Now, I’m going to put out a short caveat before digging into this article. I am self employed—so to speak—and this enables me to commit significant amounts of time to my writing. But, with that said, I did begin my journey while living the average 9-5.

And, after years of abrupt scheduling, poor work/life balance, and life altering health issues, I’ve finally developed my own weekly writing routine. And it works. But it isn’t some unrealistic, crack-of-the-whip, Stephen King zeitgeist flip out. Instead, it’s a simple set of adjustments and meaningful scheduling to help things work. There’s no fluff here; I just follow the bouncing ball.

Missed deadlines still occur. I fall short of my own expectations on a regular basis, but overall, the system stays in place. And, the four walls, and roof surrounding me do not cave in.

So, without further ado, here’s a peel back of the curtains look at my writing routine—complete with its own set of limitations and distractions.

Strategic Overview

That’s simply a fancy word for saying that I planned my schedule in Google Calendar. However, that doesn’t mean it’s whacked together without thought or preparation. On the contrary. 

I’ve designed this routine around several key principles that have all made a difference. Not only to my day, but my general well-being as well. What this means is I’ve factored peak creativity periods. Which for me is late in the afternoon, because, like any human, I cannot switch-on my creativity, on demand. 

Alternatively, in the mornings is when I’m more admin focused. So, this presents me with the perfect time to pay-the-bills… so to speak. Which now means I’m not frantically jumping between modes all day. Additionally, I dedicate specific days to various aspects of my author business. Whether that be creating marketing assets and building networking relationships or… taking time out to clear my head and go for a walk.

My system is flexible, but it also ensures that I’m more consistent with my work and constantly writing fresh content, or dedicating time to my works in progress is still demanding. As it should be. But it still requires a systematic approach, and regular check-ins. This—for my own peace of mind—doesn’t have to consume every waking hour. But it does save me from months of effort, walking in the wrong direction. I learned this one the hard way. 

Stepping back for a moment—to a place where I began planning all this—I do recall a sense of overwhelm. Because, as luck would have it, I’m an off-the-cuff type of character (not a pantser though!), so the thought of a dedicated routine scared the absolute shit out of me. But, when I began to break it down, day by day, and focusing on the essential elements, I was met with a moment of clarity.

The following is a basic overview of my Weekly Writing Routine.

Monday: Content Creation & Strategic Planning

Mondays used to be my prime enemy, and three-thirty-itis hit like a brick to the side of the face. But now I have a secret weapon. I start everyday off with a 30minute routine where I go through some basic stretching, and some basic vagus nerve reset exercises. This helps me shake off the cobwebs, and gets the blood flowing, so I don’t feel like a reptile on a cold winter’s day.

Then I have my coffee before turning to my weekly planning (9:00-10:00), where I’ll review my calendar. I’ll set my focus on the three primary content goals I aim to achieve—for that day. Further to that, I’ve found that limiting goals prevents overwhelm and three is my magic number, but more on those later.

Once my day is mapped out, I conduct a quick platform check, I dive into newsletter development and update my socials. And potentially even post a blog (10:00-11:00). My newsletter is the most valued asset in my author platform, so it gets priority over everything else. I’ll research historical context for my articles. Draft the primary content. Craft headline variations, then conduct my SEO preparation. 

On that note, I’ve found my newsletters perform better when developed over a month. As opposed to rushing it last-minute.

After lunch, I’ll head to the gym where I punish myself beneath a mountain of barbells and weight plates. Just kidding, it’s light weights and cable machines only, because the years have casually worn my body down. 

Next, I’ll tackle my marketing (1:00-3:00), creating what ever assets I need. Whether that be a blog, or the Landing Page I’m presently developing, marketing is paramount to my goals. When time runs short, I focus on emails etc, in the aim of fostering engagement, and building working relationships. After That, I might read to relax my brain, or watch the tube, because what comes next is the most important part of my writing day.

Following a short break, I dedicate sacred time to current work in progress (4:00-5:00). I set a word count goal—usually 1000 words. However, I’m conscious here. If the words aren’t coming out, I don’t push the point. Likewise, if I hit my goal, I stop there and save some of those juices for the following day.

While all this is occurring, my phone is off. The tube is off. Miles Davis (I find his jazz beat matches my tempo of writing. And, if I can align with the rhythm, my words can flow—a bit like music) might be playing, but there’ll be no other distraction.

Tuesday: Audience Growth & Platform Development

If Monday focuses on creation, Tuesday is all about connection, so you will find me at my local Yoga studio. 

