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What's your writing routine?? (Patreon)

Published:
2020-09-19 23:11:00
Imported:
2021-08

Content

Okay, so. As of right now, the September writing experiment poll is close enough that I plan to write both like the vlogbrothers AND my subscribers.

I asked on the YouTube community tab for people to fill out an eleven question survey about their writing routine. The stats are VERY interesting, with over 1000 people filling it out! I can't wait to share the information AND write like the "average" subscriber.

(If you haven't yet, feel free to fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/LfetZCqpFp4JiZiJ8 )

I'm also going to pick one subscriber, at random, and do the routine they filled out in full.

HOWEVER, I thought it would be really great to try writing like one of y'all, my patrons! I debated making another form BUT I thought the flexibility of you telling me your writing routine in your own words could be more fun.

So please, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR WRITING ROUTINE LOOKS LIKE. Let me know if it varies day-to-day, let me know if you always put on your fuzzy socks before writing, let me know if you must read aloud your words from the day before, let me know if you only write from 7:00 to 8:00am and not again until 7:00 to 8:00pm. Whatever you think is important, I'd love to hear. 

I'll use a randomizer to select which patron's routine to try. :) THANKS SO MUCH, as always!

Comments

Anonymous

I have a weird work schedule, a swing shift from 3pm to 11pm. I tend to write a bit in the morning between 11am and noon but my main writing time tends to be from 1130pm to around 0130am on work days. My schedule is slightly more sporadic on the weekends and I tend to track words per day with a weekly goal of about 5-7k and a monthly goal of around 20k. I do have days were I don't write at all or only get 100 words in and days where I get 4k and the ensuing day of mental exhaustion that entailsbut I mostly get between 500 and 1,500 words per day. Also, I do not drink coffee but have been known to drink up to 3 cans of Arizona Iced Tea, the arnold palmer kind, and i listen to nightcore a lot, mostly in languages I don't speak, sometimes hour-long videos of the same song so I don't get startled out of my writing by the next song up.

Anonymous

I am a college student with two jobs. So my writing routine is weird. I write while I'm at my desk job (10 am to 2 pm) when I am not on a phone call. So sporadic five minute sprints during those four hours, with one earbud in. I tend to listen to the My Mix playlist on YouTube during this. If there are any afternoon livestreams, I will watch them to gain some extra writing time. I'll write while the sprints are going. And in the chatting minutes, I will work on my homework. Then my actual "writing time" is from 9:15 pm to 10:15 pm every night. I either play an ASMR room that fits the aesthetic/weather of the scene or play the My Mix playlist again. I always have water with me and try to finish it before the hour is out. I start with one five minute sprint to get me in the mood and to track my WPM. Then I just write until 10:15. I end the night by tracking my words for the day.

Mary Wockenfuss

Thanks to my cats, I get up between 6 and 8 every day. My actual routine varies from day to day; except Sundays when I don't write at all, saving the day for worship and family. Some days, I will get started as early as 8, with a short break at 9 for family scripture study (fitting personal study time somewhere in the day). Other days I don't sit down to write until after lunch or later. I don't have a specific daily word count goal. But I always track my writing sprints with the Forest app (Must. Have. All. The. Plants.) Regardless of my productivity, I take a break around 5:30 to start working on dinner. Then it's either back to work right away or chill for a while. Bedtime is usually after 10:30. I usually work on multiple projects every day, and it's usually a mix of novels and fanfiction. Though lately I've added a flash fiction into the mix to expand for an anthology. It's highly likely that the day will also be filled with distractions, procrastination, reading, and knitting projects. Some days I will also remember to work my Direct Sales businesses.

Rainy Hammer

I have a feeling that my writing routine is very similar to yours. It changes a lot depending on what is going on in my life and what my motivation to writing is. So on all the days I didn't go to school I woke up at 8:00 am and started working on revision work at 9:00am. I usually write 1000 words or do some sufficient enough work on that until 12:00 pm. Then I would switch over to drafting on a first draft. Ideally 1000 words on that. I work on that until 3:00 pm. (On a good day I can get 1000 words in an hour.) At 3:00 pm is usually when my family would start demanding my attention. I would do some chores and then there is dinner which I sometimes help with. Then from 4:00 - 4:30 pm throughout the rest of the day I work on a brainstorming project. As an avid outliner, this is my favorite part of the writing routine so I give myself that during the evening as an treat. When it comes to specific quirks related to doing my day to day writing I don't have much. I always have to listen to music. I prefer sitting by the desk because then I can feel the vibrations of my fingers tapping the keyboard through the wood and down on my knees (I know it is weird). I have to listen to music without lyrics because silence drives me mad. I have specific playlists for some of my books. It helps get my brain in the mood and world of my books. Sometimes around 12:00 pm when my American friends (I live in Norway) on Discord wake up I do some sprints with them. Also when I am outlining in the evening I watch a lot of YouTube videos. Oh and I track my wordcount every time I write. I have a writing dairy where I talk about what kind of work I have been doing today and there I track my wordcount. Truth be told I don't do this routine much now because I have hit a writing slump, but this routine worked really well for me earlier this year and I want to find a way to get back to it. If your randomizer ends up with me feel free to ask me questions on Discord. I am Rainy Hammer there. Or if anyone else has questions.

