How to Write a Book When You’re Busy: Time, Focus and Realistic Writing Routines

Where to write, when to write, how to find focus??

One of the questions I am asked most often by aspiring authors is where and when they should write.

They imagine, quite understandably, that there must be an ideal setup: a beautiful studio, a free morning, a countryside view and a perfectly brewed coffee. It is a lovely idea. It is also rarely the reality. In fact, one of the editors I know and respect loves to work in a supermarket cafe. Anywhere prettier would put her off as it could break her concentration.

Over the last few years I have worked with founders, consultants and leaders who are writing books alongside full businesses and full lives, and I can tell you that manuscripts have been shaped in far from romantic settings. I have seen chapters drafted in parked cars between meetings, entire frameworks dictated on long walks, proposals written at kitchen tables after children have gone to bed, or before they've got up, and surprisingly good paragraphs produced in airport lounges.

The truth is that books are not written in perfect conditions; they are written in available conditions.

Understanding this makes a huge difference, particularly if you are a business owner wondering whether you have the time, the headspace or the right temperament to write one.

Where to write a book

Some people genuinely do love a dedicated writing desk. They clear it carefully, light a candle, open their manuscript file and settle in for a focused session. If that is you, great! But, it's always worth questioning if your routine helps you or if it could possibly be a way of procrastinating?

Others prefer to open the notes app on their phone and capture thoughts as they arise throughout the day: recording voice notes whilst walking the dog can be particularly productive.

I have clients who write best in cafés because the hum of conversation helps them concentrate. I have others who need complete silence. One writes in bed early in the morning before anyone else is awake. Another dictates entire chapters while driving because speaking feels more natural than typing. One writes at night with a glass of wine to loosen the creative flow. There is no right way, only the way that is right for you. I, personally, struggle with coffee shops of any kind as I don't wear headphones and find the noise of coffee machines irritating!

Just as we all learn differently, so too do we all process and write differently. I'm currently writing this in a co-working space, surrounded by people fully focussed on what they are doing, with Morcheeba playing in the background. Perfect for me; awful for you?

Writing routines for busy people

Timing is just as personal as location. If you are building a business, leading a team or raising a family, you may not have the luxury of large blocks of writing hours. That does not disqualify you from writing a book. It simply means you will need a structure that works with your reality rather than against it.

One author I work with blocks out two full days every month. She does nothing in between but she makes a huge amount of progress each month in these two days. Another author writes Monday - Friday from 5am - 7 am. Works for her but I'm not sure that I could maintain that level of discipline!

For many of the people I work with, consistency matters more than duration. A regular weekly block, even if it is only for an hour or two, creates momentum. The book becomes part of life rather than a future ambition.

If you are short of time, the question is not whether you can write for three hours a day. It is whether you can protect one block of time each week or month and use it well.

That is often enough.

How to focus when writing a book

One of the most effective things you can do is create a simple ritual that signals to your brain that it is time to write. It might be a particular playlist, a specific notebook or a cup of tea you only make when you are working on your manuscript. These cues sound small but they can build association. Over time your mind learns that this is the time to write.

Another powerful tool is book mapping before drafting. When you are clear on the structure of your book, writing sessions become far less daunting. You are not staring at a blank page wondering what to say. You are expanding on a section you have already thought through. That clarity reduces overwhelm and makes focus far easier to access.

Voice notes can also be transformative, especially for founders who think out loud. Speaking your ideas removes the friction of typing - I definitely can't type as fast as I can think, typing lessons were periods 1 & 2 on Monday mornings in S6 and I didn't tend to make many of them. Oh, how I regret that now! The priority is capturing the thinking while it is happening. The editing can come later.

Finally, accountability changes everything. When someone is expecting to see a section by a certain date, the book moves from a nice idea to a real commitment. Deadlines do not have to be harsh to be effective. They simply need to exist. This is why I build weekly accountability into my book writing programme - Flourish. (Or, Write The Damn Book, as one of my newest clients fondly calls it!)

You do not need the perfect conditions

If you are waiting for the right time, a clear diary or a surge of confidence before you begin, you may find that the moment never quite arrives.

Books are written alongside life, not instead of it.

Your way forward is not to replicate another author’s routine. It is to notice how you think best, when you feel most focused and what kind of support helps you to follow through.

The place can be a desk, a sofa, a café or a car. The time can be dawn, dusk or somewhere in between. What matters is that you begin, that you return to it regularly and that you allow the process to look like yours rather than anyone else’s.

If you are considering the idea of writing a book and wondering whether you are the right person to write it, I hope this reassures you. There is no single way to be an author. There is only the decision to start and the willingness to continue.

And often, that is enough. If you do have any questions about your book or your writing, I'm always here to chat.