Here’s the truth.
Getting better at writing isn’t difficult. Making time for it can be.
There’s so many things that can get in the way. And my schedule is better than most.
For one thing, I don’t have kids. I have a few pets, but their maintenance is minimal.
My job is tough, but I’m able to keep my late evenings free to work on writing when I want to.
And I wake up early.
On the scale of free to busy, I’m somewhere in the middle, trending free. So, your mileage may vary. But this is what I do, every day, to get better at writing.
The most important part of becoming a better writer
Before we jump in, the most important part is being ready to do this anywhere.
You can’t only be a great writer when the house is quiet and the office is clean and cozy.
Let those distractions become a part of your routine. Write at lunch if you want. Type out a draft while the TV is on. It adds spice to your writing.
It’s easier to make time to write when you don’t need that time to be perfect.
Now, let’s get into it.
There’s three things you’ll need to do.
They’re not difficult – each individual task is simple. Making the time for it is.
Reading helps you become a better writer
At least 30 minutes a day.
Great writers read a lot. It’s not rocket science. You need to learn from the hard work of others. Not just writing giants like Hemingway and Vonnegut. I study the heroes of copywriting – Joe Sugarman, Gary Halbert, and David Oglivy.
These people spent their entire lives learning how to write better. They learn a lot. Then they write books teaching you everything they learned.
Use them.
When reading, take notes. It’ll help you remember things.
Writing helps too, of course
At least 1000 words a day.
Stephen King said you should do 2000 words a day, but half that is enough. Let’s start there.
I’d say 70% of my thousand words suck. No place in the final piece for them. But I need to get those out of my system to to find the 30% that work.
Don’t worry too much about 1,000 perfect, quality words. Just get 1,000 words out.
Don’t forget about copywork
At least 30 minutes a day.
Copywork is writing out, by hand, ads and words other people have written.
If that sounds like literal copying, that’s because it is.
When you read something, you start to understand it. But when you write it out, you internalize every word. The voice. How the writer breaks up the cadence. Everything from the flow to the phrasing.
It’s an easy way to become a better writer.
Great. We’ve got the prerequisites out of the way. Let’s see when I do them.
My daily writing schedule
6:30AM – Wake up
This is when my dog and I get up. He’s a smart little guy who needs a schedule. I let him out and let my brain turn on.
6:45AM – Copywork
By this point, my brain is more or less awake. This is a great opportunity to get some copywork done. I don’t need to force myself to come up with new ideas. I knock this out at the start of the day, with a pen and paper. Some people like writing around this time, and that’s fine.
7:15AM or so – Workout
This is important passive time for your brain.
It needs to idle. Let it to think about the words you wrote last night, or the ones you copied this morning. It’ll come up with some new ideas or angles.
8:30AM – 5 or 6 PM (on a good day) – Day job
I don’t do any personal writing during this time.
It’s distracting, and I’d be a worse writer (and employee) if I tried to juggle the two.
I’ll assume that’s why you’re here.
5 or 6 PM – Down time
There are some people who can work 18 hours straight. No pauses.
That’s not me.
I need a small reset. So right after work, I’ll practice trombone, go for a walk with the dog… something along those lines.
Give your brain a complete break from work or anything related to it.
6PM – It depends…
This post could have been one sentence.
“I do most of my writing work after my day job.
But there’s nuance here.
Some days I have date night. Other days it’s trombone practice.
Let’s say that’s the case. I have a commitment from 6-8.
Immediately after that, I’ll jump into writing.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to happen. If it doesn’t, it’s a zero day. And I can’t have zero days.
Yes, sometimes, I’m exhausted. But this doesn’t feel like work to me. So I do it.
Also, if I don’t have plans, I’ll just book 6-8 for writing too.
10PM – reading
I keep reading for the end of the day.
It helps to not stare at a screen in bed, and it’s a calming way to wind down.
I destroy my books – highlighters, underlines, dog-ears. I encourage you to do so as well, if it’s a book you’re trying to learn from. If not, keep a pen and paper close by to write down sentences or words you like.
That’s it.
The hard part is doing it. Every day. Without any positive signal.
But I love writing, so that part is much easier.
What about weekends?
Weekends are great. I can get up early, and spend the whole morning writing. That leaves the afternoon and evening to do whatever I want.
There’s also time to catch up on administrative stuff – billing clients, giving updates, etc.
So I guess you could call it a seven-day work week.
But again, I don’t view writing work as work. It’s what I wake up wanting to do every day.
So, that’s the formula. Grind at your day job, and spend the nights exploring your craft. Honing and refining it.
Seriously? Every day?
Honestly…yes.
If you miss a day, then you’ll be okay.
Miss two or three, and you’re falling off the wagon.
Momentum is crucial here.
If you don’t keep making time, you won’t learn how to make time.
One last thing. Steal some of the phrases from here. It’ll make your writing sound better.
Leave a Reply