Azure

I dont exactly have a set writing routine. I usually write at night from around 8pm-12 or 2am some nights. I also can write in the afternoon at around 12 or 2pm to 6pm Depending on what I'm writing I may listen to music/a playlist I created for it while writing. I always have some kind of background noise while writing. I cant write in complete silence. I try not to edit while writing but if I stop and come back in the middle of something I will reread it to get back on track and may realize something could sound better a different way. I mainly only write in my bedroom. It seems to be the place where I'm most comfortable and inspired writing.

Anonymous

I’m in college, so I’m in class from around 10:00am to 2:00pm. I wake up at 8:00 am and make a very large cup of camomile tea (I don’t drink caffeine). I’ll hop on the discord and see if anyone is around to sprint, and if so, I’ll do that. I draft each scene by hand in pen and only transcribe once the scene is done (I use that as a quick edit). After class I do the same thing, but I go to bed at around 11:00, so with homework and eating and stuff, I don’t get that much time for writing. I don’t write everyday. Instead I have weekly goals that I try to work towards. As for my writing setup, I use scrivener and a duel monitor and I listen to music as I write. Oh, and I only work on one project at a time.

Anonymous

I will write when i have the time though I have found out that I write best early morning or late at night. I am still currently drafting so I never look back at what I wrote the writing session before and wont until I am done with the draft. My must-haves lately have been music, water, a snack, and using my duel monitor to set up a fireplace in the background with my wax melter and the lights off to set up a cast atmosphere. I will write for an hour or so before taking a break unless I cant get in the groove or I am too much in the groove. I tend to stay in the same place when I write but will alternate between sitting at my desk or stacking books for a makeshift standing desk. I have also cime to realize that I write better when the temperature is colder, a little past the perfect comfortable temp. I also only write on my laptop and if i really want to get words in because of some deadline I will silence my phone and put it in a desk drawer while i work.

Erin

I actually filled out your form in YouTube. Lol but I'll put the short version here. Single mom, recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery, virtual school for a 7 year old and working from home while she sits next to me and I basically am the teacher because of course she doesn't listen when her teacher js talking lol, keeps my writing to snippets of time at night when I can't sleep. I never ever try to keep track of a word count as it puts way to much stress on me and takes the fun out of writing. I then in one go, hand write my outline and story idea in a huge brain dump writing out scenes as they come to me until i just can't think of another thing to write. Then i transfer it to the computer and each day I change the color of what I type so I can track the thought process. I hate words tracking system. I have a spreadsheet of ideas, plot lines and try to log each idea in evernote as they come to me and enter it into the log. If an idea doesn't work I can easily delete that section but store it in evernote for use in something else and move on to a different idea. For those of us who love analytics this is a good system. I am not a plotter though. Nope. Just like to keep track of the ideas as they come to me. Medication makes me foggy so this helps. :)

Anonymous

I'm a stay at home mom right now with a 21 month old, and I write best first thing in the morning, so I get up between 5 and 530am so I can write for an hour. I set up a drip coffee machine the night before so I can hit the start button on my way to the bathroom, then write for as long as I want within that hour. At some point I switch to journaling morning pages until my daughter wakes up. My partner takes her and the dog out for a walk while I do yoga, and then I have her all day until it's time to make dinner. I can usually get a couple sprints in during her nap, she currently sleeps from ~1-3pm. I always have grand dreams of writing again after dinner but I'm usually too exhausted (lol). I have no idea how that will translate to your life, maybe where I have writing time you could work on a fantasy novel (which is what I'm working on) and then during the rest of the workday where I'm keeping a small child alive you can work on your other projects?

Anonymous

Average weekday! Wake up at 6, take out the puppy, 10 minute writing spring sometime before 6:30, go to work, 15 minute writing spring at lunch (11:35-12:06), get home from work at 3:30. Two more 10 minute sprints before dinner at around 6-7. Big walk with the puppy. Graduate classes from 8-10. One more 15 Monte sprint before bed. So 1 hour of writing a day in 5 sprints.

