Ouch. It’s true, “ideal conditions” are as rare as rainbow unicorns. I gave up my office when I moved to the mountains. Now I write in the living room, in bed, or on the deck when it’s not too cold. But when examining my time, I found plenty of pockets, including two big ones: binge-watching Netflix/Hulu and dealing with email. I’m sure I could eliminate a series or only check email once a day or even wake up an hour earlier.

And while I’m not certain Malcom Gladwell’s theory about “the magic number of greatness” is correct, because those 10,000 hours would depend on your starting point, your level as a writer, and what type of writing practice you’re putting in, I do know that successful writers employ a daily writing routine. Let’s take a look at some of those writers: