How to Write a Book Fast: The Morning Routine

Establishing a routine that supports your writing process is important for every writer.

At The Novelry, we believe that scheduling time for yourself, an hour a day, is key to creating a successful writing practice. But even an hour can be hard to find in our incredibly busy lives, which is why we are big fans of writing in the morning, before you have to tackle all the other stuff that needs your attention. We call this the ‘Golden Hour’ method.

In this article, writing coach and published author Gina Sorell shares the evolution of her morning routine, as well as examples from some of our other writing coaches. Read on for helpful tips and tricks that we hope will inspire you to wake up early and get writing!

Author Gina Sorell smiling wearing a blue shirt at The Novelry

Let me start off by saying there were two things I was not before I really started taking my daily writing routine seriously: a morning person, and fast.

Working as a freelance writer, I often had clients halfway around the world, which meant my daily routine was deeply affected by how many different time zones I had to manage. I routinely worked late into the night to make my deadlines. This meant that my mornings got off to a later and much slower start, which suited me just fine because I’ve always liked easing into my day.

I’ve never been someone who can wake up and bolt out of bed first thing in the morning and be raring to go. My body needs a little coaxing, my brain a little bribing. I tend to stumble around getting myself and my space in order before I feel like I’m ready to get going.

So, how did I create a morning routine that would allow me to write fast? I started slow!

First things first: ease into it

I began by setting my morning alarm 15 minutes earlier. I wasn’t going to miss 15 minutes of sleep. After a few days, I set it back by another 15 minutes. I found that I could still go to bed at the same time and be just fine getting 30 minutes less sleep. I did this for about a week until my new morning routine felt easier, working my way up to getting up at least an hour earlier than before.

It took a little time, and I had to make sure that when I got to bed, I had better sleep hygiene. No scrolling on my phone or checking my email when I should be resting. I had to be a little more disciplined if I wanted to be productive the next day, and make the most of my writing time, but it was worth it.

Was it hard to wake up earlier at first? Yes.

Did I invest in a programmable coffee maker so I could stumble toward my first cup of coffee, ready for me to drink upon waking? Also yes.

Bare feet poking out from beneath the bed covers.

Start your morning the night before

I realized the less I had to do in the morning to get ready, the better. So, I started setting up the room where I write the night before, my desk cleared and my chair ready and waiting. I’m not the only one who uses this strategy:

I set up my desk the night before so that there’s as little friction as possible... I have medication I take as soon as I wake up, so I leave it downstairs by the kettle so I HAVE to get out of bed, and then I might as well make a tea and go and write!
—Kate Davies

Clear the cobwebs—and eat breakfast!

Over the years, I’ve tweaked my morning routine to help me be even more productive. I now make a greens-and-protein smoothie or overnight oats the night before, so I can eat breakfast while writing. I have added some gentle yoga, and a hot pad on my desk chair to warm my stiff muscles as I write. Some people, like The Novelry writing coaches Andrea Stewart and Heather Webb, are just naturally early risers and find that getting their bodies moving first helps them to clear the cobwebs, focus better, and get the ideas flowing.

I get up early and do a workout first, before either getting the kids off to school or cleaning, and by the time I sit down at my desk with a cup of coffee, it’s 9am and I’m very awake. I swear by Freedom to block the internet, and I also use Forest on my phone simultaneously—because I can’t trust myself, apparently. I put on my noise-canceling headphones, either some lo-fi music or a good soundtrack, and go!
—Andrea Stewart

Years into my morning writing routine, I feel it’s important to note that I’m still the same person who needs to do all the things to get going in the morning; moving, meditation, morning ablutions... I just do them all a little earlier.

A writer types on a laptop while holding a cup of espresso coffee.

Claim the space for your morning writing routine

I’m fortunate to have a room of my own to write. I focus better if I have control over my own space. But a lot of writers need to leave their homes to get their best writing done.

I also like to have a little vase of flowers on my desk, to cheer me on. I take a few moments to meditate and get myself centered, and then I begin. That said, I’m always on the lookout for tips from successful writers I admire, like this, from writing coach L.R. Lam:

I go to the cafe near my house that has no WiFi and I leave my phone at home. It opens at 7.30, but I usually arrive between 7.45 and 8am. I stay there until about 12pm. I do have some distractions, like chatting to regulars and saying hi to the dogs, but I find overall I get so much more done there as I can’t get sucked into email, social media, research rabbit holes, or other distractions. I have my favorite seat in the corner on an old church pew and I bring my laptop, my mouse, and a little mechanical keyboard because I like the sound it makes.