Anonymous

My writing routine on a weekday is pretty set in stone. I work full time as a live-in nanny 7a-6p Monday through Friday, so I break my writing up into 2 or 3 blocks a day, depending on how long it takes to hit 2k per day. I wake up at 5am, literally roll out of bed, grab a giant mason jar of water, down it, then do a 5 to 10 minute workout or dance party to get my brain working. Then I go over to my standing desk, turn on some blue led lights (im all about the ambient lighting), open scrivener, and write until about 6:50a. Then I write again at about 1-3p, while the little ones are taking naps. I make myself an iced coffee, go to my standing desk, put on some of those ambient vids on YouTube to fit what I'm writing (a witches cottage in a thunderstorm, something like that) and power through some more words. Usually I hit my word count by this point, but if I don't, then I finish up between 7 and 8, in whatever way I am able to keep myself standing at my desk. I also track all of my writing sprints, as well as my daily word counts and monthly word counts in scrivener as well. It's helpful for me to both manage my time and see what times I am most productive. Weekends are a wild card. Saturdays I'm mostly useless and rarely get words or really anything at all done, and Sundays I sometimes write more or less than 2k depending on how much I need to prep for the next week for work. I keep the weekends pretty easygoing to avoid burnout. I love your channel btw! ❤

Anonymous

I'm in the third year of a Ph.D. program, so this is my average weekday writing schedule. I work from about 9 am to 6 or 7 pm on science stuff (which is generally some combo of meetings, reading, coding, and writing/note taking). Then make dinner while listening to an audiobook and generally get to writing around 8pm. I'll write from 8-9:30 or 10ish, generally about 1k words. While I write, I'll very often dim the lights, light a candle, pour a glass of wine, and on some orchestral or electronic music. Sometimes, instead of writing I'll read or watch a movie in the genre I'm working on as research, and I'll do this more when I'm up against a big deadline for my program. I will also sometimes spend the hour free writing in my "Things to Change" doc on Scrivener or reworking my outline.

Anonymous

Work day - I wake up at 7:30, scroll social media, and do my morning routine until 8:30 where I drive to my job. I take my lunch at 2pm (30 min) and usually do some basic planning. I'm off at 7, then I drive home and listen to some playlists for my stories and characters to hype myself up! When I get home, I usually eat dinner right away and then I sit down at my desk to write--usually I write from 8 until 10 when I start playing games with my friends. Around 12:30 I'll go to my bed and write for about an hour, then I go to bed! On my days off - wake up around 9, make my coffee and start writing! I write until my fiance gets up around 11 and then usually we will order lunch from somewhere--if we don't order out, around 2pm I'll get some Starbucks. I usually try to write for another hour, but then I will play video games or read for the rest of the night!

Anonymous
>>44363649

Forgot to mention, I also currently write with a vertical monitor. It's absolutely fantastic, 10/10, do recommend.

Anonymous

I’ve actually become quite the morning person for my routine! I write Monday-Friday (my old job had me working weekends so I wanted to give myself weekends again). I wake up around 7:15am and make coffee and oatmeal with fruit, and then I read until around 8:30am, either a nonfiction book on writing or the latest fiction novel I’m reading. After that, I write until I reach 2k words added for the day, giving myself a break for lunch (usually a chicken, rice, egg, avocado power bowl). I normally finish by 2pm. Afterwards, I go on a run, shower, then relax until dinner! Sometimes I spend more time planning out problems and/or plot points for the week, or just any parts of the story I want to flesh out better! But yeah, that’s pretty much it!

Alicia

My writing routine is not at its best right now with school and work, but I always try to get at least some words in every day. Lately, the most words I've gotten is when I'm brainstorming at work at the register or when I let my mind wander as I fold clothes and such on the sales floor. If I'm writing at work, it's usually on my phone notes or on random pieces of paper that I find at the register. I also like to listen to my project playlists on the way to and from work. Also, if there is time at the end of the day, I like to write on my laptop or continue reading my first draft. I also like to drink tea when writing :)

Anonymous

So my writing routine, if I don’t have anything else to do, is: I wake up, when I wake up. I don’t have an alarm. Usually I’ll lay in bed for an hour though, and scroll on my phone. I get everything else I need to do first. For me that’s usually emptying the dishwasher, hoovering (if it’s Tuesday) and having breakfast, which I always watch an episode of TV with, currently, I’m on an US Office rewatch. That’s usually done around 11, I like to take things slow. I always have to wear comfortable clothing whilst I write, (tracksuit bottoms, loose fitting T-shirt and a hoodie), and I must start with a tea. I write on my desk usually but sometimes, if I feel like it or I’m talking to friends on PlayStation, I will write in bed. Before I start, I might read what else I’ve done in that chapter to know where to go, or if it’s a new chapter, I will read my outline. Usually I just write, but if there’s a sprint in Discord or one of your livestreams, I’ll wait for that to write. I don’t bother with word counts!! I’ll write what I manage to write. Sometimes it’s only 200 words, sometimes it’s 2000. I stop writing when I feel like I can’t go on anymore. When I’m finished, I’ll turn of my laptop and often go on my PlayStation.

