How to Create a Writing Schedule That Works for You
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle – Issue #03
Hi,
Creating a writing schedule that works for you can feel really tough, I know! I’ve certainly had my struggles with this.
You may recall my word for 2025 (from KidLit Creator’s Chronicle #1: Reflect, Reset, and Reignite Your Year) is CONSISTENCY.
What I’ve discovered for myself, again and again (aka known as messing up many times to learn this lesson!) is that finding ways to be consistent is the only way to achieve my goals.
But simply saying, “Be consistent” isn’t particularly helpful! So, in this KCC (KidLit Creator’s Chronicle), I want to share strategies that can make it easier for you.
Here we go!
Create a Writing Schedule That Works With Your Life and Personality
Creating a writing schedule that works isn’t just about managing time, it’s about understanding your energy, habits, and goals, and aligning your day-to-day life accordingly. To succeed, you need to address three things: your time, your mindset, and your environment.
Here’s how:
1. Audit and Align Your Time
Start with a weekly time audit to understand how your energy fluctuates throughout the day. Here’s how to do a time audit:
For 3-7 days (7 is better!), jot down what you’re doing every hour and rate your energy levels on a scale of 1–5.
- Look for patterns. Do you feel most alert in the morning? Midday? Evening?
- What tasks drain you? Identify tasks or commitments that drain you and see if they can be reduced or eliminated. (Obviously you may have some of these you can’t eliminate, but try!)
- Where is your hidden time? Look for moments: can you write in the car during pick-up times, on breaks at work, or in the evening after the kids are asleep?
- What compromises are you willing to make? Decide what to (temporarily) sacrifice to prioritize your writing (e.g., swapping 30 minutes of TV for 30 minutes of writing).
- Choose a time (or times) to write. Use this insight to (ideally) match your high-energy times with your writing sessions. Do menial or routine tasks in your low-energy times.
Pro Tip: Plan your writing schedule for your season of life. If you’re a busy working mom with young kids, aim for shorter, flexible sessions. If you have more free time (like during retirement), create longer blocks.
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2. Start Smaller Than You Think You Should
Begin with writing sessions that feel almost laughably small, like 5–10 minutes a day.
Why?
Because tiny wins build confidence and momentum. I like to call this “micro-commitments”. A micro-commitment is a step so small it feels almost impossible to fail. This reduces resistance and excuses, and once you’ve started, momentum often keeps you going.
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3. Tie Your Writing Schedule to a Clear Goal
Your schedule is most effective when tied to specific, inspiring goals.
Instead of saying, “I’ll write three days a week,” say: “I’ll write three days a week so I can finish my picture book draft by May.”
Having a clear “why” behind your routine keeps you focused and motivated.
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4. Tap Into the Power of Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is one of my favourite strategies for learning new habits. This technique creates a seamless transition from your existing routine into your writing practice (or any habit, by linking writing to an already established habit. Identify a habit you do daily without fail, such as making coffee, brushing your teeth, or checking your planner.
- Identify a habit you do daily without fail, such as making coffee, brushing your teeth, or checking your planner.
- Add your writing session immediately after that habit, creating a natural cue for your brain. In other words, you “stack” a new habit on an existing habit, so that the existing habit acts as a trigger for the new habit and helps you to become consistent.
- Example:
- “After I brew my morning coffee, I’ll sit down and write for 15 minutes.”
- “After I tuck my kids in at night, I’ll write for 45 minutes.”
You can also reinforce this with rewards:
Cue → Routine → Reward:
- Cue: Create triggers for your writing, like making morning coffee → sitting down to write.
- Routine: Sit down and write, even if only for 5 minutes.
- Reward: Treat yourself with something small afterward – a favourite snack, a walk, or even just the satisfaction of crossing “write” off your to-do list.
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5. Use Time Blocking for Focus and Flexibility
Time blocking is another one of my favourite strategies to stay productive. I learned about this in The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. I encourage you to get the book!
Time blocking is a technique where you schedule dedicated blocks of time in your calendar for specific tasks. It’s about being intentional with your time and ensuring that the most important actions (those tied to your goals) are given priority in your daily and weekly routines.
In the book, the authors suggest Four types of time blocks:
- Strategic Block: A weekly 3-hour block, dedicated to your most important, strategic tasks. This is uninterrupted, deep work time for your most important work and planning. You could use this time to write, or to plan book marketing or another key author-related task.
- Daily Production Block: Focused, scheduled periods in your day reserved specifically for doing critical tasks that drive your goals forward. They exist to ensure daily progress, eliminate distractions, and to concentrate on high-priority actions (in this case, writing).
- 2–3 hours long (but you can make shorter blocks if needed). Focus solely on the specific tasks tied directly to your most important goals. This could be writing or book marketing.
- Treat this time as sacred. No interruptions, no multitasking, no distractions. Turn off notifications, close your email, and let others know you’re unavailable during this block.
- The work you do in a production block is proactive (goal-driven), not reactive (responding to emails, taking phone calls, etc.). Focus on what matters most and don’t get sidetracked.
➡ Go into each production block with a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish.
For example:
- Write 2000 words or write uninterrupted for 2 hours
- Create a marketing plan for your book launch.
- Set up Amazon ads for your book.
3. Buffer Block: Set aside time for managing low-value tasks like emails, admin work, or meetings. This keeps these tasks from spilling into your high-priority times.
4. Breakout Block: A scheduled break to recharge and refresh.
While I recommend using all the time blocks, even if you only implement daily production blocks, it will help your progress a lot.
- They ensure you make daily progress.
- By knowing this time is set aside for goal-focused work, you reduce overwhelm and decision fatigue, since you know exactly what you’ll be doing during the time block.
