My new/ideal writing routine
Full disclosure, this isn’t really a new routine as much as an improvement upon the old one.
I wrote in a previous post that my most productive days are when I start my day with writing, instead of waiting until later (What Time of day do you write?). I thought I would take a few minutes today to expound upon that. In the manner of all those Get Ready With Me videos that are so inescapable these days, here’s my Get Ready To Write With Me routine. This is only on weekdays, mind you, and doesn’t apply to holidays or sick days/teacher work days, etc. I’m also a human being and sometimes I get sick, my kids get sick, or it’s just one of those days where time gets away from you and things just don’t pan out.
6:00 a.m. - The alarm goes off. No snoozing! If I hit the snooze that is the death knell for my morning. I also keep my phone on the opposite side of the room so that I have to get out of bed to turn that sucker off. I don’t go as far as setting up an annoying sounding alarm, but it’s blare-y enough to get me out of bed real quick. I spend the next ten minutes doing the first required tasks of the day (contacts, washing my face, getting dressed for work, making the bed).
6:10 - At this point I am 90% of the way ready for work and it’s time to wake up the kids and help them get ready for school/daycare. Thankfully their breakfast is provided at the school so I don’t have to worry about getting food on the table at this point.
6:30 - I do my makeup and either read a book or two with the kids, or gather any last minute things that I need to take in the car (wipes, treats for class parties, etc. IYKYK) and I start making “Ten minutes until we need to go” type noises. Depending on the time of year, I am sometimes more relaxed about getting out the door on time. Our neighborhood is surrounded by schools so during the school year it’s crucial to get out the door on time so we’re not stuck behind a bus.
6:45-7:15 - Drop off, then back home. I am not exaggerating when I say I walk through the door, kick off my shoes, hang up my purse, then march straight to the bedroom to boot up my laptop. My husband is usually eating his breakfast at this point so he gets a quick hello, but I am officially On The Writing Clock now.
7:15-8:00 - This is when I do the bulk of my writing for the day. If not the bulk, numbers-wise, it’s still the most important 45 minutes I’ll spend on the book. I am laser-focused and can usually crank out between 300-400 words on an average day. Some days are much better, some are much worse. But even if I just get 100 words down, that’s still huge. It sets me up to come back in the afternoon or during my lunch break and finish the 1000 or so words I have as my daily goal. Seeing it written out like this (”Only 45 minutes?!”) makes it look so pathetic, I know, but this is truly how I get my writing done. This is how my books are written! I have a full time day job! There is no other option! Working this way helps me get about 5000 words down per week (a good week, that is, with no hiccups), and at this point in my life I’m extremely thankful to have this setup. I start winding down at about 8:00 so that I have enough time to eat breakfast, do my hair if I’m feeling extra motivated, and get out the door for work. Maybe one day I’ll have hours and hours to spend writing each day, with no other employment obligations, but not yet.
What is your writing routine? I’m always eager for productivity tips!