Anonymous

My average: wake up at 7.45 am, clean up a bit and get awake until 8.30, then I write in "bursts" of 500 words. Usually I don't use sprints, I just write until I have the 500, then I get my coffee, drink it all and write the other 500 words. With work and uni 1000 words is my daily goal (I write every day). I usually reach that goal around 10 am. If there is a livestream, I will hop on and try to write some more but that is not a must :)

Anonymous

Oh, looking forward to the video! I'm a freelance translator with one workplace (my home) for everything, so having different times for different types of work is key. I do translation during the day, so from around 9-9:30am until 3pm with a lunch break. By then my brain is pretty fried, so I take a break to rest (sometimes even nap), read, listen to audiobooks, work out, go for a walk, meditate, basically do stuff away from the screen. Over dinner I allow myself to watch one episode of Netflix or some Youtube before getting back to work. Sometimes I translate fun (spec) projects in the evening, but most of the time I write. There's a lot of variation to keep it fresh though: I sit at the desk or on my bed, I have water, tea or wine, I listen to music (I create a playlist for every novel I work on) or ambient sounds. Sometimes I do sprints on Discord, sometimes I just go at my own pace with research or reading breaks. I don't force myself to write when I don't feel like it, but I also try not to procrastinate too much on social media. When I don't want to write, I read or play video games, ie. absorb other stories for inspiration. On an average to good night, I write until 10:30-11pm & then read some more before bed. This would probably be a very chill writing routine for you, but I hope you find it interesting, haha!

Anna

Anything that must be taken care of, I will deal with in the morning (cleaning, studying, running errands…) I may also do some planning or outlining. The “real” writing comes in the afternoon. I usually write from 2pm to 5pm, with Forest App set each hour. If I know I can’t commit for the whole three hours, I will work in 20 min sprints. At 5pm I take a break while my two puppies try (and fail) to befriend the kitty. Past 6pm is fair game. I either keep writing, or do some more planning until dinner time. Same goes for the weekend: if I feel like writing, I write, otherwise I enjoy my two days off. I listen to videogames/movies soundtrack, or anything without words (unless it’s This Silence is Mine by Chihiro Onitsuka - I listened to it so much while writing that I somehow trained my brain to respond to it with writing juices) I drink whatever (mostly water), but in Italy cappuccino doesn’t exist past noon so I only drink it in the morning. I don’t really eat while writing, but I may or may not feel like rewarding/bribing myself with a snack every now and then. And yes, having a dual monitor is absolutely fantastic, better yet if it can sit vertically. 10/10 do recommend.

Catherine Jones

I’m currently a full time psych student, so my writing almost always happens at night and I usually try to write at least 5/7 days a week (gotta leave some time for the fiancé!) Usually between 8:30pm-3:30/4am (though I don’t go the full time.) I usually will write for about 3-6 hours with minimal breaks in between for refilling a drink or using the bathroom, unless I’m going for 4+ hours, then I’ll take an hour long break or so to give my brain some rest. During that time I’ll either watch YouTube, a few short episodes of one of my favorite TV shows, or I’ll play some video games. I usually set a word count goal no smaller than 2k and on longer days I’ll write as much as 6-10k. When I’m editing, however, instead of a word count goal I set a chapter or scene goal to get through. When I write I always have two drinks on hand: water and something with a lot of caffeine. I also always throw on some music, usually movie/video game scores or really anything instrumental (Epic Music World on YouTube has a lot of good stuff to listen to.) I turn on some colorful festive lights or I light a candle or two to really set the mood. If I’m particularly not in the mood or unmotivated I will either watch some of your videos, look over my notes for the story to see why I fell in love with the idea in the first place, or I will scroll through Pinterest (with a timer set so I don’t spend more time on there than needed.) I will usually type up my stories unless it’s a 90k+ story that I know will take many, many drafts then I’ll write the zero draft by hand in a notebook. I do keep track of my writing in a small notebook by the month but most days I’ll only track the number of hours I wrote for unless I got a particularly exciting amount of words written that day then I’ll include that too. I usually will write out the numbers for the days of the month to track my writing and at the bottom of the page I’ll write myself a few questions to answer at the end of the month like: did I accomplish all of my goals for the month? If not, what happened? How do I feel about the progress I’ve made? Is there anything I would’ve changed or done differently? How can I improve next month? Lastly, I’ll also give myself a few challenges for the month to spice up the writing life a little. And that’s about it!

