What time of day do you write?

The textbook answer is that there is no right or wrong time of day to write. Most authors I know are balancing jobs and families and dozens of other things while trying to write their novels. So usually, they write whenever they can find the time.

I’m sure you’ve heard this answer before, right?

But this answer makes me feel uncomfortable, like I’m teetering on the edge of a chaotic non-creative abyss. It doesn’t work for me that way. I can’t just “find time to write”. I can’t just cram it in at the end of the day or wait until I have free time or until I feel like it.

Nope. No way. No how.

I need routine. I live and die by a schedule, and I have my life scheduled down to the half hour. Yep, that’s right. Every half hour of my life is spoken and accounted for. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t relax regularly and give myself grace to change things up from time to time if I feel like it. In fact, I have giant blocks of time set aside for “me time” or “family time” etc. And if something important comes up, or someone I love needs something, I’ll drop everything and help them out.

But for the most part, I follow my pretty, colourful schedule in my excel sheet. And it works for me. So right now, I have three mornings set aside for writing from approximately 9 until 12.

Now, the key is to treat those blocks of time like a formal commitment, or a job. If someone asks me if I can do a zoom meeting at 10am on a writing day, I say “no, sorry, I’m not available at that time.” These writing blocks are not flexible. They are unyielding and essential, like sleep, or formal employment where I’m expected to be at a certain place at a certain time. I just can’t change it.

Trust me, holding fast to this boundary and being unapologetic about it is half the battle. But that’s how I balance multiple projects, jobs, and priorities without letting any resentment eat away at me.

One thing that’s important, is that this schedule may need to change from time to time. Say you get a new job, or certain changes in your personal life mean you need to adjust. No problem, I say to myself. Take a deep breath. Schedules are meant to be re-written.

When I wrote the Quiescence Trilogy, I didn’t have days available during the week. So, I wrote all weekend every weekend. Then I got a Saturday afternoon job too, so suddenly I had Saturday morning, and Sunday all day to write.

Those were wild times, but I made it work.

Now I’m writing a new book and using my 3-morning a week schedule. It’s working, and I’m happy with the progress I’m making. I definitely miss having two whole days in a row to write, but maybe one day I’ll be able to swing that again.

All in all, it doesn’t really matter what time of day you write or how often. But I do think a consistent schedule is an indispensable tool to help with motivation, energy, focus, and pacing. Not every writing session will be amazing, but if you stick with your routine, you should hopefully meet your writing goals!