The "I'm losing my writing routine" thread

A bit of explanation first:

I am working on a very long writing project that is a couple of months in the making. I basically spent the whole summer working on it, and it was absolutely great because there were very little distractions (basically, in terms of work, it was either my regular job or my writing). I could churn out several hundreds of words a day and covering at least a chapter within a span of 3-4 days.

However, fall has gotten a lot busier, and I'm finding that writing has been going much more slowly. It's not as if I don't want to write my story, but when I get home my go-to relaxation is either to watch videos, TV, surf the net, or just write about other things that have been on my mind. As a result, I'm finding it difficult to "keep up" with my writing. I tried scheduling time blocks, but those usually got washed away by other things that I preferred to do.

Basically, I think I'm going to have to change my writing routine. Maybe I might just end up writing less per day than usual—but I'm also getting closer to the end of my story, and I want to get it finished as soon as possible so I can re-work and edit.

So...has anyone ever been in a similar situation of changing writing routines? I know that writer's procrastination is a common topic, so also, do you have any techniques that you use to put you in the mindset for writing? I'm finding that it's difficult to write without certain motivators, but sometimes these motivators end up making me procrastinate!

edited 24th Sep '14 8:44:52 PM by Coujagkin

I haven't had a serious writing routine in over a year.

It kind of sucks.

A bit of advice that's only begun to benefit me: unless you need them for another facet of your life that means a lot to you, quit those distractions cold-turkey. Mentally block yourself whenever you feel the desire to check up on them, and write, socialize or daydream, or whatever gets you pumped to work on your own material.

They may be fun, but the bottom line is that a lot of easy short-term reward can divert you from the patience/desire to work towards your long-term reward. Do you want to be known for what you watched on TV, what you read online, or what you wrote?

Doctor Diabolical: I appreciate your honesty—thank you! Just to add, one of my main energy-suckers happens to be thinking about my story or getting myself pumped to write it to the point where I just will be too tired to actually write. So...I guess that means I'll have to do less non-story-writing activities?

Or, put another way, when does researching things you want to do for your story become too much? I may have answered it already but I'd like to get perspective from other writers.

One of the huge problems early writers have is that they want their first book to be their magnum opus, this massive world-changing novel that everyone will love. Don't. If you keep trying to do that, you'll never write anything. Start simple, start easy. A bog-standard "rescue the princess" story might not be very interesting or even get published, but it will teach you how to write and keep a schedule.

So sit down and write. That's the only thing you can do. Set a goal for each day (start small, like one page), and make sure you meet it. Worldbuilding doesn't count. Most of all, remember that nothing you write needs to be perfect. You can always fix something you've already written. Fixing something you haven't written is harder.

I know it's more difficult than it sounds, but seriously, just sit in front of the computer, turn off the internet, and start writing. After a couple weeks, you'll get used to it, and it will just be part of your routine.

I recommend a book called Telling Lies for Fun and Profit by Lawrence Block.

You don't need a certain "mindset" in order to churn out enough material, just something to say and the desire to say it. Rid yourself of the mentality of "having to". Once you start seeing writing as a fundamentally creative act, it becomes more pleasurable and less of a chore.

Write whenever you feel like writing. Write whatever you feel like writing. Write however you feel like writing.

Relinquish the guilt and embrace the enthusiasm.