My Writing Routine

I work a full-time job, so I don't have a proper writing routine in the strictest sense of the word. I try to write whenever I can, wherever I can, on whatever I can. Snippets of writing usually cover about four different media, so it's always fun piecing them together when I finally get to my laptop. In this post, I want to lay out what a typical writing day looks like for me.

Since I work full-time, I only have two days off a week, and they usually fall in the middle of the week. On these days, I try to get as much writing done as possible so I can hit my weekly goals (5k-7k words a week, 10k if I get three days off. I hit 11k one week; that was glorious). On the days I do work, I can sometimes write a few hundred if I'm focused in the morning, but I usually don't get much done before I have to leave for work. I like to dedicate at least two hours to writing sessions, and I'm still not in the habit of getting up early enough to do that before work. It's actually in my passion planner to get up early this week, but I've already failed that (at the time of writing this post, it's Tuesday. /shrug)

Here's what a typical writing day looks like:

On a good day, I can be out of bed by 10. I tend to catch up on Twitter before I do anything else. I'll spend about an hour on the computer just looking at things (Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, etc.) and I may or may not have a bowl of cereal during this time. Honestly, sometimes I just forget to eat. Coffee is a must, though, especially on writing days. I'll get that ready before I sit down to write.

I've found that I don't write well when I'm sitting at my desk (and of course the only reason I bought a desk was to write). Somehow having so many things within reach is distracting (notebooks, pens, books, snacks). So I relocate to my bed. I prop my pillows up, get settled under my starry glow-in-the-dark blanket, and slip on my noise cancelling headphones. I'm usually the only one home, but having them on my head helps me focus.

I know I can write 2000 words in 2 hours, on a good day. That means I'll write 2k before I eat lunch. Once I know I can hit that goal (it takes a few minutes to half an hour for me to know whether it'll be a good writing day or not), I plow through, rarely checking social media except for the quick refresh of Twitter. I draft in Scrivener, and I recently discovered Composition Mode, which is a life saver. It makes your draft full screen, and even removes the task bars (I use a Mac, so I don't even see the bar at the top of the screen). This means I don't know how much time is passing either, which is another great way to get in the zone. If it's a good writing day, I'll take a quick break for lunch, stand up and stretch (the bed is NOT the best place to draft, my legs fall asleep and my left hip likes to swell after a while), and then get back to it an hour later.

The first 2000 words are easiest for me, on a good day. After 2000, my pace slows down significantly and I get more distracted as the day goes on. I might have 3000 by 4pm, and I know I'll only be able to get another 1000 by 10pm. My best day this year (and probably ever) totalled at 4715 words. I even had the next day off, but I barely hit 2100. I had worded myself dry.

Snacks later in the day are a must. Chips or something salty are my go-to's. I'm also the absolute worst at drinking water, but sometimes I'll crack open a cider as a treat. Towards evening, I'll light a candle or get my oil diffuser running. I always have my phone next to me, but I only use it for Instagram, so it's not as much of a distraction as it could be. Plus, I like updating my progress on my IG Story.

So there you have it. Roughly 4000 words in roughly 12 hours. Of course I'm not writing for all those hours (I get so distracted and I have to recharge my laptop halfway through the day), but it's what works for me. I've managed to write 46k words since January 1 just by sitting down to write on my non-work days. I'm aiming to get this draft done by April, and then it's on to querying!

I'm still looking for 1-2 more people to beta read the first half, beginning in March. It's a Young Adult Fantasy about celestial fairies and not knowing the best way to help one's people. For more on The Fallen Star, take a look at my Books page. If you're interested in beta-ing the first half (approx. 50k words, with a cliffhanger), contact me here or on Twitter @KayWritesYA.

As always,