7 Writing Routines That Actually Work

Believe it or not, there is no single recipe or formula for becoming a successful writer — or is there?

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

If you’re familiar with even just a handful of writer biographies then you are probably aware that there is no single recipe for becoming a successful writer.

In other words, for all of those that love Fitzgerald, there’s an Emily Dickinson fan who sees the world differently.

Moreover, there is the self-taught writer such as Ray Bradbury, and then there is the educated, PhD-holding Toni Morrison type of writer.

At the end of the day, the only constant that you can find amongst the great writers is this often borrowed and repeated phrase: “writers write.”

Sounds simple, but anyone who’s forging their way through a writing assignment knows that there is always something unexpected that can get in the way — such as family obligations, or even just the occasional self-doubt.

With that said, setting up a writing routine, knowing when and how to get to the page, having strategies for carving out writing time, and having peace and quiet to work: are the most important things you can do for yourself as you pursue the life of a writer.

Try one (or several) of these time-tested writing routines and discover your most productive writing self.

1. Write 2 Hours Day

It’s a goal that many of us writers have, and it’s a worthy one: make writing a part of your daily routine.

If you can do more than two hours, that’s wonderful, if you can only do one hour, that’s okay too. The trick is to write for the same amount of time every single day and to be intentional and consistent about it.

Another strategy that gets repeated a lot — even in fiction! — is to write five hundred words a day.

2. Write When The Passion is Hot

Practice pays off, but if the daily grind really isn’t your thing, then follow your instincts. Write when you’re really feeling it, while it is overflowing out of your heart and onto the page.