Beginner Writing Routine – 5 Effective Tips

Aspiring writers often dream of crafting captivating stories, impactful articles, or eloquent poems. However, it’s not uncommon to do more dreaming than writing. Finding the time, battling writer’s block, and overcoming the initial inertia are just a few challenges that stand in the way. The key to success is a sustainable beginner writing routine.

For beginner writers especially, getting into a routine can be daunting. It’s important to remember that no writing routine is one size fits all, and finding something sustainable that works with your life is the only way to stick to it. And that’s what today’s article will address.

We’ll dive deep into the world of beginner writing routines to give you the tools needed to start writing and then keep at it. We’ll explore five practical tips to help you establish a consistent practice, conquer writer’s block, and cultivate your writing skills. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Beginner Writing Routine – Step-By-Step

If you want to build a writing routine as a beginner, there are a few steps. Some of them are specifically related to being a beginner and a writer. However, many of them are true for habit building in general. According to the National Library of Medicine study on habit formation, here are the steps to making something truly a habit.

1. Decide on a goal that you would like to achieve.
2. Choose a simple action to get you towards your goal, which you can do daily.
3. Plan when and where you will take your chosen action. Be consistent: Choose a time and place that you will encounter every day of the week.
4. Every time you encounter that time and place, do the action.
5. It will get easier with time, and within ten weeks, you should find yourself doing it automatically without even thinking about it.
6. Congratulations, you’ve made a healthy habit!

With that out of the way, let’s look at these steps for developing a sustainable writing routine.

1. Start Small And Be Consistent

Let’s get right into what you want to know. How much should you write in a day? I recommend starting with 15-30 minutes of writing per day. This manageable goal allows you to build the habit of writing consistently while ensuring focused and productive sessions.

Consistency is more important than volume. Small, daily steps lead to significant progress over time. Let me explain why this short window and consistency are great for beginner writers.

The Power Of Consistent Writing

The benefits of consistent writing go far beyond simply finishing a manuscript or cranking out short stories. Regular writing practice hones your skills in a way that sporadic bursts of creativity cannot. It’s like building muscle memory for your writing. The more you write, the more comfortable and confident you become with putting what is in your head down.

You May Also Like: 12 Common Beginner Writing Mistakes You Must Avoid

Furthermore, consistent writing fosters creativity. By regularly engaging with the writing process, you prime your mind to generate ideas, explore different styles, and refine your voice. This consistent exercise strengthens your creative muscles and fuels your imagination.

Finally, consistency builds motivation to write. When you see tangible progress – completed pages, growing word counts – it becomes a powerful motivator to keep going. Every word you write becomes a stepping stone on your writing journey, propelling you forward with renewed enthusiasm.

2. Set Realistic Writing Goals

Setting realistic writing goals is crucial to achieving constant writing. Setting the bar too high can lead to discouragement and ultimately derail your newfound routine. And specific word counts can be very daunting when you aren’t in a good flow.

Instead, we’ll focus on manageable time goals for you to stick to regardless of factors. As mentioned above, we’ll be doing about 30 minutes per day. Why specifically 30 minutes?

Consistency is more important than volume in building a sustainable writing habit. Studies on habit formation, like the above-mentioned, suggest that repetition is crucial for building a lasting habit.

Aiming for a shorter, achievable writing session every day is more likely to stick than aiming for a more extended session that feels overwhelming. Furthermore, our ability to focus diminishes over time. Therefore, shorter, focused writing sessions can help maintain concentration, prevent burnout, and ensure high-quality writing.

That said, if you hit the 30-minute mark, feel great, have extra time, and the words are flowing, by all means, continue. On the contrary, if you’re pressed for time or are really struggling, you may consider doing as little as 15 minutes but don’t go any lower than that, even if it’s not coming easy.

You can check out my article on How To Get Ideas For Your Writing if that’s something you struggle with.

3. Schedule Your Writing Time

One of a writer’s biggest challenges is finding the time to write. Between work, family, and other commitments, carving out dedicated writing time can feel impossible. The fact of the matter is you’ve got to prioritize writing and make some time.