This delays the start of my day, but it also resets my mindset. And, as soon as I return home, I begin to implement my Substack growth strategy (11:00-12:00). I used to avoid Substack because I felt as if it was redundant to my cause. But now, starting from a point of zero subscribers, I’m beginning to see, not only the potential for reader connections, but also the value I can provide to my subscribers. 

After a lunch break, the afternoon includes blogging and networking outreach. I research new books in my genre, write some emails, and continue building my marketing assets. I end the day with—you guessed it—writing.

Wednesday: Marketing Implementation & Optimisation

Wednesday is when I put on my marketing hat. After checking my emails and Substack, I dive into advertising management (9:30-11:00). Amazon campaigns are going to be a driving force behind my marketing efforts, so, researching keywords bids, and developing sales copy gets my undivided attention. 

Next comes SEO. Discovery optimisation (ranking). Backlink building, and new blog topics and implementing keyword strategies takes centre stage. 

Following lunch, I handle my book launch planning. I develop assets such as press releases and more marketing copy. Then, I’m off to the gym

The afternoon session is all creative writing, and I finish off my day by taking the dogs for a walk.

Thursday: Intensive Creation & Production

I have fibromyalgia, and other serious health issues, so by the time Thursday comes around, I’m typically low on energy. However, having a structured routine has enabled me to limit the burnout, significantly. 

After setting up a distraction-free environment, I dive into my primary book project session, at a local cafe (9:00-11:00). The dogs get a puppycino each, and I aim for at least 1,000 words. Some days the words flow, and others feel like getting blood from a stone, but I’ve learned to deal with such situations and never encounter writer’s block. So, if I’m unable to write here, it’s purely because I’m procrastinating or deliberately wasting time.

Then, I’m off to the gym, and if I feel energised, I’ll take up one of my cameras and head out for a photo walk.

Friday: Community Building & Strategic Review

Friday completes the week for me, but it’s also a bit of a recovery day—if necessary. Otherwise, I’ll focus on tightening up any loose ends. Often, I’ll go on a deep dive into some research, based on what my work in progress requires. 

After lunch, I’ll squeeze in some exercise. And, all things going well, I’ll pick up my camera again and head into town. However, for me, photography isn’t just a mindless hobby, or a pressure release. For me, it’s very much a mindful practise—like a meditation—but it also operates as a creative outlet for me. And, because I often see things—in my mind—long before I write things down, photography becomes integral to my writing process.

Monthly Focus Areas and Contingency Planning

While this routine gives me a good sense of structure, I still track my work across several areas.

Content production: blogs etc, where I aim to complete at least two blogs per week are important, my work in progress is where I aim for at least 4000 words for the week, but if I’m in a planning phase, I work from scene to scene.

Audience growth: (email lists, community engagement) is important to all writers, but especially self-published writers. So, marketing performance (advertising metrics, book sales, promotional effectiveness) is something I actively check.

Shit happens, and when it does, you need a backup plan. So, when the proverbial hits the fan—and in my life it often does—I can easily fall behind, at which point… I focus on my priorities. That is, I turn to writing and nothing else. Why, because I’m a writer, and if I cease to write, well… then I’m no longer a writer. But, nowadays, writing is like breathing for me—I simply cannot live without it.

Making This Work for You

I know this routine might seem impractical, and for people with other responsibilities, it likely is. The point of the article is, however, to show off the importance of routine and schedule. And, although for some, there might be no cuff too tuff, a failure to plan is akin to living inside a house of cards. 

So, remember this, my roadmap… after years of cuffing it came about through necessity and not a thought in the night. Regardless of where you’re at, and no matter your goals, start off by implementing a single day’s structure into your week. Cherry-pick the elements that matter to you most and squeeze them in wherever you can.

The aim isn’t perfection—but consistency. 

Following a routine—even if that routine is only for 1 hour a day—forms a habit. And for authors, habits, routine, and discipline form the bedrock of our careers. 

The goal isn’t to create a rigid system—and the point here isn’t to whip ourselves when we fall short—that makes you feel like a loser when shit happens. But, if we can develop positive patterns that support our goals of creative work, then we can build flexibility and beauty into our lives.

What part of the writing challenges you most? 

Start with adjusting that area first. Then—as you begin to feel comfortable—gradually expand your routine as each task forms a new habit. For me, that habit is writing—putting it lightly—I’d love to hear how you structure your author week in the comments below!