- It gives you dedicated time for high-value work, ensuring your priorities don’t get lost because of daily life.
You can review your time blocks weekly and adjust as needed.
Pro Tip: If you’re juggling multiple priorities, try writing or working on your books in any downtime your “hidden time”. Can you write in the car during pick-up times, during your child’s sport practice, on breaks at work, or in the evening after the kids are asleep?
Pro Tip: Set yourself up for success by tailoring your writing or work environment to maximize focus and creativity:
- Control distractions: Use tools like Forest (a focus app) and/or noise-canceling headphones.
- Make it inspiring: Personalize your space with items that spark joy – a favourite quote, artwork, or even fairy lights. This can encourage creativity, but also make you feel like you want to be in that space to get work done.
- Use tools intentionally: Keep your software and writing tools simple. Apps like Scrivener are great, but avoid overcomplicating with too many systems.
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6. Create an Accountability System
Accountability is very powerful to keep most people on track.
Ideas for Accountability:
- Share your schedule or weekly goals with a writing buddy or group. External accountability can keep you consistent, even on days you don’t feel motivated.
- Use apps like Focusmate or join a co-working session to write alongside others.
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7. Plan for Disruptions and Resistance
Disruptions and resistance are inevitable. Life happens: unexpected work deadlines, family emergencies, or illness or low-energy days can derail your best intentions. And almost all of us experience resistance, whether it’s self-doubt, tiredness, or perfectionism. Anticipate these challenges by creating backup strategies:
- Have a “bare minimum” plan: On your worst day, write for 5 minutes or jot down ideas instead of drafting.
- Catch-up time: Set aside one “catch-up” block weekly to catch up on any missed sessions.
- Name your excuses: Identify the most common reasons you don’t write (“I’m too tired,” “I don’t know where to start”). Plan responses, like writing anyway for 5 minutes or reading an article on how to overcome your problem and then still writing for 10 minutes..
- Use the “2-Minute Rule”: Commit to just 2 minutes of writing. This lowers the barrier to starting, and once you’re in motion, momentum often keeps you going.
Shift your mindset: Treat disruptions and resistance as part of the process, not a sign of failure. Missing a day isn’t failure. If you miss a writing session, focus on the next one rather than beating yourself up. What matters is returning to your habit the next day.
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8. Motivate Yourself With Visual Progress
Tracking your progress visually can be incredibly motivating:
- Use a calendar to mark every day you write, creating a chain of success. (A chain of marked-off days.) You’ll become motivated not to break the chain!
- Set a weekly word count goal and update a tracker as you go.
- Celebrate milestones, like completing a draft or chapter, round of revisions, or reaching a word count.
Fun Pro Tip: Create a success jar. Every time you write, add a pebble or coin to the jar. Watching it fill up gives you a tangible representation of your effort over time.
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Final Thought
A writing schedule based on your energy, habits, and circumstances is sustainable because it works with you, not against you. That’s what we’re trying to achieve. By starting small, aligning your schedule with your energy, habit stacking and more, you’ll build a routine that helps you to be consistent.
The best writing schedule isn’t the most ambitious one, it’s the one you can stick to. The goal is to be consistent, not perfect.
Why Consistency Beats Sporadic Marathons
Some people believe that you need long, uninterrupted hours of writing to make real progress. But…
Consistency trumps intensity every time.
You don’t need to write for hours at a time. Even short sessions like 10-20 minutes a day will take you farther than sporadic big chunks of time.
Relying on big, irregular chunks of time to write can be problematic because it can be:
1. hard to find time. Life rarely allows for perfect, uninterrupted hours.
2. lead to burnout: Marathon sessions can be draining, causing resistance to showing up next time.
3. slower due to inconsistency: Long gaps between writing sessions can make your progress feel disjointed and slow.
Why Consistency Works
- Momentum!
- Writing regularly keeps your story fresh in your mind, making it easier to pick up where you left off. Long gaps can waste time, as you have to reacquaint yourself with your work instead of moving forward.
- Example: Writing for 10 minutes a day over a week adds up to 70 minutes of progress, compared to spending the first 10-15 minutes of a two-hour-long session every other week trying to remember where you were.
- It adds up
- A 10-minute session might not feel like much, but over time, those minutes add up to real progress. You might feel it’s too little and then not write, but a little writing always beats no writing, and you’ll be surprised how much progress you make!
- Check this out: Writing 200 words a day (10–15 minutes) adds up to over 73,000 words in a year, which is more than enough for many picture books or a middle-grade novel!
- Building habits
- When you write consistently, even in small increments, you train your brain to expect it. Writing becomes a habit, reducing procrastination and resistance over time.
What Consistency Looks Like
Consistency doesn’t mean daily. It means creating a rhythm that fits your life and sticking to it.
- Daily: If you can write for 10-90 minutes every day, that’s great!
- A few times a week: Writing 2–4 times a week, for shorter or longer sessions, can be just as effective.
- Weekly: A dedicated weekly writing session can work wonders, provided it’s consistent.
The key is to make your schedule predictable and manageable, so you know when and how you’ll write.
Consistency Over Perfection
Remember, progress isn’t about perfection. Writing small, consistent amounts may feel less glamorous than marathon sessions, but it’s far more effective. The true magic happens when you show up regularly, no matter how small the step.
Consistency builds stories, skills, and confidence. Whether it’s daily, weekly, or somewhere in between, the important thing is this: Find your rhythm, and stick to it.
Over to You!
Let me know:
- What is your biggest challenge when it comes to your writing schedule?
- Which strategies in this email are you going to try out?
I’d love to hear from you!
Whether you’re writing for 5 minutes or 5 hours, what matters is that you’re showing up. Keep going. You’ve got this!