Sarah Cahill

So, as a mum of four I don't really have a particular 'writing routine,' as my daily routine varies from day to day. This is my current, MilWordy, writing routine I aim to follow each day. I start with a 40 min walk- technically the school run-and write once I get home at around 9.30, during nap time. I'll make myself a cup of tea, grab a bottle of water and my manuscript, and do a full Pomodoro. Sometimes working on just one project, sometimes different projects for each 25 minutes. I listen to ASMR when i'm rewriting- always fluffy microphone, no talking. If I'm drafting, I'll listen to Lindsey Stirling. After this, I'll write in 10-15 minute burst throughout the rest of the day; whenever I've got some quiet time. I'll do work that requires less focus, like journaling, working on characters, updating my pinterest boards, and planning new projects/getting random ideas down. At 3pm is another 40 minute walk (school run again.) In the evening, around 7, I'll do another full Pomodoro with more tea and an evening snack. it's weird, but at the moment, it works.

Anonymous

My writing routine begins by waking up 6:45 am, usually snoozing for fifteen minutes and then I walk my dogs at 7:10. I get back by 8:30, grab a Starbucks coffee (usually a cold brew with sweet cream!) if I feel like treating myself (I usually do), come home, and take a shower. I’ll get ready for the day and by about 9:30 I’ll start my actual routine to get ready to write. I’ll turn on my heating pad for my back, open my blinds, turn on my pink fairy lights, light a candle, pull on fuzzy socks and slippers. At around 9:50ish I clean up my space and try to organize all of my notebooks, put away all the random things lying around, and make sure my water and coffee are close by. I’m at either my desk or in my bed (depends on how my back feels). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I will write from 10 am to 1 pm straight through with minimal breaks and doing 30 min sprints with the Forest app and five minute breaks to get more coffee, water, go to the bathroom, or just scroll through Instagram. I get a quick lunch and then I have a Zoom class at 1:25 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually have time for a 30-minute sprint before I have a Zoom class at 11 am. Then after my classes, I work on my homework, so I don’t write on weekdays again until after dinner, dishes, and taking the dogs out, which usually ends up being around 7:30. So, I get another water, usually grab another caffeinated beverage (either another coffee or a Coke Cola), and I’ll write at my desk from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. Then I will hop into my PJs, do my skincare routine, brush my teeth, take my dogs out one more time, curl up in bed with them with all the lights off except the fairy lights, and I’ll write from 10:30 until 12:30, which is when I’ll close my laptop and go to bed. My usual wordcount goal is around 2,000 words, but of course, depending on University work, I might get less or have to devote some of the time to doing homework, but on most days this is my routine! If I’m drafting a novel, I only work on drafting that project. If I’m brainstorming my next project, I’ll flip between a few as I like to work on a bunch of projects at once to decide which one I want to devote my time to and draft next. I use Scrivener and I cannot write without listening to music. I make playlists for specific projects and I listen to them while I write. I usually sprint in 25-30 min intervals. There are some things I do but I don’t recommend replicating them. For example, I often forget to eat, drink more coffee than water, and stare at the ceiling wondering what I’m doing with my life.

Juniper Woodbury

I wake up 1-2 hours before my boyfriend (he gets up around 8 and distracts me lol). I don't get dressed, but I do throw on a cozy sweater over my pajamas (I live in San Francisco, so it's usually cold enough for that part of the routine to work). Then, I make my morning writing tea in my morning writing mug—always the same tea, always the same mug. I keep the lights off and use a soft, warm lamp to emphasize that early-morning atmosphere. Lighting is important! And then, with my noise-canceling headphones, I listen to a fun Victorian ambience by Autumn Cozy on YouTube (highly recommend their channel for background sounds) and I start writing! 5 things are key: 1) waking up before everyone, 2) cozy sweater, 3) tea, 4) mood lighting, 5) cozy background sounds I’ll also sometimes write in the afternoon. This is *much* more casual and I'm definitely not as strict. Except for the tea. Always strict about the tea! 🍵🍵🍵 I'll write after work around 5 or 6 if it hasn’t been too hectic/stressful a day. For my afternoon writing sessions, I make my afternoon writing tea in my afternoon writing mug (important to note it’s different from my morning tea and morning mug lol). And I’ll pull up the discord for patrons and do writing sprints with fellow patrons for an hour or so.

