They say sticking to a routine is the best way to become a productive writer. Create your own using this very handy guide!
PICK THE DAY
Shouldn’t be hard. After all, you have seven to choose from. Pick your favorite. Pick all of them! All that matters is that you stick to it like ticks to an elephant’s ass. (Do…do elephants get ticks? I’d think their hide would be a little…tick-proof.)
*Googles whether or not elephants get ticks*
…Huh.
Anyway.
The goal is to write as much as you can as often as you can. Ideally, you should be writing everyday, but do whatever you deem manageable.
(BTW, elephants do get ticks.)
PICK THE TIME
There may be an obvious choice.
Obvious Writer: Well, I work all day and I sleep all night and I do a bunch of other things the rest of the time, but there’s a little window between 7 PM and 9 PM that should work perfectly.
Cool. Great. Glad that’s settled.
But sometimes, it isn’t so obvious.
Not-So-Obvious Writer: I don’t have any time.
Alrighty then. Make some time.
You’re gonna have to do that dirty little exercise called prioritizing. How much does writing mean to you? Seriously, how much? Compare it to your other activities. Where does it rank?
Reevaluate your daily routine. Clear up what you can. Finding even a little time is better than having no time at all.
PICK THE SPACE
The world is your oyster! Whatever the hell that means! *Looks it up* Oh. Okay. So it doesn’t mean what I thought it meant. Good to know.
Regardless: find a safe haven in which your writing may freely flow. This could be a favorite armchair, a favorite spot at the dinner table, a coffee house, a park bench, an underground fallout shelter…
Take some time to get out there and experiment. Your writer’s paradise is out there, somewhere.
Pro Tip: Aim for the quiet and secluded. Public areas like a library or Starbucks are great for people watching, but are also ripe for potential distractions. If you want public, try a park. If you aren’t much of the distracted type then please, by all means, wade out into the fray. It worked for other writers. Why not you?
MAKE IT HOMEY
Okay, so you have your space. Time to make yourself feel at home. Put objects in it that you find particularly inspirational. This could be motivational phrases or your favorite quotes or pictures that serve to illustrate your own work-in-progress. It could be a favorite pillow or some favorite novels stacked next to you. A lamp lit just right with a light bulb tinted to whatever color you find boosts your creativity.
Use your imagination to decorate this space so that it may later fuel your imagination in turn.
PICK YOUR POISON
I don’t mean literal poison. How’s that gonna help? I’m talking beverages. Something to sip while you type/scribble away. Booze and coffee seem to be the go-to for most historical writers but feel free to mix it up. Try iced tea. Or soda. Or water. You, I and your doctor all know you should be drinking more water anyway, right? Experiment and find out what gets your creative juices flowing.
???
*Juices + beverage topic = beverage joke?*
Heh.
PICK THE WEAPONS
Do you write in a notebook, or on the computer? Do you write in the notebook first and then type it out on the computer?
If in a notebook, what about writing utensils? Don’t think for a second that you have to limit yourself to pen or pencil. It can be markers, crayons, quill pens, a prick of your finger and the ink of your blood, whatever!
And why stop at notebooks? Ever try writing your project on napkins? Or on a scroll? (Jack Kerouac!).
Of course, nothing beats the traditional notebook or computer. Why fix what isn’t broken? At the same time, though, don’t be afraid to try other avenues.
PICK THE ARMOR
You’re a soldier wading into war. A word wizardry war. Now what does one wear when facing an epic battle? Why, their frilly writer’s hat, of course! Or that really comfortable over-sized sports jersey T-shirt. Or a pair of green slippers with the Hulk’s scowling face on them.
Go for comfortable. Go for cozy. Then go into battle.
GIVE ‘EM A HEADS UP
Warn those living with you that you’ll be writing at this time in this place and that you’d really appreciate not being disturbed. You may word such a request as follows:
Yo, stitches ~ Imma be writing, so don’t friggin’ bother me unless you want venomous toads to be put under your pillow. And that one really weird roommate of yours is like, Ooh, yay! Venomous toads! and you stare at him for a moment before turning around and walking away.
The Anarchy of Writing 