My writing routine consists of a lot of coffee. It feels cliché, hot beverage, empty room, writer or artist creating all the things. But it’s just part of it. You know? There’s something about getting the right beverage that just begins to set the stage.
Finding the Groove
I love hiding away in my studio or sitting at my favorite table in Starbucks. I used to get a small bowl of snacks, but I’ve sort of trained that bad habit out of myself. I try my hardest to not get on social media or check my publishing stats first, if I do, we know what happens, you waste thirty minutes or more on the internet. I’m still trying to break that habit.
The best thing for me to do when I first sit down is reread the last chapter I wrote – refresh myself of where we just came from. Or spend the minutes before I’ll be able to sit down and work out where I’m going next. Rehearse the dialogue that needs to propel the story forward or scenes coming up. If I’m going to Starbucks for the morning I like to do this on my drive there. That way, when I sit down and open the computer, I’m primed and ready to go. It’s harder to let myself get sucked into the internet when I’m excited about what’s coming next. Sometimes the best part of a routine is the mind games you play on yourself to get results.
Another piece of my writing routine is talking to my editor. She helps me see the holes, where I haven’t pushed hard enough, how I can make the story better.
We used to have weekly writing time scheduled into our lives. When my work situation changed last fall we failed to fit it back into life. Those days were some of the best times for helping me to push my writing further. I highly recommend having a writing friend and scheduled time you work together.
Give yourself permission to change up your routine when it stops benefiting you. We all grow weary of the same old, same old. When you feel it not working for you, find an easy way to change it, small changes can be best.