A Writer Without A Process Is Like An Artist Without A Studio
- R. A. Fletcher
- Jan 26
- 12 min read
When I was a young writer working on business reports, I longed to use my skills in a more creative capacity. I remember asking my sisters and other writers about how they became successful in their fields. I always got the same kinds of answers that you might read in a blog post about how to become a successful blogger, which usually left me kind of disappointed with the answer. The problem, however, wasn’t the answers I was getting. It was the question I was asking. Instead of asking how they found success, I should have been asking what their writing process looked like.
Getting Started: Defining Your Writing Process
Before pursuing my Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, I had never given much thought to my writing process. Now, however, I put quite a bit of effort into evaluating how I spend my time when I am writing and what this process does to shape the final product that I want to produce. Am I using my time wisely? Am I focusing on details that ultimately won’t matter? Will the final product speak to my audience the way I envision it? There are all the questions I strive to answer with every new project that lies in front of me.
Whether you are just learning how to get into writing as a hobby or are a seasoned writer with years of experience under your belt, you have a writing process. Even if you don’t know what it is yet, every writer has certain things that help or hinder their writing. If you haven’t defined your writing process yet, you may find it hard to make the time to write or keep things organized. But it’s time to change all that. Just like an artist benefits from creating a studio space to support their creative endeavors, a writer needs a process to keep them on track.
Defining a writing process is more than just deciding when and where you will write. It is about designing a workflow that keeps your projects on track while simultaneously creating accountability. Writers often work alone, so we have to be our own project managers, so to speak. Even if you land yourself a book deal, your editor isn’t going to hold your hand through the process. You will have deadlines to complete your work and standards you have to meet. As such, your process should consider your personal work ethic and schedule. Once you know how to motivate yourself and manage your time, you can design a space and routine that works in tandem with your life.
What Kind Of Worker Are You?
Before you start rearranging schedules or furniture, take some time to think about what kind of worker you are. I have always performed well academically, and I was told early in my career that I was very “Type A.” Over the years, I learned that this means that I work best on deadlines with clear project milestones and guidelines. I have come to define myself as a task-based worker. In essence, my work is best when I am given a list of tasks that need to be completed with a reasonable deadline. This allows me to work on my own schedule without tracking hours and get paid based on the quality of my work. Unfortunately, these types of jobs are few and far between since remote and 1099 laws went through regulation after the return to work orders post-COVID. Luckily, as I develop my own projects, I am much more capable of designing my process around this idea. I also apply this concept to my hourly work (more on that in a bit).
Other workers may despise task-based deadlines and prefer to work on an hourly basis. In writing, though, no matter if you work hourly or task-based, you will generally have a certain efficiency goal you will have to meet. Meaning, you will likely have to write a certain number of words per hour, day, or week to keep your contract. When considering your efficiency, take into account all aspects of writing, including research, SEO linking, adding images, and revisions. Depending on your contract or project, you may or may not be responsible for these tasks.
According to the World Economic Forum, there are six kinds of workers: Operators, Givers, Artisans, Explorers, Pioneers, and Stivers.
Operators: work to complete a goal with a preference for stability and predictability.
Givers: work based on a clear plan, usually in a field that benefits a group or groups of people.
Artisans: work on their own, pursuing projects that inspire them.
Explorers: enjoy freedom and work to gain experience, but do not define individuality by their profession.
Pioneers: work to make a change, often resulting in personal sacrifice.
Strivers: work to gain status or achieve professional recognition, often thrive in competitive environments.
If you can identify what type of worker you are, you can better define your goals as a writer and, therefore, your writing process. The type of worker you are may influence how you build your schedule, the location where you complete your work, and the types of companies you work with.
What Kind Of Schedule Works Best For You?
Defining whether you work better on an hourly or task-based schedule is the first step to determining what schedule works best for you. Writers often work autonomously. You report your hours via invoice or simply get paid once a project is complete. As such, it is up to you to make sure that you have enough time set aside to complete the work.
Timing is essential in creating a writing process. Set time aside for contractual obligations each day. It is usually best if this is the same time each day. I personally prefer to set contracts towards the end of the day, after my personal tasks are out of the way. This helps me feel more relaxed, and the words flow more freely. Others may feel the opposite and want to get contract work out of the way in the morning, leaving their evenings free for social or family obligations.
Contract work usually isn’t the only thing writers have going though. Personal projects are also essential. If you are not to the point of having contract work, you should set time aside to write every day. Again, keep this consistent. This could be time spent journaling, writing a book, or setting up a blog. Whatever you choose for your personal project, give it at least an hour per day. I like to start my days with this work.
