I can’t function in the morning. Simply put, I’m a night owl. Most of us have times that we work well–and times that we don’t. One of the keys to writing is learning to schedule your time so that you are productive, and part of that means doing the bulk of your writing when you are at your best. It’s fun to take a peek inside the life of another writer, so in that spirit, I offer you a sample day as an example:

Here’s my routine…

I get up around 9 or so, put on a pot of coffee, walk the dog and then settle in to check e-mail. I answer the simple ones, file the old ones and leave anything that requires thought in my inbox for another look when I am conscious. Then, I take a break, eat breakfast, and grab another cup of coffee. The rest of the morning is typically spent sending out e-mail inquiries and invoicing. Then I break for lunch. When I get back to the desk, I make phone calls, and then I write. After a couple of hours, I head out for a trip to the gym, then come home and write some more. How long I go then depends on how much work is on my plate.

Separating tasks into chunks of time works well for many writers. You may want to consider what your “best” hours are and reserve that time for actual writing. Do the menial tasks when you are waking up or winding down. It may not seem like this would make much of a difference, but I’m here to tell you that it really does. I get much more done going with my flow rather than I did when I fought against it.