I tried Ursula K. Le Guin's 5:30AM writing routine 🖋️☕

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Hello everyone and welcome to another author routine attempt video! In this one, I'll be trying Ursula K. Le Guin's 5:30AM early morning and writing routine. I have done a whole bunch of other authors' writing routines, from Haruki Murakami to Donna Tartt to Virginia Woolf, so please feel free to check those out. Take care everyone and I hope you enjoy the video 💛
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PREVIOUS AUTHOR ROUTINE ATTEMPTS:
I tried Haruki Murakami's 4AM writing routine ☁️☕ • I tried Haruki Murakam...
I tried Virginia Woolf's journaling routine for a MONTH 📖 • I tried Virginia Woolf...
I tried Donna Tartt's writing routine 🖋️📖 • I tried Donna Tartt's ...
I tried Neil Gaiman's writing routine 🖋️📖 • I tried Neil Gaiman's ...
I tried Brandon Sanderson's LATE NIGHT writing routine 🌙✒️ • I tried Brandon Sander...
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[@rachellehamilton]

I think one of the things that we also need to consider is that Le Guin had kids and was from what I understand the primary caregiver. So her 3 hours for supper was probably also spending time with her family and taking care of them. And 2 hours for housework also makes more sense. I think she would have written more if she could, but her situation just didn't allow for it. Not self-indulgent, but just reflective of her situation.

[@christy-anne-jones]

I just looked it up because I was curious: apparently that routine was first mentioned in 1978, when Ursula was 49 years old and her youngest kid was 14. It's an interesting difference in the economics of being a female writer of that time

[@stefanienordstrom6750]

I am glad you posted this comment as it adds something to these routines. I had a different perspective to her waking up and thinking. I've done this, either as I don't want to wake up others in my house or because he has to go into work early and I stay in for the wee one (hoping she doesn't wake up). I would rather go for a walk or get up to meditate or be productive so instead I try to get ahead on thinking/planning for the day. I also interpreted her 8 pm note as my own experience where I have no more ability to think strategically and now it's just about mindlessly winding down and getting all off to bed at a decent hour.

[@bricklebox2099]

@@christy-anne-jones 1978 would have made her 49

[@christy-anne-jones]

@@bricklebox2099 Ah it would have! Good catch

[@rockislander5857]

@@stefanienordstrom6750 Yes, that's exactly what I thought too -- her 8pm comment was more of a "my brain is fried; time to wind down/sleep". Getting up at 530am, I doubt she stayed up super late.

[@faa923]

I think Ursula's habits, such as taking some quiet time in the morning, and taking things a bit slow in general, allowed her to be more receptive to deep insights and to be powerfully creative and inspired.

[@ArkayneShad0w]

as well as take care of her kids!

[@weebreads8728]

I always took the "two hours to listen to music" as code for "two hours to extensively daydream to a backing track" cause I tend to daydream when I listen to a good song. Its how I get most of my workouts done, cause I'm mentally there when I'm running

[@beiyunl]

A writing routine from a writer who’s also working full time would be so insightful!!!

[@paulhorbenko9560]

I guess you could ask accomplished authors what their routine was like before they've become accomplished.

[@thatoneseason]

Erin A. Craig started writing when she became a stay at home mom. You can find some of her tips/routine on KZbin and it was super inspirational for me to see someone balance life’s obligations with writing.

[@BrieCheese]

I think that it's a very good idea. It applies more the Christy's situation, but also to the majority of aspiring and even published authors. I just googled and found a website that says that 21% of published authors make 100% of their incomes from their books. 57% were book and other writing related income. This is based on a survey done in 2018 with U.S. published authors, so I imagine that the numbers would be different elsewhere.

[@leahalfonso2735]

I would also love to see this! I like the writer’s routine videos because it’s an interesting, ongoing process to see how creativity works, but the routines we’ve seen so far (not just from Christy, but from other KZbin writers who do this) have been ones that would apply more to a lifestyle that would allow for full-time writing. Neil Gaiman was closest to an exception because one could apply some of his tips to writing with a full-time job.