Anonymous

My routine seems so unspecific all of the sudden. ;D On weekdays: I get up between 5 and 6 am, depending on when my toddler wakes up. I take care of his, my two cats and my own needs. On average there is a timeslot between 7 and 8 am where I get like 30 Minutes of writing done while my kid plays next to me. I don't have time for any preparations then, I just write. Then I have to get my kid ready for daycare, bring him there and go on to work. I leave at 3 pm, pick my kid up again and spend some time with him at home. When my husband comes home from work at 4:30 pm, he takes our son to the playground etc and I have an hour time. Every second day I use that time to write, treating myself to a glas of coke and some sort of snack (something salty, like pretzels). I put on some music (a spotyfy playlist I made for the WIP). The other days are for more extensive houshold chores where my toddler tends to get in the way. After dinner I spend some more time with my kid and bring him to bed. It will be 8 pm by then and I'll have a little checkin with my husband - like half an hour, just asking how the other is doing and so on. Then I get to write again. I'll make myself some tea (whatever I like at that moment - my tea collection is quite big) and a little snack (something chocolaty most of the time) and put on music again. Then I write until I get tired. Most of the time that is 10 pm. I try to join writing sprint videos, but that doesn't work out that often since I'm back at work. Sometimes I just show up and don't get any writing done, but say hi inbetween sprints. One day of the week is "off" to spend some more time with my husband. On the weekends: My morning routine is the same of course, but I don't have to go to work and my kid stays at home. Sometimes we have plans and I don't get any writing done throughout the day. On others I spend time with my kid, but I sneak some writing time in here and there. And I actually can try to participate in writing sprints (my husband and I try to give the other person 'kidfree' timeslots for our respective hobbies). The evenings look exactly like the weekday ones. :)

Anonymous

I write after working out (ring fit) and taking a shower. Usually I drink tea and listen to music without lyrics so I don't sing to em (the beat all depends on the mood). I usually write with some light on if im handwriting. I will write some thoughts down for the next few scenes and then think about it for a bit while I check emails or whatever (Yay ADD) then I'll write till I hit a block. I usually use 4thewords too because it's a fun website.

Anonymous

(This is what my routine has been during quarantine) I usually wake up between 7:30 am and 8:30 am, depending on if/when my dogs decide to wake me up (lol). Then I give them breakfast and make myself a cup of hot cocoa, which is my stand-in for coffee (because I REALLY don't like coffee). Some days, if I remember/am feeling in the mood, I drink my cocoa while I fill out my planner for the day. Other days I come straight downstairs to the basement and drink while I write at my desktop computer. I like to write in my pajamas, and if it's cold I wear my fluffy robe. I usually quickly check my email right when I turn on the computer, and after that I start writing, usually by 9 am at the latest. Most of the time I like to write in silence (no music or noises to distract me, unless you're doing a writing sprint live stream, lol), and I can usually write all the way until noon/12:30 pm. My writing is best when I edit as I go, so I'll usually re-read whatever I wrote the day before aloud to myself before getting started on something new. I also stop periodically and read whatever I've just written aloud to myself to make sure it's sounding the way I want it to. I hardly ever use placeholders in my writing, preferring to research and decide on names as I write. Oh, and I'm an outliner, so I usually have my outline (Save the Cat Writes a Novel beat sheet) pulled up side-by-side with my draft and strikethrough it bit by bit as I write to keep track of what I have or haven't gotten to yet (and to feel like I'm making progress). My goal for every writing session is to get AT LEAST 500 words, though I'm usually able to average around 1,000/1,500 words. Also, I only work on one WIP at a time. I could maybe write one book and edit another at the same time, but I've never tried it so I'm not sure about that! But I definitely can't draft more than one book at a time. I also try to write every day, but I do let myself take days off if I'm just not feeling up to writing for some reason. After all, the words come out better when you're excited to be writing them! Once lunchtime has come around, I stop writing and take a break to eat and watch YouTube videos. Then I spend the rest of the day working on other stuff (filming/editing YouTube videos, researching agents to query, household chores, walking the dogs, working out, etc.). Depending on the day, I'll either read or watch Netflix/YouTube before bed, or, if I'm really in the mood, I might write a little bit more. Same process as I mentioned earlier, but this time I do it on my laptop while lying in bed. I always make sure to wind down before going to sleep if I've been writing, though, because doing so tends to get my brain going at a million miles an hour and then insomnia comes a-knockin'. And that's pretty much it! Nothing special, but very different from your routine, lol! If you end up picking mine you'll probably hate me by the end, after 3+ hours of straight writing without any breaks 😅 Sorry!

