Last week, we talked about not waiting for the perfect time to write and to start living your dream now. To make writing a habit in your life — a weekly, if not daily practice. Click here to read When is the Perfect Time to Write?
A Mudpie fan (thanks, Cynthia R!) emailed me that this is her #1 writing struggle. She said, “I’m not a schedule kind of person. I really want to write, but I’ve never had much self-discipline.”
Many people balk at the word ‘schedule’. It’s too organized…it kills their creativity…they only want to write when they’re inspired.
Consequently, they…don’t write very much. So, what are writers to do?
Here are five tips to help you create the right writing schedule for you.
1. Get an Attitude
New York Times Bestselling author Steven Pressfield is not only the author of The Legend of Baggar Vance, but also several other must-read books found at Mudpie Writing: The War of Art, Do the Work and Turning Pro.
To Pressfield, ‘turning pro’ doesn’t mean becoming a professionally paid author, though many folks do after they follow his advice. He means you taking your craft seriously — a shift in mindset.
Pressfield says, “Turning pro means we find our power. We find our will and our voice and we find our self-respect. We become who we always were, but had, until then, been afraid to embrace and to live out. It’s messy and scary.”
That’s so simple, but so damn hard.
A writing schedule gives just as much importance to your writing as it does to your other must-do activities: folding the laundry, working at a paying job, brushing your teeth.
Writing will become a natural part of your life when you make time for it.
2. Gojo with Your Mojo
It’s common sense to write when you’re most productive. I talk about this in detail in my free eBook: Write on Fire — Learn 8 Secrets to Overcome Writer’s Block and Pursue Your Dreams.
There are many different kinds of writers with a variety of schedules. Here are just a few:
Early-Bird – that’s me. My writing time is 5 – 7 am before my family wakes up and we’re blowing and going in all directions. It’s almost like writing in a dream state before my inner critique is awake and nitpicking at me.
Night-Owl: same benefits as above, but he writes after his family goes to bed, or after he’s put in a full day at the office. This writer’s imagination comes alive after dark.
9-5 Writer: has a paid job where they don’t mind if she writes when there’s no other work to do. One friend is a receptionist in an office where her bosses don’t mind her writing during down times. She’s makes a steady paycheck, while pursuing her dream.
The Thief – I love this writer because he steals time. One friend is a Mr. Mom who snatches whatever 15-20 minute blocks he can: while the baby is napping, when the kids eat their snacks, or on a play date.
The Marathoner– this writer works full-time at a stressful job. She’s too exhausted to come home and write, but she makes notes to herself throughout the week. When the weekend comes, she’s devoted to her writing.
If you can’t write during your favorite time of day, do the best you can.
3. The Right Spot to Write
I write at a desk in the middle of my office. Well, it’s not really a desk and not just my office. I sit at what used to be our dining room table. It’s a big, beautiful wooden table that sits in the center of what also doubles as our laundry room. At least the washer and dryer are hidden behind closed doors. It’s not perfect, but it’s my space and I love it.
I have a friend whose writing spot is her favorite chair in her bedroom. Another friend travels a great deal, so he writes on his laptop in whatever hotel room where he’s staying.
Some folks love to go to coffee shops and write amidst the hustle and bustle. For others, that’s too noisy and distracting.
The where you write doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you write.
4. Unplug from Your Distraction of Choice
No doubt, life moves crazy busy for us all. However, you’ll gain 60 extra minutes each and every day if you’ll:
Turn off the TV.
Turn off Facebook.
Stop dinking around on the internet.
Quit walking into the kitchen for a snack.
We all know what our distractions of choice are. Write first, then goof off later.
5. Baby Steps
If you’re just starting to write, I’d recommend starting with 250 words a day.
That’s one-typed page (double spaced).
That’s so doable.
If you’re further along in your writing journey, try five new pages every day. That small, but consistent effort will give you over 450 pages in just three months.
That’s a full novel, baby.
Of course, reality plays into this. If you’ve just started a new job, are dealing with an elderly parent, or can’t seem to get organized — don’t beat yourself up for not writing. Do the best you can. Some is better none. Our schedules are always changing, so modify as needed.
The key to writing is to shut up, sit down and write.
Do YOU have a writing schedule? Yes or no, tell me why with a comment. If you like this post, please pass it on to friends.
Pick up your FREE copy today of the mystery, The Moon Rises at Dawn (SkipJack Publishing). Read, enjoy, repeat.
Thanks Marcy. I’m a morning person like yourself, but yes, I have to *make* myself sit down and write at other times too. I give myself daily targets, though I don’t beat myself up if I don’t hit them. My targets are in terms of hours of writing rather than a word count because when the words flow well it can be 1,500 an hour, but otherwise only half of that. The point is that there is always some words flowing as long as I make myself dedicate the time.
Great to hear from you, Phil! You are one dedicated man. I think we’re all doing the best we can, but if you want to be a writer, then you have to make the time to write. Take care.
It’s changed over the years to fit my life. These days, I write at night as I am a natural night owl. Drafts come fast, so when I’m drafting a novel, I write all day (or night) in 2-3 hour sessions. Blogging and editing are another story. Those require discipline. 🙂
Why, Robyn LaRue! What a delight and honor to see you here. Thanks so much. You’re right, life ebbs and flows. I’ll always my best writing in the morning, but I’ve had to adapt to other times as well. The point is, we’re WRITING, regardless of the time of day. Hope to see you around here more.
