# Build a writing routine that gets my draft finished

A realistic weekly writing schedule, word targets, and a plan for bad weeks so you actually finish your draft.

- Topic: Productivity & Planning
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Productivity, Write, Rewrite & Edit, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/build-a-writing-routine-that-gets-my-draft-finished

## Prompt

```text
Help me build a writing routine that gets my first draft finished.

**Project:** [e.g. "a novel", "a poetry collection", "a memoir"]
**Where I am now:** [e.g. "12,000 words in", "just an outline"]
**Target length:** [e.g. "80,000 words", "30 poems"]
**Finish-by date, if any:** [DATE or "no deadline"]
**My week:** [work hours, family duties, when I have energy]
**What has derailed me before:** [e.g. "editing as I go", "skipping a day then a month", "phone"]

Give me:
1. A realistic daily or weekly target, with the math showing when I'd finish at that pace. If my deadline isn't realistic, say so and offer two options.
2. A weekly schedule: specific writing slots that fit my life, including a short "minimum day" version (e.g. 10 minutes or 100 words) for busy days.
3. A start-of-session ritual (under 5 minutes) and an end-of-session habit (e.g. leave a note for tomorrow mid-sentence).
4. Rules to protect drafting: when to edit, where to park ideas, how to handle a scene I can't figure out ([FIX LATER] notes).
5. A plan for missed days and bad weeks that doesn't involve guilt or "making up" all the words.
6. A simple progress tracker I can copy into a notebook or spreadsheet.

Keep it kind and practical; the aim is a finished messy draft, not a perfect one.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. "a novel", "a poetry collection", "a memoir"
- e.g. "12,000 words in", "just an outline"
- e.g. "80,000 words", "30 poems"
- DATE or "no deadline"
- work hours, family duties, when I have energy
- FIX LATER

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.