Anonymous

I am a teacher and I don't have the best self-discipline, so I guess routine is the wrong word--but when I'm being good and able to have a routine, it looks like this. I am not a morning person AT ALL, so I don't get to write until I'm home from work. On a good day, I'll get home 5-5:30. On a REALLY good day, I'll work out for about thirty minutes when I get home and then eat dinner. Writing starts after that (in my PJs, candle burning, no music, and no other people--unless I'm writing with other people. I'm very easily distracted). I have a terrible inner editor, so sometimes writing starts with picking apart what I wrote in my last writing session, but if I feel like my last writing session left me in a decent place and I'm really focused on drafting, I will open up a new word document and pick up where I left off in whatever project I'm working on. If I see words from a previous session, I will edit them, so a new document keeps me moving forward. I just copy and paste whatever I get from that session into my main drafting document when I'm finished writing for the day. I use word to draft in and Scrivener to edit. I write in chronological order, but I do have a physical notebook with notes about world-building or later plot ideas if I think of anything. I find it easier to brainstorm by hand than on a computer. I do have multiple projects, but I don't work on more than one project in a day. On a weekday, I usually have the energy to write for 2-3 hours. If I get to a part that I'm struggling with, I have to get up and walk around for a couple minutes, maybe grab a snack or do something non-writing related for a few minutes. I only do sprints if I'm writing with friends. As a normal part of my drafting, I'll pause every once in a while to edit what I've written, especially if I feel stuck (and I'll sometimes even edit what I've written in the middle of a writing sprint--sorry!). If I'm at a big sticking point or something I'm just not in the mood to write, then I write INSERT BLAH BLAH HERE, tell myself I'll let revision Emily worry about this, and move on with my life :) After my writing session, I usually wind down by catching up on AuthorTube or BookTube videos. On the weekends, I usually get more done. I write for 5-6 hours over the course of the day. I start in the morning for an hour or two, then get my work out in or go for a walk with a writing podcast--I really like 88 cups of tea! Then I write for another 3-4 hours sporadically. Now that I'm doing a milwordy challenge, I have an excel document where I record my word count for the day. So that's pretty much it, and now that I write it out, I definitely see the need for some improvements. I'm eager to see what everyone else does! :)

Anonymous

My day starts with getting up with my hubby between 7 and 8 in the morning. I feed the cats and make sure he has everything for the day before either seeing him off (when he has to go out to the field) or making sure he’s good at his “desk” (kitchen table for when he’s working from home). One my hubby is working I get myself some coffee (Keurig, French press, Starbucks (either a canned drink or a drink I got the night before), or some cold brew. I then head into the office, take stock of what I did the day before and what my most pressing tasks are that day. If I have an editing deadline for a client, then I may spend the whole day doing that. If not, I will (try to) spend the day working on either getting my book ready for publication, posting on social media, or writing blog posts. Since my sister starts twitch streaming at noon until 4ish. I’ll have a few hours in the morning to work, the afternoon where I say I’ll work (almost never do), then I’ll try and mad dash to try and get work done before my hubby gets home. While I like to say I won’t work in the evenings, my days are quite often interrupted by my depression so I end up getting a lot of work done in the evening when my hubby is home to help distract me from my own mind. Since I have a lot of time for writing during the day, I tend to work more toward a “physical goal” during my day (pages/chapters edited, words written, finishing x plot point, etc.) 9/10 I have YouTube videos on in the background so I don’t feel lonely, I’ll sit on the couch to work with the cats when I don’t need my monitor, or I’ll write outside on the balcony if it isn’t too hot (in Florida, it’s rare). I have no set eating time, will always keep water near by, and will occasionally be good and have a solo dance party to one or two songs every hour

Anonymous

I wake up every morning (except weekends) at 6AM. Sometimes I sleep in until 6:30, but it's very rare. I make my coffee and as the pot is heating up I take the doggy out. After that I make my coffee and drink it and sit on the couch and scroll through various social media until 7AM. I'm currently a college student so I do classwork for a few hours, usually until about 10-11 AM. Then I take a 30 minute to 1 hour break. This is usually when I have breakfast as well. After that I write for about 1-2 hours. If I'm really on a roll I'll write for more. Then I take the rest of the day to relax, eat, exercise, play video games, ect. After dinner, around 7PM I will try and write some more, but it doesn't always happen. Then, before bed, I read and then fall asleep between 9-10PM.