[@alexm-e4910]

I mean, I’m not published yet But I write about 1,000 words over my lunch break and another 1,000 after work between 4&5pm on writing days Aside from that it’s just normal workday stuff

[@arianaperuzzi3166]

I'm a full-time PhD student on fellowship and I was surprised to see that this is my routine already but with the reading and writing component switched. My favorite part is thinking in the morning. Its a nice way to slowly wake up. Like others who commented, I don't think the routine is easy if you are spending all that time on cooking and housework for your family. The other point is that reading and correspondence are not leisure. I think taking the day slowly makes me more productive during the time that I do write. But I also think we are too obsessed with productivity. This struck me as the first routine that's realistic for a woman in charge of a household.

[@lizziebkennedy7505]

Ann Patchett wrote an essay on her writing process, called The Getaway Car, where she talks about how before she picks up a pen, or cracks open the keyboard, she 'thinks through the line' of the narrative arc. She thinks it all through, all the way. She backs up, goes down cul de sacs, tries swapping out protagonists - who is the protagonist in this story? She does that all the way before picking up a tool for recording. I heard an interview with ULG where she said that's kinda what she did in those 45 half awake minutes, just tracing through ideas in the mind's eye.

[@ariela_]

“Wake up and lie there and think” relatable

[@laurencutrone4057]

Absolute yes to Octavia Butler's writing routine! I love her writing so much!

[@sweetysamson5051]

Of course, Octavia E. Butler's writing routine sounds lovely :)))

[@IrinaFlowers]

On weekends, when I don't have to jump out of bed right away and have the pleasure of remaining in half-conscious state of mind, I get the most interesting, out of this world ideas. Maybe that's what Ursula meant by "thinking" - not exactly deep thinking, but the state of connecting reality with the other worlds? Also, I feel like this routine is missing serious outside time. Love your videos. You are inspiring!

[@KatrielleSoussana]

Same for me! It's almost like I can self-direct my own dreams when I've first woken up. And my best story ideas always come from this!

[@TheBookLeo]

i know RF kuang wrote on the side of doing her PhD, but I'm not sure if she has ever shared her writing routine!

[@rileybdonlon]

It might be hard to get it down to a formula to follow since her days were probably quite varied, but Toni Morrison's writing routine was all about fitting writing in between her work as an editor and professor and taking care of her kids--that could be an interesting video!

[@morganechaili]

I think you would be interested in the routine of Amélie Nothomb. She is a belgian writer, she is extremely (!!) popular here in belgium and in france. She publishes one book every year, but actually writes about three... She only writes on paper, she wakes up at 4 if i remember well, only drink a cup of tea then writes until noon ?? she has a strange personality, i really like her. and she lived in japan most of her life :)

[@Sayantika_Sarkar]

This video was a refreshing reminder of the power of consistency and dedication in achieving our creative goals. Ursula K Le Guin's morning writing routine is a testament to the transformative effects of committing to a regular practice, and this video beautifully captures its essence.

[@shawnlopez2317]

Yes please, one on a writer who is also working would be (and I think I'm speaking on the behalf of the majority of your subscribers) appreciated. This routine is not bad, but I could never do the "sit there and think for 45 minutes" thing, I would fall back asleep, it's a guarantee. So far I've liked Neil Gaiman's routine the most, particularly the technique of writing or giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing, has been very helpful. 😊

[@dirtywashedupsparkle]

I wouldn't discount those seemingly do-nothing moments - the time spent cogitating is part of writing, and helps for when one does physically write. Refueling is important too, as are moments of reading and listening to music, which is a kind of creative refueling. Also, I would say full-time motherhood definitely qualifies one as a working person, just not in the paid sense. It would be a good idea though to try a writing routine of a person who has a similar work routine to yours, see how they deal with writing in the midst of a busy plethora of other tasks that way.

[@DanielJevaux]

I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s. Sitting down, putting a CD (or a k7, or a vynil) and listening to the musics, reading the lyrics, looking at the pictures, and the art in the little book that came with the cd/vynnil, was a feeling that I cannot describe. In this era of multitasking, I have been revisiting the experience of listening to music like the 80’s and 90’s.

