(AKA: How to Write Without Becoming a Monk)
You’ve probably heard it before:
“To be a real writer, you have to write every day.”
“Wake up at 5AM and make it a sacred practice.”
“No distractions. No excuses. No mercy.”
Okay, calm down.
That advice might work for someone with no kids, no job, and a personal chef. But for the rest of us?
We need routines that fit into real life, not a fantasy retreat in the woods with unlimited oat milk lattes.
So if your life is busy, loud, unpredictable, or just a lot, here’s how to build a writing routine that doesn’t require superhuman discipline or 47 hours a day.
Step One: Ditch the “Perfect Routine” Myth
There is no one-size-fits-all writing schedule.
No magic hour. No universal ritual.
The perfect routine is the one that actually works for you. Worried you’ll never measure up because you’re not writing every single day? That’s one of the most common traps writers fall into, and I break it down more in You don’t have to “write every day” (and other toxic myths)
Even if it’s weird. Even if it’s inconsistent. Even if it changes every week.
So let go of the pressure to do it “right,” and focus on finding what’s possible.
Step Two: Find Your Real-Life Pockets
You may not have three uninterrupted hours. But maybe you have:
- 15 minutes before everyone else wakes up
- 10 minutes in the school pickup line
- 20 minutes after the kids go to bed
- A quiet lunch break, once a week
- A Saturday morning when the house is still sleeping
Writing doesn’t have to be daily or long or intense.
It just has to happen sometimes.
And if you know your pockets ahead of time? You can plan for them like appointments with your story.
Step Three: Create a “Micro Routine”
When time is limited, a mini routine can help you switch gears fast.
Try something like:
- Light a candle or make a cup of tea
- Open your doc and re-read the last paragraph you wrote
- Set a timer for 10–20 minutes
- Write anything, even if it’s garbage
- Close the doc with a victory fist pump (optional but encouraged)
It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to tell your brain: “Hey, we’re doing the writing thing now.”
Step Four: Schedule Guilt-Free Breaks
Here’s a radical idea: You’re allowed to take days off.
If your brain is fried, your kids are melting down, or you’re running on three hours of sleep and fumes, maybe don’t write that day.
Rest is part of the routine. So is refilling your creative tank.
You’ll come back stronger (and slightly less grumpy).
Step Five: Use Tools That Fit Your Life
If your laptop never has charge and your desk is covered in mystery crumbs, consider more flexible tools:
- Use the Notes app to jot dialogue while grocery shopping
- Voice-record a scene while folding laundry
- Keep a pocket notebook for ideas during the day
- Set up a Google Doc you can access from your phone
If your life is on the move, let your writing tools be just as mobile.
Step Six: Don’t Wait to Feel “Ready”
Spoiler alert: you won’t.
Not consistently.
You’ll be tired. Distracted. Overwhelmed. Stuck.
Write anyway. Or write a little. Or write badly.
If you wait until you feel perfectly focused and deeply inspired, you’ll write twice a year. Maybe.
Instead, show up when you can, with what you’ve got.
Some of the best writing happens in spite of the chaos.
Step Seven: Make It Flexible. But Make It Real.
You don’t need a rigid schedule, but you do need some kind of anchor.
Try setting a routine that gives you room, but still holds you accountable:
- “I write for 20 minutes three times a week.”
- “I’ll write on Tuesdays and Thursdays after dinner.”
- “If I can’t write, I’ll at least read something inspiring.”
And if that stops working? Adjust it. No drama.
Step Eight: Celebrate Your Consistency (Not Just Your Output)
Writing routines are about showing up, not hitting huge word counts.
So celebrate what you did do:
- “I wrote for 10 minutes, even though I wanted to scroll.”
- “I opened my doc and stared at it, and honestly? That’s still progress.”
- “I wrote a sentence while waiting for my kid to finish karate class.”
It counts. It all counts.
Every little bit adds up to something bigger.
Final Thoughts: Your Life Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Writer’s Retreat
Your house doesn’t have to be quiet. Your desk doesn’t have to be aesthetic. Your schedule doesn’t have to be Instagrammable.
You just have to keep coming back to the page, in whatever way works for you.
That might mean writing in sprints. Or in your car. Or while reheating leftovers.
It might mean skipping a week. Then writing two scenes in one sitting.
It might mean changing your routine twelve times before one finally sticks.
Whatever it looks like, it’s valid.
And if it keeps you connected to your story, it’s working.
You’ve got this.
You might also enjoy:
You don’t have to “write every day” (and other toxic myths)
Setting realistic writing goals (that don’t kill your soul)