My Writing Non-routine

Yeah, I know, you read that right . . . I'm not proud, but it is true. I have no formal writing routine. I realize that it goes against the tried and true advice of so many professional writers and authors, but I'm just not one of those people. Not on the regular, anyway. And that's not to say that I don't have a process for my writing - I do! Sort of. I'll explain.

As I've already mentioned, I tend to write a little of this, a bit of that, and eventually get around to having a finished product. And, while I can't actually 100% guarantee that this works for me (since I haven't been published yet), I can definitely say that this is the method that I've used to actually have completed works. Whenever I've attempted to write just one project all the way through in a straightforward manner, I've failed and failed hard. Instead, I do really well with my more eclectic, less pressured way of doing things.

Of course, this doesn't mean I have no structure to my writing time at all! It just means it might now appear that way to someone who likes to set aside the same time every day (or even a set time every day) in which to write. Nah, I'm one of those people who get inspired and start writing at the drop of a hat. I take notes about anything I find interesting no matter where I am or what I'm doing and I keep all of those notes - even when they are terrible or don't make sense. I write down snippets and poems and dialogue the same way. And when I have the opportunity, I will sit and write when the mood strikes.

Even so, I'll admit: I will sit and power through when required. I will put my four year old down for her nap and settle in to get some writing done, but I don't usually plan out exactly what I'll write, how long I'll spend on it, or even limit myself to writing for just one of my project pieces. There are, however, two exceptions to this typically laidback method. (1) When I'm on a writing date with my writer buddies and (2) when it's time for NaNoWriMo. Those are instances where I need to be focused and intentional so that the time doesn't get away from me. In the first, it's for the sake of being a good friend and making the most out of actual dedicated writing time (and knowing that I will likely be distracted my conversations and brainstorming and adding my two cents to a grammar/punctuation discussion). In the case of the second . . . Well, I'd best leave that for another blog post. NaNo is a world of writing unto itself!

So for now, I'm done with this blog post, and think I have enough time and attention for adding to the word count of another project. We'll just have to see, I guess . . .