Unpopular Opinion: Writers Don’t Need a Routine
Like so many things in life, there are gurus of writing who we, as writers, look up to (think Murakami). That’s why one of the top questions they are asked on a book tour or in a podcast interview is: what is your writing routine? After all, they’ve achieved the success we want and therefore we need to drink up every wise word they say.
It’s not their fault we’ve idolized them, however if we take what they say in the moments following that request as doctrine, the fault becomes ours. We asked them to tell us their totally-works-for-them-procedures, forgetting that what they say doesn’t mean a thing for you or me.
In fact, we’re so obsessed with this question as writers that it fills the threads of countless online writing forums. It can be found standing proudly on the Olympic medal platform alongside what you write with (or on) and for how many hours a day.
None of these things is truly important and instead each (at best) only provide a glimpse at the hidden fears’ writers have and the competitive streak we humbly deny.
Asking about writing routines are a mainstream acceptable conversation and as a fringe dweller, I’m going to propose an unpopular opinion: writers don’t need routines and we need to stop asking this question. The routine of staring down a blank page is not going to make you a better writer. That just sounds like masochism or at a minimum an excuse to perform some emotional cutting while throwing in some salt and lemon juice.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried the whole let-me-sit-at-my-desk-for-hours trying to write. I did it for a whole month as part of NaNoWriMo and I got utter garbage as a result. I feel gratitude in trying it because I unintentional got the gift of knowing that a writing routine is wearing a mask for me. It’s me thinking I’m doing what other writers must do to get results, but now I know when I do it, all I’ll get is a dumpster fire.
I’m a writer who needs more flow. I need long walks with no intention of writing at all. Heck, this article came to me after walking my dog in the misting rain this morning.
My writing style may seem haphazard to some, since I dedicate 12 to 15 mins at a time to write, usually using prompts or ideas that came during my quietude of the morning. I also don’t do this daily. That would be a burden to me, and burdens don’t breed readable art.
Here’s another thing, my children’s picture book came to me walking on the beach listening to Rihanna’s “Diamonds” on repeat for almost 30 minutes, before giving up and going home. I could feel like something was there, but I couldn’t grab onto it. I promptly shot out of bed at 3 am that night and wrote down every single word that would eventually become my book. (I later pitched this book to a publishing house and the rest is published history).
What I’m getting at here is routine isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, but how you receive inspiration matters. We’ve been looking in the wrong place, asking a staunch step-by-step daily grind to deliver what is fluid. Creativity isn’t born in a container; it’s poured into it.
So how can you get inspired? That’s the better question to ask and it’s going to get you closer to who you are as a writer. Because you know deep down that if you ask a famous author how they get inspiration the answer won’t be typical; and if the Muse is involved, it won’t make any daggone sense either.
That’s why it feels true. No two people will be inspired in the same way and it sure won’t happen at the temple you built on your desktop. Your inspiration came from a long coffee with a friend or that kimono pattern you saw in a secondhand store…5 days ago! It came from your intimate experience with life and noticing its quirky beauty; tucking it away in a brain fold for just the moment it felt right to write it down.
So, stop thinking you need a routine to be a writer. As a writer all you need to do is write words and the title becomes yours to claim. But how you get those words won’t happen by meticulously setting daily word counts or hours dragging on in your chair. It will, however, come through by experiencing life and letting it fill you with ideas. That’s what makes your writing informed, juicy, and true. It’s what compels you to write instead of repelling you from it.
Maybe I’m just a misfit, but if the thought of getting a “wyd” text from writing routine has you feeling like responding “new phone who dis” try writing something on your terms instead. Have a freakin’ adventure for goodness sake and let life fill you with inspiration, so when you sit down to the page you’ll have so much to say, your fingers can’t possibly keep up.
