Thinking about writing a book but still figuring out how to make it part of your daily schedule? We know it can be tricky to make time to write amid all your other commitments and responsibilities. The good news is that there’s no “right” routine. From early-morning coffee-fueled drafting sessions to late-night bursts of inspiration, every writer’s routine is uniquely their own, and every ritual helps shape the words that follow.
To help you find your flow, we asked seven Ballast Books authors to share a glimpse into their writing routines and rituals. Check out the habits, quirks, and practices that keep their stories moving from idea to page!
Mark Hertling, author of If I Don’t Return: “I tend to write early in the morning, when the house is quiet and distractions are few. I reread a small portion of what I wrote the day before, first to edit but then to keep the flow and to reconnect emotionally with the thread of the story. Coffee helps too. But mostly, having fun when you write is the most important thing. Some days, you’re into it and write a lot; other days, you may get just a few sentences that are just right. I’d recommend never having a goal for word or page count. Rather, take writing as a journey, flowing at some points and taking time to stop and get something just right at others. There were days when I wrote pages and didn’t go to bed till the wee hours. There were other times when I just wrote a sentence or two because I wanted to get an idea down on paper. Consistency matters more than ritual.”
Kevin Kidder, author of The Invisible Veteran: “For this book, I didn’t have a routine at all. It came out over four days, completely unstructured and driven by what was bubbling under the surface and needed to be let out. After that, the process became more intentional. I stepped away, came back, and shaped it into something more structured. Now, as I work on future books, my approach is different. I block off time to outline, develop ideas, and build the story with more discipline. The first book was born out of emotion. The next ones are being built with intention.”
Maura McGee, author of It Is What It Is: “I would write after I got all the kids off to school in the morning, and sometimes late at night after they were all in bed. I would usually turn on instrumental music (piano or Christian music), which helped block out other background noise and helped me concentrate. I would write for a while and then walk; I kept going back and forth between the two. I also prayed often for the inspiration to share what I needed to so that it might help ease even a little ounce of pain for someone who reads it.”
Beau Dooley, author of You, This Is Me . . . Over?: “I write when inspiration strikes. I don’t try to force it.”
John Fela, author of Faith like My Father: “I learned early on that I needed to be very intentional with the space that I made for writing, especially with a loaded work/life schedule. In the early years, I would carve out small chunks of time during lesson planning or grading. Once I left teaching, it was a matter of scheduling it as part of my evening routine. While it took almost five years to write my book, during the last six months, I made a point to commit to writing at least three pages a day for a few days a week.”
Meagan Davies, co-author of Miss You Already: “I do have a process that works well for me, though it has evolved. I begin by creating a detailed outline of the book to gain a clear sense of its themes, progression, and emotional arc. The outline serves as a road map and helps me stay grounded in the work’s larger purpose, especially when the subject matter is emotionally complex, as it is with anticipatory grief.
Once the structure is in place, I develop a set of reflective questions for my co-author to consider for each chapter. These questions invite her to share personal insights, memories, and lived experiences related to the themes we are exploring. Because she is navigating serious illnesses, her reflections bring authenticity and immediacy that cannot be replicated through theory alone. My role is then to weave those experiences together with the clinical understanding I bring as a licensed professional counselor.
This process allows writing to become a conversation between lived experience and professional insight. It keeps the work grounded in real stories while also offering readers tools, language, and frameworks that help them understand what they may be feeling. In many ways, the ritual of outlining, asking questions, and then shaping the responses into a narrative helps maintain both focus and meaning in the writing process.”
Hugo Pérez, author of SPARKED: “I’m less ritual, more readiness. I try to stay in a constant state of capture. Notes app, tablet, voice memos—whatever’s closest when the idea hits. Some days it’s structured. Some days it’s chaos. But the goal is simple: Don’t let the moment pass without grabbing something from it.”
Don’t let this moment of inspiration pass either! Now that you’re ready to build your own writing routine, check out these seven tips for making the most of each writing session. And whenever you’re ready to add a publisher to your routine, our editors are here to help you take the next step in your writing journey.