[@ariverdreaming]

Of all the routines you’ve done this one seems the most balanced for wellness!

[@67LMcC]

If I sat down to read for three hours, I would end up reading for 30 minutes and napping for 2 1/2 hours. Especially if I'd gotten up at 5:30 a.m.!

[@alyssiakirkhart]

Christy, I am SO relieved to hear you say that rereading is better for you while you're writing than reading new books, because that's exactly how I feel when I'm way deep into writing a novel. Reading new books--especially new authors whose writing styles I'm unfamiliar with--distracts me far too much from my own work. LOVE the routine. Ursula is a legend.

[@Parlezkate]

That early thinking time would be perfect for Morning Pages!

[@skyricharde6629]

As someone who gets most of my ideas from nighttime dreams, I usually take 20-30 mins in bed every morning reminiscing on my dreams, this solidifies them firmly in my memory. I then take another 30-40 minutes to write them down (typically 2 on average, but as many as 5). These are detailed accounts, because my dreams are as vivid as waking and I like to have all those little details... I've been doing this since 12. After that I can make tea and take time in the morning for reading, usually an hour, and THEN work. So her routine suites me, though I would start the day at 8am.

[@rockiemadd]

It could be interesting to follow the writing routine of John Green as he is also a writer/content creator

[@karolinewaitman4134]

Lovely video Christy! And Octavia E. Butler seems a perfect fit! If I'm not wrong Elizabeth Gilbert also worked part-time and wrote before she became a famous author, so here is another suggestion!

[@aisyluuu]

I just realized that your vlogs have that Ghibli energy in them. Just working on your novel, cooking, eating, enjoying life. It took me a lot of time to put this thought into words 😅

[@tinealily]

My version of this routine is that the ‘lie there and think’ becomes morning pages, which gets the cogs just beginning to turn. I also really like the importance placed on reading - I went to a book event with Kate Young last week for the launch of her novel ‘Experienced’ and she talked about refilling the creative well after drawing from it in writing

[@KMort]

Ursula is one of my favourite authors of all time, also an INTJ author like me, but the way we have exactly opposite routines is so funny to me. I be finishing writing only a few hours before she starts.

[@ewaperczak5479]

She was an INFJ actually. 100%. If you read her works carefully, you'll notice all her characters use Fe. 'Tehanu' is a great example of that. One way or another, she was an Ni dom. Anyway, what exactly made you think she was an INTJ?

[@dolphone6748]

Sorry to be that guy, but Myers Briggs is kinda BS. Sure, have fun with it, but it's by no means scientific.

[@finalcrutches03]

i would love you trying out routines from working writers, i think it would be very beneficial to try one from the perspective of a writer who has a day job. i believe Toni Morrison is another writer who balanced her day job with her writing, if you're looking for other examples!

[@BrittanyBWrites]

A writing routine from a writer who's also working would be very fun to see and also very interesting at the same time. Ursula K. Le Guin's writing routine looks relaxing and fun.

[@EmperorFenshe]

I would love to see an updated Christy Anne Jones writing routine, just to see if any of these routines have impacted how or when you write.

[@shesheartfocused]

I would love to see a full-time working routine. I am in full-time graduate school in the US while also working full-time. I think I would gain a lot of insight from a video like that!

[@veronicalangley2049]

The zoom out at 20:44 is such a hilarious detail. Such a perfect encapsulation of feeling your thoughts run away from you… I relate very heavily😅

[@claudialaroja1225]

I believe Ursula’s routine is a reflection not only of her favorable circumstances; but very importantly, her politics. Considering her ideology is hard to imagine she would adscribe to a culture of overwork; particularly without leisure.

