The Routine That Turned Me into a Prolific, Consistent Fiction Writer

If you're struggling to build or maintain a productive writing routine this January, this article will help.

I’ve seen a few people on Substack and Instagram recently asking for advice, because they’re struggling to make time for fiction writing in their busy lives.

I’m also more aware than most that January is a time when people try to build positive new routines and habits. But as we approach the mid-point of the month, those new habits start to get a lot harder to maintain.

So, I thought it would be timely to share the routine I built when I was struggling to make any real progress with my own fiction writing eight years ago.

I think this same routine can also apply to other creative passion projects, like painting or learning an instrument, as well as bigger projects like starting your own business.

When I began my creative writing MA in 2017, I had very little routine in my life whatsoever. I was still working part-time as a freelance writer, but that was flexible, remote work. With no “start time” at work, I was terrible at getting up early (as I used to really struggle to sleep at night).

So, at first, I’d wait until the late afternoon, or sometimes the evening, to do my fiction writing. Of course, by that time, I was tired, over-stimulated, and found it near-impossible to concentrate.

Something had to change.

And so this is the routine I used to turn myself into a prolific, consistent writer.

Finding this routine was the breakthrough that allowed me to finally make significant progress with my novel.

And I still use this routine today, which allows me to get about 90 minutes of fiction writing done before I start work every morning.

A quick caveat — Of course, like all writing advice, this won’t suit everyone. This is what worked for me, so it’s just a suggestion.

But I do think this routine would be beneficial for most people, if given a chance, based on how our brains work and all the digital distractions we have in our lives today.

The Routine

1 | Before you go to bed every night, turn your phone off, and put it away so you won’t check it when you wake up.

2 | Buy an actual alarm clock and stop using your phone’s alarm. Mine only cost about £10.

Put the alarm clock somewhere far enough away from your bed so you have to actually get up to turn it off.

Before you go to bed at night, put a full glass of water next to the alarm clock.

3 | Wake up early enough to have at least 90 minutes before you need to get ready for work.

90 minutes would give you roughly one hour of focused writing and 30 minutes for short breaks, procrastination, making coffee, etc.

For me personally, 6am is the best time.

4 | As soon as you turn off your alarm, drink the whole glass of water immediately.

By the time you’ve finished it, you’ll be alert enough to resist the urge to get back in bed and your brain will be switched on.

5 | Turn your WiFi off at the plug when you’re up.

You don’t need the Internet to write fiction. If you say you need to research things for your story, you’re just looking for excuses to procrastinate.

If your story needs research, save that for dedicated sessions later in the day.

6 | Sit down to write immediately (after you’ve made coffee).

Writing should be the first thing you do, before any distractions or bad stimulation can creep into your mind.

7 | Have a dedicated space that you write in every day.

Ideally, use a completely empty desk with nothing but the notes you need for your writing session.

8 | Buy an egg-timer and use it to give yourself set blocks of time to write in. Mine only cost about £5.

While the timer is running, you can’t get up out of your chair.

The length of time you set the timer for can be whatever works best for you, so find your own rhythm.

Apparently, 25 minutes of work with five-minute breaks is ideal, but for me it’s closer to 40 minutes of work followed by a 15-minute break.

9 | Taking short breaks is fine, but don’t do anything that will pollute your mind. No phone, no Internet.

Go wash the dishes, or stand outside, or do something mundane like that, and you’ll find more ideas for your writing will flow.

10 | Set a realistic target for every writing session.

Realistic targets are really important for building momentum. Hitting a 300-word target every day is much better than failing to hit a 1,000-word target every other day.

It may also be easier to use a time-frame target, like an hour or 90 mins, depending on your specific situation or the type of project you’re working on.

Either way, hitting that target should be a mechanism for gaining motivation and energy every day, rather than something that gives you anxiety because it’s too difficult.

And when you hit that target each day, try to push a little further beyond it for an extra boost of confidence.

11 | At the end of your writing session, spend two or three minutes making note of what you’re going to do the next morning. You could also do this at night before you go to bed.

Preparing your morning writing sessions the day before usually helps you wake up thinking about what you’re going to write, which is so valuable for a productive session.

If Mornings Really Don’t Work for You

Some people automatically don’t like the idea of working in the morning. I get it. I used to be exactly the same.

“I’m a night person,” I used to tell myself.

But I promise you, you will be far a more productive, creative, and focused writer in the morning. You just need to get used to the new routine.

