A Writing Routine That Leaves Room for Surprise
Structure matters, but a useful routine should make discovery easier rather than turn writing into factory work.
A writing routine is useful when it reduces the number of decisions that have nothing to do with the work.
The time, the place, the document, and the first small action can all be decided in advance. That leaves more attention for the part that cannot be automated: noticing what the piece is trying to become.
Consistency without rigidity
There is a difference between a dependable routine and a rigid one. A dependable routine gets you to the desk. A rigid routine tells you what must happen once you are there.
The first is useful. The second can make you deaf to surprise.
I prefer a small promise: arrive, remove obvious distractions, and stay with the work long enough for the easy excuses to run out.
Keep the threshold low
The hardest part of many sessions is the transition into them. So make the opening move tiny.
Read the last paragraph. Rewrite one sentence. Add one note about what comes next.
Momentum is often less dramatic than motivation, and much more dependable.