Famous Writing Routines

17/04/2025

✍️ One writer. One routine. Every week. Go inside the daily habits that drive great books.

At Famous Writing Routines, we explore how authors like Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Zadie Smith, and Philip Roth start their mornings, push through blocks, and stay focused through drafts, edits, and deadlines.

You’ll get a new in-depth profile every week—packed with quotes, insight, and a peek behind the scenes of the writing life.

📬 Subscribe now and learn how the world’s best writers actually work.

Inside the daily writing routines of great authors—from Margaret Atwood to Zadie Smith. Click to read Famous Writing Routines, by Hao Nguyen, a Substack publication. Launched 20 hours ago.

14/02/2024

"I’m interested in decolonizing narrative and language in storytelling, especially in writing about cultural and inherited trauma."

— Janice Lee

Janice Lee is a Korean American writer, spiritual scholar, and shamanic healer. She has authored eight books encompassing fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, including titles like KEROTAKIS, Daughter, Damnation, Reconsolidation, The Sky Isn’t Blue, Imagine a Death, Separation Anxiety, and a ...

13/02/2024

"In this busy world, where distractions are constant, having a retreat allows for a deep dive into creative projects without interruptions."

Imagine having a special hideaway, a personal haven just for writing – that's the essence of a personal writing retreat. It's a dedicated time and space where writers can step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life to truly immerse themselves in their craft.

11/02/2024

"It’s not just about the inability to put words on a page; it’s also the lingering doubt and the dampening of creative enthusiasm that comes with it."

Writer's block is like that unwelcome guest at a party, turning up unannounced and often overstaying its welcome.

11/02/2024

"My writing routine is to not have a writing routine. I long ago learned that I’m a deadline writer—for prose, at least—and so I often work backwards from a deadline, starting with what I hope is enough time to finish. That’s probably why I was so productive in grad school—I had an essay due every three or four weeks, so I’d get it done."

— Simmons Buntin / Terrain.org

Simmons Buntin is a multifaceted professional known for his roles as editor, writer, publisher, and educator. He founded Terrain.org in 1997 and serves as its editor-in-chief, also heading Terrain Publishing as its director and president.

30/01/2024

"But in an ideal world, I wake up early and sit down with my coffee. Go through my email and try very hard not to get distracted. I find if I start the day with admin work, my creative brain throws up its hands and stomps off in a fit.

But I usually try to write – with lots of breaks – until about 1 in the afternoon. This can be anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 words. And then I take a very long walk with my dog who has been waiting patiently."

— Molly O'Keefe

Molly O’Keefe, who discovered her passion for writing early in life, has been a prolific author since publishing her first Harlequin romance at 25.

28/01/2024

"I write in longhand and preferably on paper with margins and thick lines with wide space between the lines. I prefer to write with pens that glide very easily over the paper because my handwriting is fast." — Margaret Atwood

27/01/2024

"Early morning, lunch break, on the train, late at night — it doesn’t matter. Find the extra hour, go to the same place, shut the door."

— John Grisham

25/01/2024

"Starting a novel isn’t so different from starting a marriage. The dreams you pin on these people are enormous. You are diving into the lives of your characters, knowing that you will fall in love with all of them, knowing (as surely Elizabeth Taylor knew) that in the end the love will finish and turn you out on the street alone."

— Ann Patchett

24/01/2024

"When I’m writing, I write every day. It’s lovely when that’s happening. One day dovetailing into the next. Sometimes I don’t even know what day of the week it is." — Raymond Carver

24/01/2024

Whether it’s exploring personal memories, observing societal dynamics, or simply musing on the quirks of daily life, these prompts are designed to cover a wide array of themes.

Creative nonfiction is a unique blend of storytelling and reality, where the facts of life meet the art of narrative. It’s a genre that invites writers to explore their experiences, thoughts, and observations, weaving them into stories that resonate with truth and authenticity.

23/01/2024

"I usually write and read extensively in the summer and during winter break and devote my time to my students during the semester. I do have writing breaks on Saturday afternoons during the semester where I go to a coffee shop in the afternoon and put in several hours of writing."

A conversation with Jennifer Maritza McCauley about her latest book, When Trying to Return Home, daily writing routines, handling writer's block, and more.

Jennifer Maritza McCauley is a writer, poet, and university professor. She has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts in prose, Kimbilio, CantoMundo and the Sundress Academy for the Arts.