Waking and Writing: Creating a Manageable Routine

This blog was never meant to be a "writing advice" blog, but given enough time, eventually some tidbits about the writing process are bound to surface. This is one of them.

I am an early riser. I relish in getting up before most of the people on my street and in my city. I enjoy experiencing what life has to offer those who awake before dawn. 

My routine, before I began the work of making writing a part of my life and career, was to go for a run as soon as I climbed out of bed. I kept my running clothes and gear as close to the bed as possible. I put my running shoes on before I left my bedroom. I ran before school. I ran before the local cross country team was practicing. I was that serious about making running a central part of my morning routine.

So why does it seem so difficult to stick to the same routine with writing?

The answer, I believe, has to do with the nature of the behavior that is being highlighted. It's easy to stick to a healthy routine when the results, the rewards, and the kudos received are tangible and fairly immediate. 

Everyone knew I was a runner. Neighbors would comment on how they wished they had my energy and willpower. I knew I could enter races all over town, and often did. My physique reflected my routine. I felt healthy. I felt in control. I felt accomplished.

And so keeping my routine became fairly uncomplicated. 

Based on what made my morning running routine so enjoyable, I've created a list of four ways to accomplish a similar morning routine for writing:

1) Measurable Results With writing, the fruits of our labor are less visible, even to the writer. We may sit at our computer or our journal and write for an hour, only to realize that perhaps a fraction of what we have written is "acceptable" to our enterprise. Rather than measure your success on the edited version of whatever you have just written (a version that, I'm willing to bet, is mostly in your head), use word counts or page counts to mark your progress. Leave the critiques to a later date, or after so many words/pages.

My partner is half Norwegian. I was blessed to engage in some morning writing at this beautiful location outside of Oslo.

2) Recognition of Your Efforts No one may know the extent to which you are dedicated to your writing. But you do. While others may not label you a writer, either because they don't know what you do for a living or because they don't know exactly what a writer does ("Can you make a living doing that?"), if you know you are dedicated to the practice and a writer's life, call yourself a writer. That's the first step to letting others know about your commitment. Who knows? Maybe a friend of a friend is an agent and is curious to see your work!

I also collect typewriters. It seems impractical, but I am inspired by these writing instruments of yesteryear.

3) Confidence to Take Next Steps If you are anything like me, you may have difficulty letting go of your writing, allowing others to read it and provide feedback. But if you are serious about your writing and making a living from it, you must allow your work to be criticized (and praised!). The more you write, the more confidence you will have. The more you submit, the more you will grow as a writer. 

4) Set Yourself Up for Success Making a morning routine of writing, for me, meant three things:

1. Creating a space dedicated to nothing but the practice of writing.
2. Insisting that, no matter what, writing always came first in the day. If my partner and I were leaving the house at 6a for a trip into the mountains, I knew I needed to be writing no later than 5a. 
3. Incorporating pleasantries in my writing routine. Freshly brewed coffee in my favorite mug, fuzzy slippers, inspirational pictures and quotes on my office walls . . . even investing in my favorite writing pads and pens. These are all delights that make me want to get up first thing to be by myself and write.

Working on a doctoral dissertation, research projects in partnerships across the globe, and a historical fiction novel can be daunting. But starting the day just by sitting down and writing puts everything into perspective.

By focusing on these four, small changes, you can begin to develop your own routine that you will then have to protect and nurture in order to develop a habit. But just like other routines, you will have good days and bad days. 

One of the things I was most proud of as a runner was that, even if I felt less than my best, even if I didn't make the four miles I had intended, I always always laced up my shoes and left my house with the intent to run. That behavior, in and of itself, was probably 90% of the reason why I ended up running, even just a mile or two, every morning.

The same goes for writing. In order to develop a serious habit, you have to give yourself (and your writing) a fighting chance. Get up, pour that coffee, sit your butt in your chair, and write.

If you are interested in reading the writing advice I have gleaned from others, follow my Write. Just Write. Pinterest board.