write by the seats of their pants, and plotsers take time to outline and plan out the plot and arc of their book.

While this might be an over-simplification of how millions of different minds work, it can be helpful for you to realize and recognize what kind of writer you are. I encourage you to come up with your own category, instead of trying to fit into a group that doesn’t totally work for you. Maybe you’re a “night owl” who can only write late at night, or maybe you’re a “Yogi Bear” who does their best work outside.

Where do you do your best work?

Do you need to be indoors? Outside? At a coffee shop? In your home office? In a coworking space? At a desk? On the floor?

Figure out what your ideal writing environment is like. Cultivate that space so that it feels like a place you want to get work done in, and then actually use that space.

What tools do you need to get writing done?

I prefer to use Scrivener software to get my novel writing done, but some people prefer Google Docs, Microsoft Word or other text capturing programs. This may take some trial and error to see what feels right to you, but if you’ve been using a program that you don’t like looking at or can’t figure out how to use the way you’d like to, perhaps it’s time to try something else out. It might end up bringing you great success, but you have to be willing to try something new. Your next project may need to be handwritten!

But don’t be too precious about it

I’ve heard stories about writers who have to sit and work in a particular way otherwise their work won’t get done. That’s all well and good, but only up until a certain point. If maintaining your writing routine starts to get in the way of you actually writing, it’s time to throw it out the window. Or, less dramatically, figure out a way to get in front of whatever tools you use to write and just write. I can get very perfectionist-y about my writing routine, but that often leads to me not being able to sit down and focus on my work.

How to stick to a writing routine

This is where the writing process can get tricky. Even though you’ve figured out what works for you, it doesn’t always mean you’ll have ideal writing conditions every time you want to sit down to write.

The best piece of advice I can give on this is simply: make your writing a priority. If you don’t treat your book or your project like it matters to you, you’ll never give it your time and energy. And your project needs you in order to exist. As long as you really believe in what you’re writing, your routine will happen. Sometimes it just takes sitting your butt down and getting the job done.