When you think about the ideal writing schedule for an author, you likely think of someone being able to make their own schedule flawlessly and write several hours in one sitting, uninterrupted with ease. While that sounds ideal, it’s not realistic. Many authors are trying to fit writing into an already busy schedule that’s already taken up by a full-time job, raising a family, fighting off mental exhaustion, promoting their other books, keeping up with social media, and more. Unfortunately, there’s often a lot to juggle, and you likely still worry that you’re not writing enough in a day, week, or month. 

This is where building a sustainable writing schedule comes in. It needs to be productive but also realistic. Below, we’ll discuss what a sustainable writing schedule can look like for busy authors. 

Why Do Extreme Writing Schedules Often Fail?

The truth is, extreme writing schedules aren’t built to last because they aren’t sustainable. They are typically built on high expectations instead of realistic ones. When you already have a busy life, adding on a busy writing schedule on top of it often isn’t doable. For example, it’s easy to say that you’re going to write 4 chapters every night after you put your kids to bed. However, is that actually an attainable goal? Not really. Maybe it’ll work out for a night or two, but that’s not something you’ll be able to stick with. Setting realistic goals with your already busy schedule in mind will help you to actually achieve your writing goals. 

There Isn’t A One-Size-Fits-All For Sustainable Writing

Unfortunately, there isn’t a schedule out there that works for every author. Due to schedules and preferences, some authors thrive on blocking out an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening every other day, while others find that setting aside a few hours in one sitting works better. More than anything, consistency is what helps keep a writing schedule easier to maintain. You may need to experiment to find a time and a schedule that works best for you. Maybe blocking out an hour a day in the morning works better for you, or a half hour in the evening is more doable. Or maybe you can only write on the weekends. Whatever writing schedule works best for you and fits into the rhythm of your busy life is the way to go. 

Examples Of What A Sustainable Writing Schedule May Look Like 

Below are a few examples of what a sustainable writing schedule could look like for a few different scenarios. It’s important to remember that these are just ideas. Try to experiment and find a schedule that specifically works best for you. 

Example 1:

Writing for 30 minutes in the morning before or after work about 3 times a week. Also, blocking one of those morning sessions a week to do some light editing. This may not seem like you’re dedicating much time to writing, but consistency matters. Eventually, all of these writing sessions will add up. The goal is to start small.

Example 2:

Create voice notes throughout the day of ideas that you may have. This will ensure that if an idea pops into your head and you don’t have time to write it down yet, you can save it for when you do. Create as many voice notes as you want or need to, and at the end of the day, you could block out 20 – 30 minutes every weeknight to write them down before bedtime. The voice notes will help save time from brainstorming, so you can just get right down to writing. On the weekends, you could dedicate 30 minutes to light editing. 

Example 3:

Writing every other day and focusing on writing scenes as opposed to timing yourself or aiming for a specific word count. Some authors find it intimidating to challenge themselves to write a certain number of words every week. If that’s you, try to complete certain scenes a few times a week and on the weekend, do some light drafting or editing. 

Final Thoughts

In reality, building a sustainable writing schedule won’t look as hardcore as you may imagine it to look. In order to maintain it along with everything else that’s going on in your life, it needs to be realistic. 

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