Anonymous

Oh I’m very excited to participate in a writing experiment! And I’m very sorry for my English in advance, but I’ll do my very best :-) Every month I announce a project on the nanowrimo website and set a goal. The last two month it was to write 1400 minutes in one month. I’ll try to write every day, but certain days, if I’m very busy, I can’t make it. I like the nanowrimo stats, because they tell me how many words I need to write every day to reach my goal. I do shift work, which makes it almost impossible for me to have a regular writing routine. But I prefer to write in the mornings whenever possible. Usually I get up at 6:45am and first do some Yoga (Yoga with Adriene! Yay!). After I’ll have a shower and make myself some breakfast. I mostly watch a short youtube video while I eat, something that motivates me to write. Than I get startet. My setup is very simple. I mostly write with my laptop, either on my couch or at the table. I love to wear something cozy when I write and during winter I always need a blanket over my knees. I prefer total silence and don’t listen to music at all. While I write, I drink water or tea (sadly coffee is not good on my stomach). Sometimes I eat nuts or a small snack in between. Before I start, I set a timer, to track how many minutes I write. Most days I write 45-65 minutes straight. But I do take breaks, if its hard for me to concentrate and than I’ll try again later. I don’t do writing sprints, because they distract me to much. I also don’t go on social media, but I don’t use that very often anyway. I’m also very focused on one project. I write on a book and I am at the editing stage right now. I want to have most editing work done before nanowrimo, because I want to start a new book in November. So this is a big motivation for me right now. After two years on one project, I’m looking forward to something new :-)

Anonymous

I wake up and get out of bed by 6:06am (random time, I know, but my snooze alarm goes off at 6:04am and I like to lay in bed for two minutes - I'm weird). I get up and immediately turn on my shower to let the water warm up. After my shower, I get ready for work; I teach 8th grade ELA. I leave my house by 6:45am and am at work at 7:10. I work from 7:45-3:45. Before I leave work, I make sure my assignments are ready for my in-house kids the next day, and my Google Classroom is ready for my online kids. I get home between 4:30-5:30pm - it all depends on what time I leave work. Once I get home, I change into comfy clothes and take an hour break because my brain is mush. I eat a snack which is usually a bowl of cereal. Around 6:00pm is when I start reading a book; I read about a chapter or two, and then, if it is my turn to cook dinner, I begin cooking between 6:30-7:00. Dinner is eaten and the kitchen is cleaned, and by 8:00 I am writing. Depending on how tired I am, I write for about an hour, maybe two. BUT on Friday nights, I write well until 11-12. On Saturdays and Sundays, I wake up and am out of bed by 8:30am. I eat breakfast (on Sundays, I leave for church by 9:00) and just take the morning to wake up and to relax. I start writing around noon or right after I eat lunch. My stomach is happy so my brain is happy. I write on and off throughout the day, but, if I put a time to it, I probably write for about five or six hours. I do want to possibly wake up earlier to write in the mornings before work, but it is already a struggle to get up at 6:06! I write what I'm in the mood for: fiction, short stories, or personal essays. I just started writing personal essays last week, so that is the one I'm focusing on right now, but I'm always a sucker to write my fiction story! I love it so much!

Anonymous

I write every day ( and or do something writing related editing, rewriting, querying, plotting, etc.) I start between 5:30am-6:30am M-F (most of the time 6:30) Mon-Tues I write until I start work at 8:00am, Wed-Thurs I write until I start work at 10am, Friday I write from 6:30am-5:00pm (with a break for Starbucks or other errands). I sometimes write after work Mon-Tues after 5:00pm or Wed-Thurs after 7:00pm. On weekends I write - whenever. I don't snack while writing because I would get nothing done. I do make coffee 1st thing in the morning and have 1-3 cups, try to stop at noon. I also try to change up my locations: one of two writing desks, outside in the backyard and (pre-pandemic at coffee shops : (. )

Ana Mulholland

i don’t know if you’ve already filmed this but i’ll contribute anyway! i have school until 2:30 and hours of homework so i usually don’t start writing until 7-8pm. i either drink water or hot chocolate while i’m writing. i will write usually until around 10:30pm and get around 1500 words. during the day, if i get any ideas, i’ll put them into a note in my phone which is called “congratulations you had a thought” (i don’t remember why) and i’ll go to it when i start writing! or on weekends i’ll start writing at 4pm ish and work on and off until 11pm and i’ll get 2000-4000words :)

Kristina Tickle

I'm superrr late, but I'm also a late writer (so being late is kind of my motif)! My mornings consist of sleeping and trying to wake up LOL! But I'll either start writing around 6:30-7pm (I have class between 2:30pm and 5:15pm) and write until dinner which is typically at 8:30pm. Then I'll watch YouTube for a bit, and I get more motivation to write around 12:30am and sometimes go until 3 or 4 am depending on how tired I am. I usually drink black tea and/or grab some fruit to snack on. Weekends are harder to write on (which is shocking, I know), but they are reserved for the family so weekdays are my writing days!

QueenNegan

Hi! New to the Patreon but wanted to chime in. I take a lot of inspiration from Stephen King's "On Writing" where he says write every day for at least 2,000 words. However, I am *NOT* a morning person lol. When I try to wake up early to write, I end up staring at a blank word document. I do the best writing around 8pm after all my work is done. I turn on some rain sounds, shut my bedroom door, set up my lapdesk and get to work. I usually write from 8pm - 1130pm on a good night.