While some writers believe having a routine will stifle their creativity, for many there are simply too few hours in the day, and too many other chores, to allow unbridled freedom. Scheduling time for writing can make the difference between a successfully completed novel or carrying the same idea around in your head for years.

It is crucial, though, to strike a balance between forcing yourself to sit and stare at the computer screen and allowing ideas and words to come naturally. But the human mind is an amazing thing, and training it to expect to perform a certain function at a certain time of the day helps to build momentum and endurance.

It’s not surprising that writing a novel has been compared to running a marathon, and your mind and body need regular training and exercise in order to accomplish what you require of them without burning out. And just as runners don’t expect themselves to start off sprinting and maintain that pace throughout, it is important that you pace yourself and try to build up a steady word count. The more smoothly and regularly you arrange your writing time and activity, the easier you’ll find it to keep up a productive pace.

Everyone’s different, and you should try to write at the time of day that you’re at your creative best. It’s not always practical, though, with work, family, or other commitments vying for our time, and it’s therefore very important not to get attached to the idea of being a “morning” or “night” person when it comes to writing. It’s very easy to get bogged down when you get home late from work and have no energy to write despite this evening time being best for you, or vice versa.

I was very surprised to discover that I could write easily and well early in the morning before work, despite not being a morning person – or even being fully awake. In fact, it worked to my advantage by tricking my inner editor into thinking I wasn’t doing serious writing, so I got a lot more work done at this time of the day.

Your writing time doesn’t always have to be about cranking out the words. Sometimes you may have a day that just isn’t suited to writing. Without using it too much as a means of procrastinating, your writing time can also include planning, character sketches, research (set a timer if you’re going online!), doodling, and day-dreaming. Allow yourself the freedom to not write, but honour your writing time by at least opening up your manuscript document, reading the last paragraph if you want to, and thinking about what happens next. Then ask yourself if you can manage just one sentence.

Have a question about writing fiction? Ask in the forum!

---

For more ideas on setting up a writing routine and getting yourself going, try:

A Writer's Workbook : Daily Exercises for the Writing Life by Caroline Sharp

Time Management for the Creative Person : Right-Brain Strategies for Stopping Procrastination, Getting Control of the Clock and Calendar, and Freeing Up Your Time and Your Life by Lee Silber