When I first started writing, I fell into a natural pattern and process. I didn’t think about it, didn’t try to force anything or conform to anyone else’s standards. I just did what worked for me at the time, which turned out to be fortuitous. While I had that schedule, I was incredibly productive and loved every single minute of writing.

A couple of years in, I decided that I needed to try to “fix” my process so that I could be even more productive. I was willing to experiment to see if something else worked better, something I firmly believe every writer should do until they’ve fine-tuned their process.

For example, “they” say you should write first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh and clear. So I got up earlier and tried writing not long after I woke up.

And ended up with drafts so flawed, I spent more time in revision trying to fix things than I did writing.

I’m a natural night owl, and as it happens, natural night owls should push that sort of work, the kind of work creating worlds and characters and stories is, to later in their day. I didn’t find that out until I listened to the audiobook version of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink.

Turns out, I had naturally fallen into a really great rhythm with my writing and I should’ve left well enough alone. After a couple of weeks trying to conform to a “normal” schedule, I reverted to writing at night, and voila! My writing improved dramatically.

Around the same time, I read a ton of stuff about outlining. If you outline, “they” say, your writing will go faster and you’ll be more productive.

I bet you’re beginning to notice a pattern here.

I tried creating tighter, lengthier outlines, and you know what? I didn’t write faster. In fact, I hated it. It killed a lot of my enthusiasm for the story, stressed me out, and otherwise made me a very unhappy writer producing a lot of unhappy dreck.

So I went back to what had worked for me: Loose plot points scattered over a rising and falling story, using Rachel Aaron’s 2K to 10K method to sketch out scenes before I wrote, with a good dash of hypnogogic character interactions thrown in for good measure.

I’ve always been a little backward compared to other people and I’ve always trod my own path, but I’m also very open to learning from others. In these instances, attempting the methods used by other creators didn’t work for me, but I would never have known that my own process was optimal if I hadn’t tried something different.

And that is, I think, the lesson here. It’s fine to have a schedule and process that’s very different from what “they” say you should have. It’s fine to be backward, compared to everyone else, and to create when your mind is most active and alert, even when other people insist you should do things their way.

Here’s the honest truth: There is no one perfect way to create. There is no ideal time or schedule or process that works for all writers ever. There’s only what works for you.

So write on your cellphone’s memo app during your early morning commute, or first thing in the morning before the kids wake, or late at night after everyone’s gone to bed. Write longhand in high end journals, or shorthand on plain notebook paper, or doodle in sketchbooks.

The important thing is to figure out what works for you and then do that thing, whatever it is. My father tells me, “To thine own self be true.” Embrace your normality, if that’s what gets you through the day, or embrace your backwardness if that’s the way you’re built.

It’s ok to be the same as other people. It’s also ok to be different. Stop judging yourself either way and accept that you are who you are, quirks and all. Your writing will thank you for it, and trust me, you’ll be a whole lot happier with yourself, too.