Writing isn’t all about putting words on a page, so you will also need time to deal with organization, project management, meetings, business operations, etc. Depending on the complexity of your work and your contracts, the time needed for these tasks varies. Some people work just fine with dedicating one day to these tasks per month, while others incorporate them into their daily schedule.
At the end of the day, how your schedule works is up to you. However, you should define your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly tasks and create an attainable schedule. It is better to give yourself more time than you think you need to avoid stress on deadlines and account for things like lower productivity, barriers in research, and personal schedule conflicts.
What Kind Of Work Environment Inspires You?
Environment is a huge part of the writing process. The lighting, colors, noise level, and people that you work around can influence the productivity and quality of your writing.
Start by considering noise level. Some people need an environment that is completely quiet. Others like the hustle and bustle of a busy coffee shop or the food court in the mall. Co-working spaces or office spaces are another popular choice. Personally, I like to work in a private place with music or reruns on the tv. The background noise helps me stay grounded in what I am doing. Oftentimes, the shows or movies that I watch are ones that support the writing style I am working on.
Second, consider whether you want to work alone or around people. Some writers are people watchers, taking aspects of the people around them to build their characters and stories. These writers do well working in public spaces. Other writers are solitary, like me. I prefer working in a private office, but I keep a list of public locations I can work at in case I need a change of scenery.
Finally, lighting and color. If you are setting up your own office, add colors that make you feel awake and productive. Then, set the tone with lighting. I have three lighting options in my office. Natural light for the morning and midday, standard room lighting – which I rarely use – and LED lighting for nighttime. I choose LEDs that can change color so I can change the lighting depending on what feels right that night.
Dedicating A Space To Fully Explore Your Writing Process
Now that you know how you like to work, you need a space to explore your writing. Whether you work out of a coffee shop or from your bed, you still need a space that is for writing only. Every writer is different, so your space may be a corner in your bedroom or an office the size of an art studio. Whatever the size of the space, there are some key aspects every writer should incorporate into their space, such as seating and work space, tools and materials, and aesthetic.
Seating And Working Space
As someone with a chronic pain condition, trust me on this: the comfort of your working space is one of the most important things when designing your space. I have three different kinds of seating options in my working space: a standard office chair, an ergonomic chair, and a couch. For me, the different options allow me to work comfortably, no matter what condition my body is in that day. As an added measure, I have an adjustable ergonomic bed that I work in when days are especially tough.
Bring In The Right Materials
One of the first things I tell people when they ask about my office space is about my whiteboards. I read an article recently about how all writers should have an ugly notebook. I have one of those, too, but I also have 5 whiteboards on my office walls. Why? Because not all project notes need a permanent home.
When I am writing, I often have ideas for other projects. To stay on task without letting go of the inspiration, I use whiteboards to organize my thoughts. The largest is my main whiteboard for active projects. It’s filled with notes and to-dos. Then, I have two smaller ones about half the size of the largest. These are for long-term to-dos that I have not converted to spreadsheets or Trello tasks yet. One is for writing projects, the other for business administration. The smallest whiteboard is for expenses, budgets, and meeting notes. Finally, the last one is a calendar where I track both professional and personal schedules.
Your writing materials may look different. Whether you choose whiteboards, notebooks, a laptop, tablet, index cards, vision boards, or anything else, make sure you build something into your space to keep your projects visible and on track.
Don’t Forget The Aesthetic
It may not seem important on the surface, but aesthetics can impact productivity almost as much as physical comfort. In my space, I have bookshelves filled with textbooks, comics, and novels that I love. In the center, I have my certifications and degrees displayed. On top, I have my Funko Pop collection. The entire setup is backed by soundproof foam.
Every piece of this setup was intentional to not only make me feel comfortable in my own space but also convey my personality as an author and expert to potential clients during Zoom meetings. Consider how you will use the space, and what aesthetic inspires you. Keep it professional in case you need to take on meetings. Blurred backgrounds in Zoom meetings are distracting. Having an office that reflects your expertise shows clients professionalism and gives them insight into your personality, which is often more important than experience.
What My Process Looks Like
So what is the actual writing process, and what does it look like? I am going to be honest, my schedule changes quite a bit, but what is more important is how I get ready to write every day.