[@nat6619]

What a fun routine! I think is such a healthy one... perhaps missing only exercise/walk. I actually do the "thinking in the morning" when I wake up... i have burned out in the past and that gives me a sense of stillness and peace that is essencial for me at this point in my life. It makes sense now to me, but definitely not when I was your age haha. I have had Earthsea on my book shelf for couple years and this routine inspired me to finally start reading it! I would say that the one thing you missed was putting more effort in music time... perhaps you got the point it was "fun time" and your fun time is spent by reading, but it would have been interesting had you deep dived into music... listening to the ones you like but also find new ones! Listening to some music from the author's time or what she liked. Anyways, keep these routines going, those are my favorite video(s) of yours!

[@divinera_]

Excited for your next routine! Love this so much

[@cosyreadingclub]

I love this series of yours! It actually motivates me to get back into writing ❤

[@carleenilphai5358]

obsessed with these videos!!!

[@jacyfaraldo6424]

I love this series, and am excited for you work coming along! You're doing great, and I'll be excited to read your work one day when it comes out!

[@ReadingNymph]

I'm not a writer but I love watching your writing videos, they are so relaxing and interesting. I also talk with my hands 😅 I feel it expresses more

[@jessinna]

The timing of this was so perfect! I love your videos!!

[@vanessaglau1797]

Ok, I was going to suggest Franz Kafka but you probably wouldn't want to do his writing routine as it's super unhealthy... :D I'm really enjoying your writing routine experiments, each one is so well-made in terms of cinematography too. Octavia E. Butler would be fascinating!

[@17caria]

lovely music in this video, and I love these writing routine videos! I will keep watching them for as long as you make them.

[@hannegeyik]

Gosh, I love both Ursula and you ❤ Such an inspiring video 📷

[@harryjamessmithmusic7762]

Fantastic video, Christy! Great job!

[@cinemanicalectora]

Love these videos and i admire your able to change your rutine and try a different one . 😊

[@sammyjanerambles2312]

I've just found your channel and plan to binge! I watched this while I was preparing the veggies for dinner and it was soo relaxing and engaging ❤️

[@catherinelapointe8024]

You’re so motivated I could never wake that early 😢! My body would be mad at me the entire time. Amazing video as always 💚

[@melissam.5612]

Thanks for an excellent video - I will now be watching the rest of the series. Also, congratulations on finding a perfect avocado! 😊

[@fiverfrank]

so glad you did le guins routine! i was one of the ones who requested it, and i just thought that it seemed much gentler than some of the previous ones you did, and that you deserved something a bit more pleasant!

[@creepypapermultipack]

I would love to know of any writing routines of stay at home moms because that would really help me out 😂

[@CvrkutVetra]

I'm pretty sure Ursula was a stay at home mom. We would need more information about the phase of life this routine was from. I remember reading that before she started getting published she would only write late ilat night when the kids were sleeping. That's how she got published

[@creepypapermultipack]

@@CvrkutVetra interesting. As a stay at home mom myself I can pretty much guarantee that this particular writing routine must have been from after her children were grown, unless she had a nanny and a housekeeper because there’s no way a stay at home mom with young kids and no extra help could sustain this kind of routine. The kind of stay at home mom writing routine I’m looking for is one where the writer was a full time stay at home mom which is the ultimate full time job considering you never clock in or out. It’s 24/7, constant, never-ending, you get the drift 😅 I would just love to know if there were any successful writers that have talked about their writing routine during a time when they were full time moms of young kids.

[@user-um7cf8nt1q]

Thanks for this video! Greetings from Ukraine!

[@eleanorab4301]

I LOVE(!!!) Piranesi! It is one of those books I wish I could go back and read for the first time again.

[@theliterarylayer]

Same, she made me want to do a reread of it soon

[@epu8021]

I love your writing routine videos! Ursula's writing routine is so chill compared to other writers' haha. I really need to read her Earthsea books. And then watch the Studio Ghibli adaptation!

[@emmanarotzky6565]

There’s no good, non-whitewashed, Ursula-approved Earthsea adaptation unfortunately. Iirc the only depictions she was able to be involved in were the illustrations for the big illustrated bindup edition

[@0FynnFish0]

The books are amazing, and they get better and better. The second book in the series is my favourite. The Ghibli movie is pretty and certainly better than the 2 episode mini series but that's really not saying much. It's far from loyal (it takes some bits and pieces of the later books, takes a few names and little things to keep and that's it) and really not a very cohesive or satisfying film. Not so bad that you shouldn't watch it but don't expect too much.

