The daily routines of history’s greatest writers reveal a lot about the importance of habit and discipline. Previously, we’ve examined the routines that spark creative brilliance and how different artists have approached sleep and morning routines. Examining writers exclusively reveals common themes of rigour and flexibility.
William Faulkner was disciplined, but lacked a daily routine. He faced an erratic schedule, influenced by the demands of his jobs, which included being a night manager at a power plant. He would often use late-night hours to write his expansive novels in longhand. Over time, he began to write whenever he had a spare moment, including taking to the walls of his house. In his Mississippi home, he converted an old servants’ quarters into a writing space. The room, now part of a museum, features walls where the author outlined complex timelines and character arcs for his novels.
