The number one rule to making it as a writer is to take yourself seriously and treat it as a career. This can sometime be a challenge since most writers work from home and have to deal with distractions such as house chores, children, etc. But if you try I think you'll find that it is easy to set a routine and stick with it.
Here are some tips to help you set a schedule and stick to it!
- Wake up early just as would if you went to an office. I wake up at 5:30am just like I did when I worked in Public Relations and had to be at work by 8am.
- Carve out writing time early in the morning. I begin right after reading the news while I'm still drinking tea. This gets my writing day off to a good start.
-Set a schedule for various writing needs. I blog on Wednesday and Friday morning. I work on my fiction writing goal in the morning and then freelance assignments in the afternoon. I DO NOT go to bed until writing goals are met.
- With that said set reasonable daily writing goals. I write or revise 2,000 words a day in my fiction WIP.
- Make time to read. As a writer it is your job to know your industry.
- Know your distractions and make a plan to conquer them. I have a 6 month old baby. I schedule my writing breaks around her feeding schedule. I also set up a playroom setting in my office so that it is easy to entertain her while still working.
- Make sure that you have a designated work space. No taking over the kitchen table!
Hopefully these tips will help you stick to the writing schedule best for you. What other writing routine tips do you follow? Share them below in a comment.
Great tips, I always enjoy reading how other writers make time for everything. For me, I wake up early to get all my blog reading in and try to write my blog post (M, W, Th, F) before homeschooling and then write after that is over. My schedule is very much a work in progress :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for these tips. I realize how important it is to structure one's time- even if you are a writer:)
ReplyDelete