2 min read

#8 Writing advice: Set the table the night before

A cup of coffee, blank lined notepad, headphones and keyboard on a light wooden desk.
A well laid writing desk is a happy writing desk. Photo by Lukas Blazek / Unsplash

Some people thrive with fastidious writing routines.

Others take a looser approach to the creative process.

I count myself in the latter camp. For instance, I believe freewriting has tremendous value as a solution for writer’s block or start point for creativity.

But commencing your writing routine with freewriting and launching into it without loose direction or preparations are different things.

I still “set the table” the night before I write.

Set the table

“Setting the table” helps me remove obstacles so when I put my backside in the seat to pour some words onto the page, there is minimal resistance in my way – and as a confessed procrastiplanner I need that protection.

What does setting the table look like?

For me, it looks a little like this:

  • Prepare coffee the night before with water ready in the kettle so I can have a dose of caffeine within minutes of waking up.
  • Charge my laptop in advance, place it in my writing spot and otherwise clear it because clutter distracts me.
  • I write from 5-7 am then head to the gym. I lay my gym gear out, pack my work bag, make my lunch and have everything else lined up so I can expand into those couple of hours as much as possible.
  • At the weekend or in the evenings, I braindump writing ideas. I look through this list when I journal at the end of the day and jot down the topic or two that I’ll freewrite about the next day. The freewriting process can go anywhere, but if I loosely identify a topic or focus, it helps tremendously even if I go off in another direction.

How do you set yourself up for success with your writing routine?

Share your versions of "setting the table" in the comment section below.

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Dispatch posts on Benjamin Craske’s website are short blogs and are sent to his newsletter community in a Sunday Roundup each week.