by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
As any long-time reader of this blog will know, I love a routine. The more rote, the better. When I have these established routines, keeping up with my writing (and exercising and other tasks) is almost effortless.
But the really long-time readers of this blog will remember that when I started writing this blog in 2008, I had a couple of young children in the house. I still loved a routine, but I realized that I wasn’t going to get much writing done if I tried to follow one. Kids run on their own schedules of carpools, illnesses, and activities. So, although I was someone who liked a routine, I ended up working at being someone who could be flexible, too. Someone who could work in the in-between times. Someone who could squeeze out writing on demand and in very short periods of time.
And I think both of these methods (routine and flexible schedules) are important. Both of them work really well.
For tips for learning flexibility, see this post from August.
One of the tricks, I think, is being able to pivot. I’ve found it’s easier to pivot when I actually take a few minutes to look at my upcoming week/month/year and think about what might work best.
Consider asking these questions:
What still works overall?
When might you be able to get a few minutes of uninterrupted time?
Should you have shorter writing sessions?
If you have more time, should you intersperse longer sessions with other activities to maintain focus?
I’ve found that asking these types of questions can really help me maintain my writing activity, even when life goes through its ups and downs. Another thing I’ve tried to do is take a look at my day right in the middle of it, especially after a tough morning. Is there a way I can fit in just five minutes with my story? Is there a way I can reboot my day and feel as if I’m starting fresh?
How flexible are you with your writing routine? Has your routine changed over the years?
Writing Routines: The Importance of Flexibility: Share on X
I still write best in the early evening although life has gotten busier and there are fewer open evenings. Why is it the more automated things become, the busier we become?
That’s so true! We get in these busy spurts sometimes. And often when we least expect it.
Writing routines really do work best when they're flexible. And I really do believe it's worth it to reflect on them once in a while. Is the routine still working? When am I actually getting the most writing done? And of course: always having a way to jot down notes for those times when inspiration decides not to follow routine… ;-)
Inspiration comes at random times, for sure!
Juggling so much for my authors and DLP duties has meant I really had to adjust how I wrote if I was ever going to produce anything again.
You’ve made it work! So glad you were able to rework your routine.
I find that whenever I start a routine, life changes it up. I've learned to be flexible, but this often leads to taking care of everything else, and not my writing. Allowing myself just 5-minutes satisfies my brain, sets up a habit, and often leads to 10-minutes, then 15-minutes–onward.
Yes! This! I wrote 5 minutes a day when my daughter was a toddler (she didn’t nap much) and I got a full book in less than a year. :) Good for you for making it work!
Like you I enjoy the dependability of my discipline, but as a householder life often intrudes. No children about for about 8 years now, but friends and family who need help, or our own illnesses often intrude. I remember you snatching time at sporting practices, and I also learned to pivot. I have also learned to say no. I've recently had three friends die and in two of the cases (a couple who chose MAID when they became very ill) I took on lots of responsibilities with their end of life duties. I had signed up to do some library workshops that, although I'd happily do, would garner me very little in return. And my writing was not happening. I postponed them to the fall and am now squarely back at my revision. So pivoting and prioritizing are key for me.
Life definitely has a way of intruding! There’s always something. I’m so sorry about your friends. That would be something especially tough to handle.
Your pivoting and prioritizing are working so well for you. You’re back at your revisions, even after your break. You’re doing a good job.
I like flexible routines :)
When I was teaching, I learned to always be ready to pivot and to have at least 3 backup plans ready to go. I find the same with writing. My brain is bouncy and is always ready with a fresh idea for those 15 minute chunks of time
That’s so smart, for both teaching and writing!
My writing routine has definitely changed over the years. If anything, it has had to become increasingly flexible, even as the kids hit their teen years. I'd say I don't have a routine at all anymore, but when I started out I had a strict routine.
I found that, in some ways, my kids needed me more when they were teens. For driving, mainly. The flexibility really helped then.
We moved from San Antonio to the Houston area over four years ago. My life has been chaotic ever since. I am naturally an organized person and writer and work best with a routine. I like to finish a task and mark it off the list. In four years, I rarely even have the opportunity to make a list, much less have a routine. I do a lot of writing in my head and have a notebook and pen handy for notes. When I do actually write, it's usually a few hours at a time and the words flow easily. I miss my regular routine, but I'm currently getting plenty of exercise. When the desire to write is there, we have to figure out what will work for us.
We made a similar move 1.5 years ago and I totally understand what you mean! In a different environment, we have to figure out how to make our usual routine work for us. Being flexible can really help.