You’re here because you want to learn how to consistently write throughout the week with a writing routine. You might be looking for some magical answer that will whip you into self-discipline shape and get you to crank out 10,000 words a day, right?

Well, I am also looking for that magical answer, but until I find it, I can share with you the best tips I have on creating a writing routine that actually works for you.

What is a writing routine?

A writing routine is having consistent times throughout your week dedicated to writing. You don’t do anything else during this time. You don’t answer emails or check TikTok. This is a sacred time that you won’t trade for anything else. You just write.

First, let’s talk about habits

You may or may not be familiar with the habit loop. It’s the system of cue, routine, reward. Let’s break that down.

A cue is like a trigger. It’s something that you see or hear or do that leads you to do something else. Then the routine is that thing you do. You might have a morning routine where you get up and go to your kitchen, the first thing you do is turn on the water for the coffee. The cue is entering the kitchen, the routine is starting the coffee.

Now, there’s a third part to this habit loop. It’s cue, routine, reward. So what’s the reward?

Well, oftentimes that reward is subconscious. The cue is entering the kitchen, the routine is making the coffee, and the reward is that buzzing energy you get from the caffeine. 

That’s why we form habits. Our brain knows it’s an easy way to get a reward.

Back to writing routines. Like I said, the best way to start a writing routine is to make it a habit. But it can be really hard to start new habits. You have to complete that habit loop on your own quite a few times before it solidifies itself to the point where you can do it on autopilot. So let’s also talk about a nifty trick called habit stacking.

Habit Stacking

You have a lot of habits in your daily routine already, I’m sure of it. Whether you have intentionally created habits before or not, they’re there. You might wake up in the morning and use the bathroom first thing. You probably go through the motions in the shower in a very specific order. When you get home from work you take your shoes off and put your keys or purse in that one place.

Habit stacking is a really great way to create new habits because you’re just adding the new routine you want to do right before or right after another habit you already do. For instance, I wanted to start flossing, so I added it right before I brush my teeth at night. I started reading before bed and I added that right after my journaling before bed.

I’ve added writing into my schedule on Saturdays after breakfast. I eat and then get out my laptop and start writing. It was really helpful for me to use that time that usually would go to scrolling on my phone or watching TV and adding a new habit in there.

What if I don’t have the time for a writing routine?

The easiest way to make time for a writing routine I believe is to swap your scrolling or TV time for writing. Which I know is easier said than done, sometimes you get home from work and all you want to do is veg out on your phone. 

My other tip for you is to make time in the morning to write. If that means getting up earlier, it might just be worth it. The morning might be a better time to do your writing because hopefully your energy store isn’t drained yet. And, other people are less likely to interrupt you. No one is asking you to make dinner plans, springing last-minute grocery store runs on you, or needing to be driven to soccer practice. Whatever that time in your day is, even if it’s twice a week, find it and really solidify it into your schedule.

How much should you expect to get done?

It’s important to be realistic with your expectations when you’re creating a writing routine. If you try to do more than what’s realistic, it’ll feel like you failed and you won’t be encouraging yourself to continue.

If you’re giving yourself 30 minutes to write, you likely won’t get a whole story or chapter done in that time. That’s okay. Especially when you first install a writing routine into your weekly life, you’ll want to lower your expectations.

When I started writing again, I wanted to write one page per session. If I wrote more, great! If not, that was okay, too. 

It’s much more encouraging to set smaller goals and surpass them than to set large ones and miss them.

While working to create a writing routine, here’s a few things to remember.

You get out what you put in to your writing routine

You have to know that you can always grow as a writer. And the only way to grow is to keep writing. The more effort you put into your writing routine, the better results you’ll see.

It’s okay to miss a day

I don’t want you to be hard on yourself. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to follow a writing routine. If you miss a day occasionally, don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes life gets in the way and you just can’t write for whatever reason. Just pick back up where you left off next time you start.

I do want you to know, the longer you wait to start back up with your routine, the harder it will be to get back into it. Just be prepared for that if you do need to take a break from your writing routine.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says that whatever you do, don’t miss two days in a row. That’s a recipe for disaster. If you’re writing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but miss Monday, do everything in your power to not miss Wednesday, too.

You’re only writing for you

The work you do during your writing routine doesn’t always have to be something you share with others. It’s okay to keep things to yourself. Write like no one is watching, because no one is.

Motivation is a myth

If you’re waiting for motivation to strike before giving your writing routine another try, you might be waiting a long time. If you had to be motivated to go to work, some of us might leave one day and never go back. It’s okay to think of your writing routine as an obligation rather than a pleasure if that gets you writing. Hopefully it’s an obligation that you do love, however.

It’s also okay to start your writing by just writing ‘I don’t know what to write’ over and over until something better comes to mind. Just do the act of writing and you’ll get better each time.

Next Steps for your writing routine

Let me know in the comments below where you’re adding writing into your schedule! What other habits will you stack writing with? Are you going to wake up earlier to write?

If you do need somewhere to start, you can grab my 31 writing prompts for free. It’ll inspire you – not motivate you (;

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