[@isabelle7628]

I adore these writing videos so much, and I'd love to see a routine where a writer has more than one commitment (writing). I personally am a full-time student with a part-time job which takes to the majority of my time and energy. I find it hard to balance my time and to squeeze in writing when I have a particularly busy week etc, so I think that it would be such a useful video for me and the thousands of people that also have similar lives and struggles.

[@cindyr4918]

Thank you for sharing your writing routine experiments with us - they are always interesting. I would love to see the writing routines of writers who also work regular jobs because as you noted that is the reality for most people.

[@ysnrzs]

ursula is my favourite author 💜 thank you

[@thisisrandom7252]

Yes, please do the writing routine of Octavia E. Butler! Thank you so much for your videos.

[@GeorginaNZ011]

This is 100% my kind of routine!

[@chuulovely3851]

You used the same alarm sound i use and it was TRIGGERING

[@throneofpages]

This was such an inspiring and fun video to watch :’) I don’t know why but now I feel like being super productive and making the best out of my day so thank you for doing this experiment and sharing!! 💗💗 I also can’t really imagine just ~sitting there~ listening to music so you’re not alone 🫡

[@throneofpages]

Oh HELLO I did not know you played final fantasy XIV!!! That was such a surprise I actually squealed 😭💗

[@christinaobo]

loved this!

[@brooklynvandenberg7677]

Even tho I don’t necessarily know all of these authors and don’t write myself I really love these videos!

[@annieq800]

I haven't even gotten past the one minute mark yet but I wanted to write a comment. Today was such a long day and your videos always make me happy - your videos, your channel and even your personality are all very comforting. Thank you for making content! x

[@ellehumes9306]

Yes please do a routine where the author also works full time! I would ❤️❤️❤️

[@dulcepires]

Love this videos!

[@halizazurah2013]

Toni Morrison was a mum with a full time job who juggled all. Please consider her routine too ❤️

[@al2642]

Ursula is a master. Storytelling, ideas and world building are only matched by her ablilty to distill philosophy and poetry into prose.

[@arabicabqariyyah111]

Aaaaa this is what im waiting forrrrrrr😍

[@medievaldruidess]

I would love to see the writing routine of the writer who worked full time! Thanks for your lovely content. xx

[@grvhppr]

Would love to see a Butler writing routine! Love the series. Thanks as always!

[@a.leeways]

The thing about music, I don't think it generational, more personal/cultural. But it made me think, we tend to think of listening to music as an "additive" to other things. Even though it's an art form of itsown, most people will sit and just listen only on a rare occasion of going to a concert/opera/etc. How much we lose from the music piece by not giving it the full attention.

[@LearnComicsWithPancake]

The trauma of hearing that alarm clock tone woke me up everytime haha!

[@ruvirasfilms]

ohhhh i so get the listsjing to music part, although i tend to walk with it. i did that as a teenager too, because it lets my thoughts wander and it makes me more creative!!

[@hunched_monk3279]

Thanks Christy, while I loved this routine, definitely interested in the writer with a day job routine too :)

[@tarareads23]

Yes to Octavia E. Butler’s writing routine.

[@backpack606]

Would definitely love to see the routine of someone who works full time!

[@tanhaemita5887]

Very recently I have been following early morning writing routines.. I used to normally wake up at 4:45/5:00 for the Fazar salat and after the prayer I would again clamber to bed. However, now I don't, and it is pretty relaxing to work in the morning, convenient as well..

