Writing Needs Routine More Than Romance
W. Somerset Maugham famously said:
It’s a joke, of course. But like many good jokes, it lands because it’s true.
Most people misunderstand how creative work actually gets done. They imagine writers waiting for a flash of brilliance, for the muse to appear with a smirk and a cigarette and a perfectly formed idea.
Sometimes? Sure. That happens.
Most of the time, you’re staring at the page, hoping the gears in your head will catch.
Trick is, they only catch if you’re already turning the crank.
Discipline Makes Inspiration Possible
I’ve written good scenes on tired mornings. On travel days. On days where I didn’t even want to open the document. Some of those scenes held up. Others didn’t.
If I hadn’t shown up, none of them would exist.
Discipline doesn’t guarantee brilliance. But it makes brilliance possible.
It’s the scaffold your creativity climbs.
You show up. You write badly. You write quietly. You write because it’s 9am and that’s what you do at 9am.
Eventually, inspiration learns your schedule.
Ritual Helps the Muse Find You
A routine is a flare. A signal. It tells your subconscious: “It’s time.”
In a perfect world, mine looks like this:
- Get up. Shower. Dress. Make coffee
- Desk
- Document open
- Internet apps all minimised
- Begin
Even when I don’t feel like it.
Especially when I don’t feel like it.
That moment of friction—the resistance before you start—is often mistaken for a lack of inspiration. It’s not. It’s just your brain shifting gears. If you let the routine carry you through it, something usually gives.
Inspiration Is a Reward, Not a Requirement
You don’t wait for inspiration. You build a space where it might visit you.
Sometimes it does.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
You still show up. That’s the job.
More often than not, if you show up enough times, the muse will learn your schedule too.
That said, it’s also perfectly fine to be struck by inspiration when you’re doing other things, to whip out your handy notebook or phone, and record the thought while it’s fresh. If you’re not in the middle of something important, maybe you can head to your writing space or device and make use of this flash of potential genius.
Just don’t make your writing wait for it to happen.
Try This
For the next week, pick a time. Any time that works in your schedule.
Show up to your writing space at that time every day. Even if you just sit and stare at the screen.
Hold that space.
Make it clear: inspiration is welcome, but not required.
Do it again the next day. And the next.
You might just find it showing up at your version of “9am sharp”.