I am a sucker for those aethestic TikTok and YouTube videos where a writer shows us their “day in the life”.

They’re up at 5 or 6 am, ready to greet the day. The ambiance is moody, usually with a hint of rain through a window and a cup of tea or coffee steaming next to their lit up computer. The whole scene is sepia toned, like you’re watching it as a memory. Cue the classical music. And the writer clad in cute outfit, hair and make up done, clicking away at their work in progress.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not me.

When I was working a traditional 9-5, my writing was relegated to those scraps of time when I had energy to eek out a story or work on my novel. And when I was teaching, my writer life was the equivalent of having an affair that’s gone on too long. I’ll meet you in the backroom but don’t expect much.

Now that I am a full-time writer, you’d think my entire day would be centered around writing. I am here to tell you, you’d be wrong.

So, let’s talk about the myth of the “perfect” writing routine, how we can divorce ourselves from such nonsense, and how we can find what’s perfect for us!

Debunking the Myth

Ah. The perfect writing routine.

Up at 6am for breakfast and some reading in bed. Out of the house for a walk by 7am. Cup of tea and seated at the computer for the first round of writing by 8am. Break for lunch at 12pm. Back to writing at 1pm. Break for the day at 4pm. Enjoy your evening.

Sure. In a perfect world that sounds great.

In reality, I have stayed up too late the night before, thus missing that 6am alarm. Breakfast at 9am. Writing in my pajamas because I want to get right to work before something else catches my attention and then writing becomes the least important part of my day.

Some days I spend all day dancing around my computer but never opening it to even sniff at my work in progress.

Any of this sound familiar? Excellent. We are in good company.

We can blame the usual suspects for messing with our vision of what a perfect writing routine looks like: social media, hustle culture, and author interviews (to name a few).

But if we spent a full day or week with these authors, I am CERTAIN the aesthetic they portray in a two minute video on TikTok, a 20 minute video on YouTube, or an interview where they’re recounting their writing days to an audience are not consistently what their writing life looks like off camera.

Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary at night after everyone had gone to sleep so he wouldn’t be disturbed. But he often recounted in letters how even in those hours scheduled for his writing he was sometimes unable to get more than two pages written.

Jane Austen wrote her novels while in the company of family, being distracted often by guests and other activities that would take her away from devoted writing time.

And Maya Angelou has said that she couldn’t write at home because she liked to keep her home “pretty” and couldn’t work in a “pretty” space. As a result, she always worked in hotel or motel rooms. (From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey)

The Reality of Writing Routines

I say all this to say that there is no one size fits all approach to a writing schedule. What works for you and your life is the perfect writing schedule. Period.

We all know that comparison is the thief of joy. So, why are we comparing our writing schedules to other people’s when our lives don’t look like theirs? Seems silly when you think about it that way.

The world runs on all different types of people. Night owls. Morning birds. Those of us that need a nap in the afternoon. And those of us who can get by on little to no sleep.

If you did NanoWrimo…ever…you’ve met the people who can happily binge write 50,000 words in a month. And then there are the writers who have been working on their manuscripts for years.

The pantsers and plotters. The storyboarders and note jotters. If there is one thing I’ve learned being fully immersed in the land of the writers, it’s that process is personal. And part of finding your writing process is finding a schedule that matches your lifestyle.

Looking for a Writing Routine? Try This!

There is no right or wrong way to have a writing routine. But if you are trying to find a writing routine that fits with your schedule, might I offer a few suggestions to try on for size…

• Figure out when you have the most energy and use that time to write.

Through trial and error, I figured out that I was better at generating ideas in the morning, so I use that time to work on new scenes, while the afternoons are for editing and revising.

• Entire books can be written in 10-minute increments.

If you’re currently struggling with issues of stamina, and the idea of sitting with your work in progress for an hour feels daunting, then give yourself 10 minutes and the freedom to stop when that time is up. Over time, you’ll find that you’re sitting for longer and longer periods. You just have to work the muscle.

• Consistency can look different every day.

As someone with chronic migraine, having every day look exactly the same is a challenge for me. I don’t know if I’ll wake up feeling like taking on the world, or if I’ll be saddled with immense pain right out the gate. However, where I remain consistent is in the showing up to my work. Not every day needs to be 8 hours spent at the computer. In fact, maybe you’re a Monday thru Friday writer, or a Tuesday/Thursday writer. It’s okay if one day looks different from the next, as long as you’re showing up.

We’ve Got This

There is no universal formula for what makes a “perfect” writing routine.

But I can tell you that the perfect writing routine is one that fits into your life and keeps you enjoying your craft. The last thing we want is to resent something we love so much because we forced ourselves into the land of “should”.

And if you want to learn more about the writing (and artistic) routines of various famous creatives, check out the book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey. I have read this book twice in my life and have loved it every time. It’s especially worth a read if you’re looking for a routine or want a little reassurance that you’re doing just fine.

What’s your current writing routine? Let me know in the comments.

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Until next week, friends.