{"id":5526,"date":"2015-06-05T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T11:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=5526"},"modified":"2015-06-01T20:21:06","modified_gmt":"2015-06-02T01:21:06","slug":"writing-inspiration-or-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=5526","title":{"rendered":"Should You Wait for Writing Inspiration, or Stick to a Routine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you wait for inspiration<\/a> to strike before you write, or sit down on a regular basis and write regardless of how you feel?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to feel inspired — to be almost obsessed with your writing, eager to get words down as quickly as possible. When you\u2019re really in the writing zone, you might find yourself losing track of time and being highly productive for hours.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s be honest, for most of us, this isn\u2019t a daily or even a weekly reality. Most of the time, we do want to write \u2026 but we somehow struggle to get on with it.<\/p>\n

If you only ever write when you\u2019re inspired, you probably won\u2019t produce much. <\/b>That\u2019s fine if you\u2019re happy writing an occasional poem or short story, but if you\u2019re working on a blog, a novel<\/a>, or an entire writing career, you\u2019ve got to make writing more of a routine.<\/p>\n

And yet, sitting down and forcing out 1,000 or 2,000 or 3,000 words a day could just be a recipe for hating both the act of writing and what you\u2019ve written.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to get the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n

Step #1: Schedule regular writing sessions<\/b><\/h2>\n

To keep up your momentum, you need to write regularly. That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean writing daily.<\/a><\/p>\n

Some writers thrive while working on their book, say, for 20 minutes per day, without fail. Others do much better with two hour-long sessions each week.<\/p>\n

Find a writing rhythm that works for <\/b>you<\/i><\/b> — not your best friend, your creative writing tutor, or that author you follow on Twitter.<\/b> Experiment with short daily sessions one week and longer twice-week sessions the next. Which do you prefer?<\/p>\n

You may even find your rhythm shifts over time, especially if other aspects of your life change, so don\u2019t be afraid to experiment again occasionally.<\/p>\n

Step #2: Make your environment work for you<\/b><\/h2>\n

Something that writers often don\u2019t realize about inspiration is it generally doesn\u2019t just appear out of the blue.<\/p>\n

You might always feel inspired after a long walk, or a relaxing bath, or when you listen to a particular piece of music.<\/p>\n

As much as possible, make your writing environment<\/a> work in your favor. When you sit down to write, you want to feel like you\u2019re instantly getting into that writing zone.<\/p>\n

This could mean:<\/p>\n