Having said that, I appreciate that writing first-thing in the morning is genuinely impossible for some people.

So, if you have no choice but to write later in the day, my personal advice would be to go to the public library and do your writing there.

Go without your phone, if you can, or at least turn your phone off and put it at the bottom of your bag. Don’t log-in to the library WiFi either, so you’re free from the distraction of the Internet.

Going to the library will give you:

• A (free) dedicated, sacred writing space

• A completely silent working environment

• Accountability, from making the trip and being there

• Plenty of great books around you to provide motivation.

Additional Tips

12 | If you struggle with writer’s block, read this article linked here.

13 | Become aware of what triggers you to want to procrastinate.

For me, I usually get the urge to get up and walk around when I reach a section in my draft where I don’t immediately know what to write, or a problem I don’t immediately know the answer to. I’d imagine this is probably quite common.

But if you train yourself to notice this and be ware of it, you’ll get a lot better at staying focused throughout the whole writing session.

14 | If you live with other people, tell them your writing sessions are off-limits.

Ask them to avoid disturbing you while you’re writing unless it’s absolutely necessary.

15 | At some point during the day, if you can, go for a walk.

But, crucially, leave your phone at home. Take a pen and notepad out with you instead.

Don’t try to think about anything, just walk. Observe what’s around you.

The ideas will eventually come naturally.

Write down anything you could use in your writing in future, even if it’s a small detail about the clouds, or a snippet of a conversation you over-hear. It doesn’t have to be a major contribution to your current work-in-progress every time.

16 | Try not to get frustrated with yourself.

Writing fiction while working full-time and juggling other commitments is incredibly hard. For many people, it takes years to get used to and find an optimal, consistent routine.

Be patient with yourself and focus on the positive achievements, rather than telling yourself you’re not doing a good enough job when you struggle.

And even if you miss your targets one day, remember that writing a few words is still a lot better than writing nothing.

An Important, but Unpopular, Point to Consider

For people in the earlier stages of building new habits, struggling to find the time for them, unfortunately you may also need to make sacrifices.

That was the hardest part for me, and the thing that took the longest to admit to myself.

If you want to make real progress with fiction writing on top of a day-job, you’ll probably need to give up some other hobbies, or see your friends a bit less, or spend less time in the evenings relaxing, or quit drinking for a while, or whatever.

It’s not easy, but everyone has things they could spend less time on if they really want to write more.

On the bright side, January is the perfect time for you to make these adjustments.

Don’t Under-Estimate Accountability

It’s also worth mentioning that doing the creative writing MA itself was necessary for me to change my perspective and find this routine.

That inability to write fiction on my own was a big driver of why I did the MA. And without that accountability, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to build such disciple at that point in my life.

Of course, I know an MA isn’t an option for everyone. Nor is it the best route for writing your first novel.

Some alternative ideas for gaining more accountability include:

• Join a local writing group

• Join an online writing group or community

• Start a critique partnership with one other writer

• Take part in a shorter, cheaper, more flexible writing course

• Start an online series of posts where you document your daily progress.

** If you have other ideas or tactics for gaining useful accountability with a new habit like writing, please let me know in the comments and I’ll share them with everyone else.

Please Let Me Know How You Get On…

This routine honestly changed my life in so many positive ways. If you’re feeling a bit frustrated with your current approach to fiction writing, I’d recommend trying it out.

If you do give this routine (or even just parts of it) a try, please let me know how you get on, either in a comment or message.

If you’re looking for some accountability and decide to begin sharing updates on social media, let me know if you need some support.

And if you have any questions or need any more help, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message.

My January Progress

After having very little time to do any fiction writing in December, January has been great so far.

I’m currently converting the play I recently directed into a short story, which is a really interesting exercise.

If you’ve ever done something similar — converted one of your stories from one medium to another — I’d love to hear about how you approached that.

We’ve also just started a new online critique group with a couple of writers who met via The Writer’s Journey online community.

This week was the first round of exchanging work and providing feedback on each other’s drafts, and it’s so exciting to be workshopping new writing regularly again.

I love reading and providing feedback on other people’s work, because it teaches you so much about your own craft and helps you improve as a writer much quicker.

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This Week’s Sunset of the Week

I was fortunate enough to have my mum come up to visit for a few hours yesterday. I see her fairly often, but I love where she lives by the sea so much that she rarely has the chance to come up and visit me.

We went for a nice walk along the river as the sun went down over the Thames in Twickenham.

Thank you for reading!