Neil Gaiman’s Writing Routine

If you are a writer, you have a writing routine, even if it’s a side hustle. Some of the most successful writers in history have a set one. Studying the routines of famous people has become a habit for many writers. From these, we can learn and adapt them to our own lives.

One of the routines that fascinate me the most is that of Neil Gaiman. Gaiman has written several bestsellers, including Caroline and American Gods. He is also well known for co-writing many books with the late Terry Pratchett.

Here are the biggest lessons we can learn from the great man himself.

First Draft Pen and Paper

The first thing I discovered about Gaiman was that he writes the first draft of every novel by hand. He is not the only writer who has used this technique; Jackie Collins was another writer who did this.

Writing on pen and paper can be hugely advantageous for writers as it is another medium. For example, transferring from computer to pen and paper has, in the past, stopped my writer’s block.

The other factor to consider when writing is that editing your work is not as easy as on a computer. I have spoken at length about writing without editing. You use a different part of the brain to edit than you do to write; this constant switching can slow productivity and cause writer’s block.

Writing by hand may not be your thing, but it is an excellent trick if you are stuck. Writing by hand also helps us be more deliberate with what we write. Although I have not written a draft by hand, I often plot on paper and turn to it when I am stuck on a particular scene.

Write or be Bored

This is my favourite of Gaiman’s writing tips. Every day he has to write, he takes himself to his summer house and sits there with a pad and pen. The only rule is he writes, or he does nothing.

This is advantageous for two main reasons; first, it limits distractions. How often have you checked something on the internet for a story only to disappear down a rabbit hole and find yourself an hour later, no further forward but knowing what your friends are doing on Facebook?

Whatever the industry you work in, it has been well documented that constantly swapping tasks and multitasking can reduce productivity and cause stress. I often use this at work to improve my stress levels; I concentrate on one task before moving on to another. This works exceptionally well with writing as well as teaching.

The thought that if you don’t write, you sit there and do nothing has two impacts on our brains; first, if we are bored, we are more likely to get back to writing. Second, sometimes it is good to let your brain rest. How often do you do nothing in this world of constant information bombardment? The process can be very restful and allows your brain the space to create.

Focus Time

Gaiman always writes in his summer house for a set amount of time. He starts at 1 pm and finishes at 7. If you are a morning person, you might change these times to the morning; either way, time blocking is a highly effective productivity tool.

Once again, we are focusing on one task at a time. This deep work allows us to create much more work as our brain concentrates on this task. So many writers talk about the strength of time blocking, which has benefitted me hugely.

When time blocking for any task, it is advisable to put this time into your calendar, then, you have made a hard appointment with yourself, and it is harder to ignore something in your diary. I, for example, block off time on a Friday to work on my admin for my company. I also write for two hours every evening. If you make this arrangement, your friends and family will soon see this and help preserve your time.

Change your environment

Going to the summer house, for Gaiman, helps his brain know that he will write. You might have another routine which signals it is time for writing. It could be as simple as getting a specific pen out, making yourself a cup of coffee or sitting in a particular chair.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear speaks about habit stacking, building on small habits with bigger ones. This small first step of going to another environment or setting up your existing environment is enough to follow through with the focused work. It tells your brain that you are ready.

Learn from the Masters

Whenever you look at any routine writers use, there is never any advantage to copying them completely; instead, I advise you to adapt them to your needs. As you read more of these, you may take a little from Virginia Wolff and Neil Gaiman to make your routine.

You can also use many of these approaches to accomplish other tasks in your life. These are valuable to improving our productivity and becoming the creative power we want to be.

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