Writing Schedules

I've seen some buzz on Twitter recently about writing schedules. There's some who believe the best writers write everyday. Others view this as a lofty goal that is impossible for marginalized voices or anyone with a full time job and/or kids to meet. I've seen criticism for events like #NaNoWriMo because it is difficult to write 50k words in a month that includes a major U.S. holiday (Thanksgiving).

Personally, I do not write everyday, though that's not to say I'm not working on my writing. I prefer to write in sprints and have participated in #NaNoWriMo and their two camps. I write best when I'm under a deadline. This is heavily influenced by my day job where I am often tasked with meeting strict deadlines. I currently work in government policy, but previously was a paralegal, so I'm very familiar with tight deadlines and working under pressure. I completed 15k words during #CampNaNoWriMo in April and approximately 16k words in July. The other months, I'm editing. I just finished a major rewrite on my first manuscript last week. I'm also pursuing an MFA and in addition to submitting pages of my own manuscript, I am required to read a book in my genre and write a critique paper.

When I'm in a writing sprint, I do my best work in the morning before my day job. I'm a morning person, so it's when I'm fresh and full of creative ideas. This may change if my office ever returns to in-person work as we're still in remote status. It's amazing how much a commute, even one that's typically only a half hour when traffic is good, can cut into the day. However, I live between the DC and Baltimore metro regions, so "good traffic" days are rare.

What does your writing schedule look like? Do you try to write and/or edit everyday? How does your job impact your writing. Sound off in the comments!