I just left a comment and think it was lost because I didn’t sign in first. But if it shows up, please delete it so I won’t look like I posted the same thing twice. That could be embarrassing. Haha. Hey, I recently quit my profession as a pathologist and now I’m writing full time. I’m starting to realize that to make it as an indie writer you have to be prolific. So I’ve read a few thing about writing fast and I’ve put them into action. So far, my best day was 3,562 words in about six hours. I wrote a post about it on my boring-as-hecque blog, http://www.storiform.com called “Writing Fast is Complicated and Fun.” As if I knew anything! Ha! My ignorance abounds, especially when it comes to developing a mailing list of potential buyers of your indie fiction. I have no clue yet how that is done. I’ve read that you have to do it, but nobody I’ve read yet says how it’s done. Got any suggestion? By the way, I love your web site!
Congrats on being a full-time writer, Talmage. That’s too cool. Here’s a great post on a blog I love (goinswriter.com) that discusses the importance of developing a email list in order to build engagement with potential readers: http://goinswriter.com/?s=email+list
Good luck and please stop back by Mudpie Writing:
I’m a night owl, but unfortunately, so are our two sons! We are currently trying to shift their habits before pre-school starts. Hopefully then I can have some kind of regular time. As it is now, this is the first time I’ve hit my PC in days!
Hi Marcy – I’m a first time visitor to your blog (I discovered you via your guest post on Firepole Marketing).
I’m an Early Bird. Which doesn’t always work out for me as my 3-year old also wakes up early. So I often end up losing my most productive hours to being a Mom!
Which means I’m also a Thief. This kind of works – typically I spend my first session planning out my next article. Then in my next session I speed write a rough first draft. And after that I refine, refine, refine.
Thanks for a great post. I’m glad I discovered your blog!
Welcome to Mudpie Writing, Sally. I’m grateful you’ve joined us. I soooo remember the days when my kids were 3 and a newborn – stealing time was definitely all I could do. They just turned 17 and 14!
GOOD FOR YOU that you’re still making your writing a priority, despite having the #1 job in the world as mother. I hope you to see more of your comments around here.
Hi, Marcy
I’m also a first time visitor. I found you through your comment on Writer Unboxed. When you said that to your knowledge you didn’t have a nominal doppelganger, I googled your name and found you in British Columbia, Amarillo, Fort Forth… You get the picture.
Love the Eight steps in Write on Fire. Thank you for writing it and being so generous with distribution. Also, the Whinery is a great idea.
I’m one of those who have to steal writing time when I can find it. Which accounts for the fact that my purse looks more like a suitcase because I always carry a half size legal pad with me. And the bottom rattles with lost pens.
I look forward to visiting here often.
Why, HELLO, Judith. Thank you so much for joining Mudpie Writing, and ESPECIALLY for informing that I do indeed have dopplgangers! I’ll have to investigate these others. I’m from Amarillo, Texas, but I hope the one from British Columbia is a spy, or something exotic!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Write on Fire. So many of us have to steal time in order to write. We all just to do the best we can in order to honor our craft.
THANK YOU for leaving a comment, Judith. I hope you’ll do so again!
Unfortunately, Marcy McKay on LinkedIn is not a spy. 🙂
But medicine can be an exotic occupation.
Clinical Nurse Leader at Victoria General Hospital
British Columbia, Canada
Hospital & Health Care
What a sweetheart you are, Judith to let me know. Thank you! In my active writer’s imagination, I’m going to pretend that Marcy McKay from British Columbia is just POSING as a mild-manner nurse. Really, she’s a spy!
You’ve made my day, Judith. Thanks again!
The issue is one of discipline. You can ALWAYS find an excuse, they’re as common as potholes. But I have a minimum word count (2000) that I HAVE to meet every day. Life happens. There are emergencies and whatnot, but if you can get to that place where your brain is niggling at you because you haven’t met your word count for the day, then you are on your way.
It’s funny too that it really doesn’t matter how much you write. I write 2,000 because I have no life to speak of. I’m lucky that way. But like you said, even if you write 250 to 500 words a day, but you do it EVERY DAY, you’ll be amazed at the results. It’s like exercise– sometimes you don’t wanna until you get off your behind and start. Then, once you’re warmed up, you’re glad you did it. (By the way, when was the last time I did a pushup????)
Boy, I wish I could bottle your discipline and sell it to the world! Good for you on your discipline and keep at it – 2,000 words makes my head explode, but I did do a pushup five days ago. 🙂
I’m new here. I subscribe to Write Practice and found you there. I read Writing Naked a few minutes ago and just started crying. I’ve been a writer all my life but I’ve been so discouraged in it for a while now, that I’ve not been writing. I have notebooks FULL of writing ideas, I have many short stories written and poetry and three novels well started. I’ve had a poem published online. I’ve submitted a few of my short stories to magazines, and had rejections, which I know is part of the process. I have gotten out of the habit of writing every day, I’ve let life distract me. I’m going to decide on a time every day and start out by writing 250 words a day. No matter what! I’ve been feeling really restless and my youngest daughter has been telling me how much happier I am when I’m writing. So… here goes! Thank you Marcy!
Oh wow, Sally. Your comment touched my heart so much. I’m delighted Writing Naked affected you so and really appreciate you taking time to tell me.
Writing is SUCH a lonely, solitary process. I definitely understand the heartache that accompanies (not just the rejections, but the pain of getting the words onto the page),
However, as your daughter so wisely told you…you’re happiest when you write. Good luck in coming back and remember, Mudpie Writing is here when you need it.
Hi Marcy… thanks for the encouragement. I’ve been writing every day this week… I’m so glad I found your blog! (by the way, my name is Sandy…) 🙂
Wonderful, Sandy. That’s great that you’ve been writing everyday.
I’m so glad you found Mudpie Writing and I look foward to getting to know you better. 🙂