Daily Routine
I am not a breakfast person. It takes me about 3 hours after waking up to develop an appetite if I drink water, coffee, or have fruit within the first hour. Otherwise, I forget to eat until almost dinner time. When I wake up, I make an effort to go straight to the kitchen. If I forget to drink water or eat something small, I usually get a hint of writer’s block halfway through the day. To avoid this, I start by making a cup of coffee and having some form of light breakfast. Avocado toast is a favorite, but that’s about all I can handle. During this time, I socialize with my family, organize our plans for the day, and get everyone off to their respective places. After my coffee is done, I drink a bottle of water before starting a new cup. I try to limit the coffee to 2 cups per day.
On the second cup of coffee, I enter my office for the first time. Anything before this is strictly home time. I don’t even turn on my computer most days until almost noon. Once I do, though, I hit the ground running.
For the first 10-15 minutes, I take the time to make sure I have everything I need within reach. This is as much a time management thing as it is a chronic illness consideration. Then, I organize my projects. I take up to an hour to review emails, check project schedules, review business metrics, and anything else that needs to be done outside of research and writing. This time is also usually dedicated to writing out the project to-do list for the day.
On average, I write 4 articles per day, amounting to somewhere between 2000 and 4000 words depending on research, topic, and images needed. In my experience, this is relatively high output for an agency setting. Also, keep in mind this includes both agency writing and writing for my business.
During the writing process, I take breaks regularly. If the words are flowing, I follow a timer. I make sure to stand up and stretch at least once per hour. I keep a yoga ball, foam roller, and resistance bands in my office for this purpose. If things are going slowly, I stand and stretch to help me think. I always take an hour break every 3 hours, and I try to avoid writing and editing in the same block of time. Editing should be done with fresh eyes.
Working Through A Project
Article writing is my bread and butter, and I have developed my process over 10 years in the research and marketing fields. Once I am in the writing process, there are several stages I break a project down into. This can change depending on client needs, but in general, I start with collaboration, pre-research, outlining, research, writing, sourcing, adding images and media, and self-revision.
Collaboration: this is the time spent talking directly with clients and editors, defining the project scope, and asking clarifying questions as needed.
Pre-research: sometimes this blends with collaboration because this is where you decide the direction the article or project will take. Weed out what is feasible and decide how much content will fit in the article.
Outline: use your pre-research to create a general outline for the article. If the article needs a significant number of images, add those here to avoid writing content for which you can’t source images.
Research: this is where most of your time is spent. Track down reputable sources whenever possible and read both sides of any arguments. As you research, save sources along the way that you will reference during the writing process.
Writing: put it all together in a cohesive project according to the guidelines for the project.
Sourcing: add your sources as needed. Sometimes this process works better incorporated into the writing process, or you may find you prefer adding them before or after writing. This can vary depending on the client’s rules regarding sources.
Adding images and media: this can be time-consuming depending on the client's requirements. Always pay attention to licensing, sizing, and photo quality if you are sourcing images.
Self-revision: Once you think the article is done, read it out loud to yourself. Run a spell checker or grammar checker after you have completed revisions to ensure you didn’t miss anything. Don’t do it before, as that creates dependency on AI tools, which usually leads to revisions.
Extras: some clients may ask you to include extras like metadata for SEO purposes. I usually tack this on to the end in case something changes with the article in the writing process. The meta description is what shows up on search engine results, so it needs to be a succinct summary of the article with keywords.
This process is not set in stone. I change it for every article depending on the project's needs. Checklists are a great way to keep track of your process and ensure you don’t forget anything important. Revisions happen, but they can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you could have fixed the issue before submission. Treat every submission as if it will be published without further edits.
Set Aside Time To Write Every Day
Yes. EVERY. DAY. Writing is an artform, and just like an artist hones their skills through sketching, writers should be putting words on paper every chance they get. These don’t have to be refined passages of profound thought or complex storytelling. Daily writing is about exercising your skills, not perfecting your craft (at least not in the beginning).
Not all writers have made writing their career yet. Other writers may get caught up in writing for the career that they have, not the career that they want. To develop skills and establish yourself in your field, write something every day that aligns with your future goals. Feel free to keep these projects to yourself or put them out there.
Don’t Forget To READ
As a writer, your goal should be to gain a following. Your audience will determine your success. If you don’t take the time to read the content that your audience is reading, you are likely going to have issues marketing yourself or your projects. Start by defining your audience. Then, read what they are reading. This can tell you if you are even speaking to the right audience. If you are, it can help you further develop your expertise in the area and generate new ideas for future projects.
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