Setting Yourself Up for Success When Writing a Novel
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou
Photo by Sascha Bosshard (Source: Unsplash).
Let’s be honest: writing a novel isn’t hard because we lack ideas. It’s hard because we lack systems.
Between work, family, and that mysterious ability of laundry to multiply overnight, writing can feel like something you’ll get to “someday.” But someday never comes — unless you make it.
That’s where setting yourself up for success comes in. Not by writing harder, but by writing smarter.
Here, I present 7 ideas on how to do this:
Start with a Blueprint
Plan the Friction Away
Protect Your Time — and Your Energy
Create Your Writing Zone
Separate Drafting and Editing
Build in Accountability (the Gentle Kind)
Celebrate Milestones (Big and Small)
1. Start with a Blueprint
Any framework where you make some important decisions BEFORE you start writing will do, but I personally favor Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book — a framework that helps writers build their story from the inside out.
A blueprint is not a rigid outline. It’s a foundation. Among other things, it clarifies your why (why this story matters to you), your what (what change your protagonist will go through), and your point (what truth the story proves).
Jennie compares writing a book without a blueprint to building a house without a plan:
“No one would ever dream of building a house without a blueprint… Building a house is too complex, risky, and expensive an undertaking to leave anything to chance. The same thing is true of writing a novel.”
Jennie Nash, Blueprint for a Book, 2021
That foundation gives you direction, and ironically, more creative freedom.Think of it as guardrails — they don’t box your creativity in, instead they allow you to play safe inside them without getting lost.
Even if you’re a discovery writer, having a few checkpoints helps you stay connected to your story’s soul. It’s not about controlling the journey — it’s about knowing where you’re headed.
2. Plan the Friction Away
Creativity thrives on moving forward, and nothing kills momentum faster than friction.
Friction is that moment when you sit down and realize your tea’s cold, your laptop needs charging, and your document is buried in fifteen folders labeled “New Draft — FINAL FINAL version 7.”
Set yourself up before you start:
Keep your writing tools open and ready.
End your previous session mid-sentence or with a note (“Next: She finds the letter”). Hemingway swore by this trick.
Create a small ritual to cue your brain that it’s writing time — light a candle, make tea, put on your “focus” song.
These tiny habits reduce the start-up resistance and build consistency — what James Clear in Atomic Habits calls “environmental design.” As he puts it:
“You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.”
James Clear, Atomic Habits, 2018
3. Protect Your Time — and Your Energy
You don’t need hours. You need intentional minutes.
Set a 25-minute block — a mini writing sprint — and guard it like a meeting. Research shows that focused, time-limited bursts improve both productivity and creative flow (Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience).
But time isn’t the only resource. Energy matters just as much.
Notice when you feel most alert: early morning, lunch hour, or late at night. Schedule writing then. Don’t waste your best brain hours on emails if you can avoid it.
And when life gets messy (because it will), lower the bar. Progress beats perfection every time.
And if you need a complete time-out (I recently did, because of grief), give yourself grace. Creativity doesn’t thrive when you’re in survival mode — sometimes the kindest, most productive thing you can do is rest. But don’t close the door entirely. Before you step away, set a gentle check-in date with yourself — a moment to revisit your manuscript, even just to read a few pages or jot a note. It’s not about forcing productivity; it’s about leaving a light on for when you’re ready to come home to your story.
4. Create Your Writing Zone
You don’t need a studio with fairy lights and a cat on the keyboard. Though, I find that my cat is an excellent writing partner.
What you do need is a consistent space — even if it’s just one chair, one corner, one café table. When you write in the same spot regularly, your brain learns to associate that environment with focus.
In psychology, this is called context-dependent memory. The brain retrieves information more easily when the environment stays consistent. Translation: the more you write in your “zone,” the faster you drop into creative flow.
So pick your spot — and make it pleasant enough that you want to return.
5. Separate Drafting and Editing
Writing and editing use two different mental gears. Drafting is creative exploration; editing is critical refinement. Trying to do both at once is like braking and accelerating simultaneously — you’ll just burn out the engine.
As Anne Lamott said:
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.”
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird, 1994
But it’s easier said than done, right? My inner critic is chatty — always eager to “help.” These days, I tell her, “Let me just try this now. You can polish it later.” It’s our truce, and it works.
Writing badly on purpose is not failure — it's a step in a process.
6. Build in Accountability (the Gentle Kind)
Accountability doesn’t have to mean pressure or deadlines. It can be light, encouraging — even fun.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld famously used what he called the “Don’t Break the Chain” method: every day he wrote jokes, he marked an X on his calendar. His only goal? Keep the chain going. The growing line of X’s became a visible reminder that he was showing up.
You can do the same with your writing — track your sessions, your word count, or simply the days you showed up. The pattern becomes its own motivation.
But you don’t have to do it alone. Share your goal with a writing buddy, check in weekly with a friend, or post updates in your writing community. Having someone in your corner turns accountability into connection — and connection makes everything easier.
Accountability isn’t about guilt. It’s about company, momentum, and that quiet sense of I’m doing this.
7. Celebrate Milestones (Big and Small)
Writing a novel isn’t just about finishing — it’s about moving through all the moments that almost made you quit. So don’t wait for “The End” to celebrate.
Celebrate when you finally figure out your protagonist’s motivation.
Celebrate when you write a scene you’ve been avoiding — the argument, the heartbreak, the sex scene that made you blush.
Celebrate when you return to your story after a tough week, or even after months away.
Every milestone is proof that you’re growing as a writer — and as a person.
The creative process isn’t a straight line; it’s a winding path full of courage, detours, and small breakthroughs. Taking a moment to acknowledge them reminds you that progress isn’t just about pages — it’s about persistence.
So pause. Smile. Maybe even toast yourself with tea (or something stronger). You’re doing the thing most people only dream about.
Final Thought: Success Before the First Word
The biggest mistake most writers make? Believing the work starts when you open your laptop.
It doesn’t. It starts before that — in how you set yourself up, plan your foundation, and protect the conditions that let creativity thrive.
Your blueprint gives you clarity.
Your habits give you momentum.
Together, they give you success before you even start typing.
So this week, before you write another word, ask yourself:
What can I do today to make writing easier for Future Me?
Because sometimes, the smartest writing move you can make… is simply to plan the path.