[@jadore286-sy1jn]

Quick comment on the hand movement (from a behavioral analysis perspective): It's good that you're keeping these gestures below head level. As a persuasive speaker, you wouldn't want to draw attention away from your face, and by keeping it below the head, it mostly accentuates your words. Whereas would your hands be on head level, it would mean three focus points and leave a more chaotic impression (despite of the content quality). So yeah :D I stumbled across your writers routine videos, by the way, and they're very chill and interesting to watch :)

[@mimishimaineko1173]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stephen King's "On Writing: Memoir of a Craft".🧡

[@val.r.sanchez]

Yes please! Would love to see Octavia butler’s writing routine! And/Or other authors’ writing routines who work full time or have a very busy lifestyle. I would also be interested to see one that navigates busy like while maintaining family life, like Brandon Sanderson.

[@sims2lovealot]

I find your responses to the lying in bed and thinking and the listening to music for 2 hours things interesting. I can and do both of those things regularly, and often I'll wake up early with the primary goal to be able to lie in bed and think. Sometimes I get some of my best writing thoughts in those precious morning hours. I think that you find it hard to do might be exactly why it would be good for you to do them haha! Sometimes us writers just need to sit and think and be! I really loved seeing you do this routine though and I would definitely love to see one of a writer who works full-time as well. Your stats about what Aussie authors make had me shudder and reconsider any thoughts of quitting my high-paid day-job to be a writer haha

[@SorbetCitron17]

My phone wakes me up with the same music/ringtone. That was a pavlov moment hearing it in your video.

[@al2642]

Farthest shore is my favourite of the wizard cycle. But the subtlety of dispossessed and left hand of darkness are shicking

[@jorieshouse]

Would Definitely love to see Octavia Butlers writing routine!

[@Zainab_9041]

Great video ❤ I think, that Octavia E.Butler's writing routine will be really interesting and useful :)

[@ceegee1706]

Yes! I think of her every time that I tell myself I don't have time to write. "You know, Octavia E. Butler...."

[@rbriggs89]

That 5:30am laying and thinking would put me right back to sleep 😅

[@madelyndorta]

Love this! I too am very stupid after 8pm lol Le Guin is one of my favorite authors of all time!

[@blissewilson-robinson3058]

Would love to see Toni Morrison's writing routine! I believe she was a single mom that edited as a daytime job before she was able to write full-time.

[@nadenad6688]

Yes, please, to the routine of Octavia E. Butler! ❤

[@CabeValion]

This was very entertaining... I love the Wizard of Earthsea series. Will you try the Marquis de Sade's writing routine..?

[@Parlezkate]

Randomly, I knew someone in Portland who was Ursula’s housecleaner! She kept a tidy house, for sure.

[@spalanai]

absolutely love these videos! can you do anne rice and stephen king next?

[@sm0k3.blunt-007]

Try Hunter S. Thompson's writing routine next.

[@MichelleGarciaReporter]

Yes please try out Octavia Butler’s routine!

[@JSmith-20]

It's pretty funny watching this while still being up after 5:30. College!

[@EliotJDurand]

I would LOVE to see Octavia E. Butler's routine! As a creative who also works FT I'm always looking for ways to balance those two things :)

[@sonofblackwidow3765]

9:45 I was so not expecting you to bring out Final Fantasy XIV. Subbed. 😩👌🏽

[@ninice53]

yes a routine of Butler would be amazing

[@woofytron]

a routine from a full-time working writer would be great! i feel like the career of the Full-Time Writer is increasingly rare these days. many well-regarded and respected contemporary writers that i follow/pay attention to also have professorships (whether that’s tenured, or someone who does consistent Visiting Professor engagements at universities), or work as Editors at magazines, or have a large and consistent substack following. even Toni Morrison was a full-time professor on top of writing! i can only think of a handful writers who started publishing in the 2010s whose entire income is from writing. all that’s to say, even writers with multiple, published books, and who win many awards, etc, aren’t exclusively writing full-time, so seeing the routines of writers who do other work full-time would be great! i love that you do these videos, especially as i try to figure out what routine works best for me (i know many writers write early in the morning and i’d love to be able to do that, but alas, 7AM is when i have to walk the dog!) looking forward to the next one 😊

[@nadiaabdulrahman_]

Why Christy's tea "cup" SO big, it is as big as a bowl?! Haha❤