Let’s just call A SPADE….a damn spade. I don’t care how many authors or influencers make videos on it like its the holy grail, writing routines are not magic formulas. They won’t fix your plot problems. They won’t force inspiration to show up. They won’t make motivation scientific. But what they will do, once well established, is keep your ass in the chair, and that’s where the real work happens. A writing routine isn’t about discipline for the sake of discipline. It’s about creating a system that lowers resistance and gets you back to the keyboard. Not once in a while, but consistently. Whether you’re a full-time author or juggling writing with a day job and an army of kids, here’s how to build a routine that actually works in the REAL world.

1. Start Small and Stay Consistent

Most people kill their momentum before they even start by setting unrealistic expectations. Writing 2,000 words a day sounds impressive until you burn out three days in. Instead of chasing big numbers, focus on consistency. Even 100 words a day adds up over time. STOP. I know what just went through your head. ‘Tyler, everyone says that.’ You’re right. And so many people say it because it’s TRUE! It may not seem like a lot day to day, but stacked up, that’s 3,000 words a month, 36,000 a year. That is more than some people write ever. A routine doesn’t need to be grand to be effective. It just needs to be doable enough that you can stick with it, even on the hard days. The words don’t have to be pretty. They just have to exist. They can be pretty later.

2. Utilize Cue-Based Habits

Routines fail when they rely on motivation. That stuff is fucking flaky (pardon my passion). It comes and goes. What sticks is habit and habits are easiest to build when they’re tied to cues already present in your life. If you always make coffee in the morning, tack on ten minutes of writing immediately after. If you relax after work by scrolling your phone, make a deal with yourself: write first, then scroll. Over time, your brain starts to associate those everyday moments with writing time. That’s when it becomes second nature and suddenly, showing up doesn’t feel like a battle every time.

3. Track Progress, Not Perfection

A lot of writers give up because their work doesn’t “feel” good. Here’s a pro tip…most first drafts are absolute garbage. Like, hot, steaming, stank ass garbage. That’s not failure. That’s progress. Don’t measure your success by how inspired you felt or how flawless the prose sounds. Track the fact that you showed up. Use a calendar. Mark the days you wrote. Watch your streak build. It creates a quiet accountability, and that can be incredibly motivating when the imposter syndrome creeps in. Celebrate progress, not perfection. That’s how you build a habit that lasts.

4. Rituals Can be the Key

Rituals can be uber-powerful. It sounds like voodoo, but sometimes lighting a candle, making a cup of a specific tea, and throwing on a particular ambient playlist is what you need. The goal with this is to create repeatable signals that tells your brain: it’s time to work. Maybe it’s putting on headphones. Maybe it’s opening your notes app and typing one line of gratitude. Maybe it is an explicit scent or sound, or even temperature. Whatever it is, try your best to keep the ritual short and consistent. It should help you start, not give you another reason to procrastinate.

5. Be Ruthlessly Realistic

Stop building your routine around the fantasy version of your life. Don’t even try to bullshit me, we all do it. We all think we can get more done than we can in the time we have available. We all think we can be the Superman of multitasking if we ‘really have to’. Stop fantasizing and start building your schedule around real life. If you work full-time, have kids, or are just mentally fried most days, don’t commit to writing seven days a week at 5 a.m. SPOILER ALERT: it’s not going to happen. Set goals you can actually hit. Maybe that’s writing for 25 minutes three nights a week. Maybe it’s getting 500 words on the weekend. When life changes, your routine can change too. The only rule is that you keep coming back. Imperfectly, inconsistently, stubbornly. That’s how books get finished.

Final Thoughts

A writing routine isn’t a badge of honor, it’s a tool. It helps you stay focused, disciplined, and honest with yourself. And once you’ve got one that works for your life, everything else gets easier. You don’t have to wonder when you’ll write. You just show up. You don’t have to fight the blank page from zero every single time. You’ve got momentum. You’re not hoping to “find time.” You’re making it.

That’s how the damn book gets written. And that book needs to get written! People are out there STARVING for it!

Now go create YOUR routine so you can get back to it.

Until next time,

Tyler

Want more writing advice like this?
Follow me on TikTok at @tylerporterwrites and let’s keep building this together.