Although some top writers will insist that their method is the one true way to write ... I'm definitely not
convinced.
Some people thrive on writing daily.
Others only write at the weekends.
Some write little or nothing for weeks on end ... then write obsessively for a period of time.
What matters is that, over the course of a few months, you're seeing consistent progress with your
writing.
Here are three different approaches to fitting writing into your week. One of these might be right for you.
Approach #1: Writing Daily, First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing At Night
When I do manage to stick with daily writing, this is usually how I manage it.
Writing first thing in the morning, before the other demands of the day crowd in, works well for me. Before I had kids, this was how I got most of my fiction written.
If you have young children, if you're decidedly not a morning person, or like to collapse into bed after a
Netflix binge, then daily "first thing" or "last thing" writing may not be a great fit for you.
Approach #2: Planning Writing Sessions At the Start of Each Week
With my mornings and evenings a little more chaotic than usual during the summer, planning ahead for longer sessions is working best.
Could this be the right approach for you? If you can sit down at the start of the week and block
out one or two sessions of a couple of hours, then that's enough to make some serious writing progress.
You could also combine this with other methods of fitting writing into your week: perhaps you want to write a short amount daily, for instance, but you want to have at least one longer writing session
each weekend.
Approach #3: Having a Consistent "Writing Time" Each Week
For some writers,
having one or two set writing times each week is the easiest way to manage their writing time. If you always write from 9am to 11am on Thursdays, as that's your day off, that hopefully becomes a habit – making it easier to defend that time from other demands and distractions.
This also has the benefit
that you don't have to constantly think about when to fit in your writing time: it's already set out as part of your weekly calendar. You may want to tie your writing time to other fixed events (for instance, if you go to church on a Sunday morning, you might always write for an hour or two before church).
You may find that one of these approaches works for you during a particular time of year, or with a particular type of writing. You may want to mix and match, switching how you're doing things from week to week ... and that's fine too!
The only thing that matters is that you're getting some writing done, in an enjoyable and sustainable way.