Schedule your writing sessions in your day and treat them with the same respect as any other important commitment. This will help you prioritize your writing time and ensure other things don’t squeeze it out.

It can help to look for hidden pockets of time. Take a close look at your daily routine. Are there any periods you can dedicate to writing? Perhaps early mornings before the day kicks in, your lunch break at work, or even a quiet hour before bed.

If no free time jumps out, you’ll have to make some. Unfortunately, this will mean forgoing something else, whether it’s a bit of TV time, scrolling on social media, spending less time on other hobbies, etc. If writing is important to you, you’ve got to get that 15 to 30 minutes in.

4. Be Disciplined

Here, I want to introduce you to a concept I wish I had known earlier in my life: Discipline beats motivation. Regardless of who you are, there will be days when you don’t want to write, don’t have ideas, or are busy. In these times, you must dig deep and meet your goal even when the conditions are less than perfect.

When motivation wanes, discipline acts as a bridge to ensure completion. Completing the task itself, even without high initial motivation, triggers a sense of accomplishment and reinforces the habit. Celebrating small wins, not just the final outcome, leads to an intrinsic sense of accomplishment that further strengthens the habit loop.

5. Overcome Distractions While Writing

The digital age presents a constant barrage of distractions, making it difficult to focus on the task. As a beginner, if we aim for a relatively short, highly productive bout of writing, we must have our heads in the game for that 30 minutes. To do this, we’ll need to avoid becoming distracted and wasting our time.

Devoted Work Space

My first tip in this department is to designate a specific area for writing. It doesn’t have to be a fancy spot, but having a devoted setup helps signal to your brain that it’s time to work.

This spot doesn’t have to be used solely for writing. Instead, pick somewhere comfortable (for your computer, typewriter, notebook, etc., and seating), with good lighting, and away from distractions and clutter.

Once you find a place that works for you, stick to it. When you use a particular space and setup (even if it’s just the kitchen table), your brain will associate the area and set up with writing and help put you into that zone.

Silence The Digital Noise

These days, there is perhaps no more significant potential distraction than our phones, specifically social media. This is not the time for a conversation on the pros and cons of social media in general, but there is certainly a time and place for it, and when you’re supposed to be writing, it is not it.

I recommend temporarily turning off notifications on your phone and computer. If you can manage, I recommend leaving your phone in a separate room while writing because it’s easy to pick up out of habit. As for your desktop, you can even use browser extensions like StayFocusd or LeechBlock to block specific websites.

Write With Intention

We’ve established that we’ll write for about 30 minutes a day. Within each session, we should be very intentional with our time. For example, “at the computer writing for 30 minutes” is pretty vague. Instead, write with the intention to make meaningful progress and produce high-quality work for 30 minutes.

This shifts the goal from “write” to “progress, improve, work toward larger goals, and do a good job.” This intention will help you make the most of the time you spend on your craft.

Other Tips For A Strong Beginner Writing Routine

Following the tips above, you’ll have your writing routine set. You’ll know how long you’ll write, when and where you’ll do it, and commit to sticking to it. That said, here are a few other things to consider regarding your routine.

Here are some ideas to keep the fire burning and make sure you track your progress.

• Focus on the joy of writing: Remember why you started writing in the first place. Reconnect with the inherent pleasure of crafting stories, expressing yourself, and exploring your creativity.
• Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Don’t get discouraged by writer’s block or imperfect drafts. Celebrate progress, no matter how small, to keep yourself moving forward.
• Set personal challenges: Challenge yourself to try new writing prompts, experiment with different genres, or participate in writing contests. These challenges can add excitement and purpose to your writing routine.
• Connect with other writers: Join online writing communities, attend local writing workshops, or find a writing buddy. Sharing your work and experiences with others can be a powerful source of motivation and inspiration.
• Track your writing progress: Keeping track can be a powerful tool for staying motivated and accountable. Here are some methods to consider:
  • Word count trackers: Use LivingWriter to monitor your daily or weekly word count goals. Seeing the numbers climb can be a great motivator.
  • Writing logs: Maintain a writing log where you track your sessions, word counts, and any ideas or challenges you encounter. This log can be a valuable resource for reflection and monitoring your progress over time.