The baristas know me and bring me my coffee without me having to ask, and they check in on how the writing went when I go up to pay. Tuesdays, other writers come and we do morning sprints, and since a lot of my writer friends know that I can be found there, they’ll sometimes drop in and share my table, too. The ‘going to work’ aspect of it really helps me and also makes me feel less isolated. Sometimes I write in the afternoons, but I’d say 80% of my writing work is done at the cafe. I love it there!
—L.R. Lam

Get in the zone

Whether you’re at home, a cafe, or the library, creating a routine is important. The idea is to find what’s most helpful to you, and the best way to do that is to experiment with your morning routine and then be open to trying other things if you need to.

I try to finish the last day mid-sentence or at the beginning of a ‘good bit’ that I have pre-worked out in my head and can jump straight in. I use Spotify playlists to get into the zone, plus coffee. Mornings are best, and if I get 500–1,000 words done before lunch somehow, however rubbish, that feels like a win... Then maybe some revision or finishing off between 5 and 6pm. If I have to make up lost time or meet a deadline, I put Netflix on in the corner of my screen, something fun and moreish, nothing super intense, and con my brain into thinking I am, in fact, having fun and not working manically.
—Piers Torday

I also find listening to music a great way to help me get focused. I create playlists for every novel that I work on to help get me into the zone faster.

I cannot write in the afternoon, I’m too tired, and I think two hours is about my creative limit—but I can do long edit days. I start early and I sneak up on myself, trying to convince myself I am not going to do much, maybe just read over the previous days’ efforts. Then I hopefully get into it, and occasionally it feels like flying and my fingers cannot keep up with my imagination. I love those days!
—Amanda Reynolds

I’ve grown to love the quiet that comes with writing in the morning while the world outside sleeps. My heart continues to swell at the sight of the sun rising, the birds chirping, my neighborhood slowly coming to life as I near the end of my hour of writing at my desk. I’m now familiar with the routines of neighbors I don’t really know; the man who leaves early for work in the red car, the woman who walks her dog and returns with two cups of coffee, the jogger who sets off in reflective gear as I start typing and returns as I finish.

There is something magical about getting your writing in before your day officially starts, while the inspiration is still fresh and the responsibilities of family, partners, pets, emails, texts, newsletters, daily headlines, all find their way into our mental and physical space.

A woman sits outside on a blanket, writing in a notebook.

Successful writers are flexible and adaptable

Of course, not everyone can write first thing in the mornings, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of your writing routine. There have been many times in my life when I needed to clear my desk and do other things before I could get to my writing, and that’s okay.

I rarely write first thing in the morning. Instead, I do chores/errands in the morning and write in the afternoon, when my brain is working better.
—Michael Mammay

I think it’s important to be flexible, to know that you can apply the same tips and tricks of your morning routine to other parts of the day. The point is to find a routine that sets you up for success and make sure the time that you do spend writing is enjoyable and productive.

I usually write from 12 to 4pm, after slowly waking up and getting my life in order or grocery shopping first. The tasks distract me when I’m anticipating them, so I like to clear my path to writing without worrying about the time.
—Melanie Conklin

After Melanie has cleared her desk, she puts her writing practice into place with these helpful strategies.

Create a writing space that nourishes and supports you (beverages, cozy clothes, good light, good sound for you, reduce annoyances).
Arrive well-rested, well-fed, and AVAILABLE for the work.
Begin with reflection. A few minutes of journaling about how you feel gets you writing.
Allow yourself to write what comes to mind first, even if it is not linear drafting.
Stop in the middle of a conversation (hard to stop, but easier to start the next day).
Leave yourself a cheat sheet of notes, dialogue bits, etc., for the next day.

We all find our way, and realizing that I didn’t need to change everything about who I was and what I needed in order to have a successful writing practice was a huge shift for me. It didn’t have to be all or nothing. The changes—or rather, helpful additions, as I prefer to think of them—could be small and yet have a huge impact on my daily writing routine.

And even though I’m still not a fast writer, what I get done in that hour is often greater than what I get done when I have two or three hours later on in the day. Knowing that I worked hard to carve out that time for myself makes me focus and not get distracted. No matter how the writing day goes, whether the words are flying or I’m extracting them one by one to cobble together a handful of sentences, one thing remains the same:

I always feel better for having written.

A desk with books, notepads, pens, and a cup of coffee.

Create your writing schedule: the next steps

We have so many helpful articles on our blog to help inspire, motivate, and guide you toward your writing and a schedule that is all your own. Try some of these to get you going, and know that we have plenty of helpful advice for you to read, whenever you need it. We wish you the best of luck!

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Wherever you are on your writing journey, we can offer the complete pathway from coming up with an idea through to ‘The End.’ With personal coaching, live classes, and step-by-step self-paced lessons to inspire you daily, we’ll help you complete your book with our unique one-hour-a-day method. Learn from bestselling authors and publishing editors to live—and love—the writing life. Sign up and start today. The Novelry is the famous fiction writing school that is open to all!