An Indie Author’s Cozy Fall Writing Routine
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The weather still hasn’t turned crisp for me, but I’m itching to finally get into the cozy blankets, warm drinks, and the perfect autumn writing aesthetic. What pairs great with writing? The perfect notebook! And today I get to announce that I’m a new Archer & Olive affiliate.
What does that mean? Well, I get to share the notebooks, pens, stickers, and washi tapes I already use, but if you make a purchase through my link or use code lwinter at checkout, you get a little discount and I get a tiny kickback. It’s a great way to supplement my income from writing while sharing all my best tips for using Archer & Olive notebooks to write those books.
Fall is the perfect time for a new writing routine
You don’t really have to wait for the perfect date to start something new, but isn’t it nice to declare the very first day of fall the best time to start a new writing routine? Cool weather, chunky sweaters and blankets, and a warm drink really romanticize the writing atmosphere. I always feel like my most productive time of the year happens with the autumn season. I can reset before the end of the year, start new books, and decorate my notebooks, journals, and planners with the coziest autumn vibes.
My Cozy Fall Writing Routine
Honestly, it doesn’t look much different than my regular routine, but trade out the iced coffee for something warm. I much prefer my coffee to be cold, so usually this warm drink comes in the form of chai or a black tea. Nothing too fancy. And then I’ve got an oversized sweatshirt and some comfy pants, and I’m really channeling the cottagecore aesthetic!
Morning routine:
The absolute first thing I do at my desk is journal. I like to use the Archer & Olive traveler’s notebook for my morning pages.
A&O Notebooks (filter by TN to see my favorite morning pages size)
However, because of some nerve damage in my elbow, I can’t manage the three handwritten pages that is what folks typically associate with morning pages. I’ll drop some stickers around my page and write until I’m out of space. Usually it’s just a single journaling page, freewriting about anything and everything that crosses my mind. Sometimes I recap the previous day, other times I’m jotting down my thought process on what I’ll be writing for my novel once I’m finished.
I’ll then do the absolute worst thing a person can do: social media. Now, for me this is actually social media management. I run multiple TikTok accounts for myself as an author, so I have premade content that I simply set to schedule or post immediately. But TT is the only social media I touch, and once I’m done, I am getting back to my writing routine.
Next, I grab my worldbuilding notebook. I like the A5 size that Archer & Olive offers because I can have themed pages for all my books, but I don’t feel guilty about empty space. Any time I create a page and have nothing more to say, I can fill the empty corners with my favorite stamps, stickers, and even some washi tapes.
With my notebook out, my drink warm, I’ve got the perfect atmosphere to start writing until it’s time to wake up the rest of the house. One thing I’m looking forward to this year is preparing a word tracker. I’ve tried some in the past and none have really stuck, but I have a few new spreads I would love to try.
Why Archer & Olive?
Simply put, quality. I’ve not once run into an issue with their products, and even if there has been a mixup, it gets resolved quickly. Their notebook pages hold up to both calliograph and acrylograph pens without bleeding, and the ink in their stamps rarely smudge (of course, if you wait the appropriate amount of time before closing your notebook, which I sometimes… forget).
Not only is the quality superb, their designs are a perfect autumn cozy. I love the covers, and when I’m excited to use a notebook, I actually use the notebook! We all know how much easier it is to crack open a pretty notebook and use it daily when you like carrying it around and having it visible.
Check out the fall collection for 2025.
The fall collections are always designed with new and whimsical autumn aesthetics. Starting a new notebook in the fall season is just as exciting as that first nip of cold air.
Seasonal Inspiration for Writers & Journalers
I’m going to be trying a few new themes and spreads this year as a writer and journaler. Maybe one of these will inspire you!
A new word tracker: Since I write in a few different time slots during the day, and very rarely during the evening, I find that I forget to add my total word counts at the end of the day. I’m going to try a new ‘sprint’ word count tracker for morning writing and afternoon writing sprints to see if I am more excited to fill that out.
Cozy fall reading log: I want to be better about tracking my reading outside of Goodreads, so something simple like a cozy read tracker is high on my list of spreads to make.
Subscription box: As a member of their quarterly subscription box, it’s my goal to use at least two products immediately when I open the new box. This way I’m not just accumulating, but actually using the products and implementing them into my writing routine. My favorites lately have been the pens, but it’s even more fun because it’s seasonally curated.
Fall Journaling Wrap
I find it fun to write this, because you can probably tell I’m excited for the fall weather, but I’ll be honest… I prefer the winter season. That doesn’t mean I can’t get a kickstart on the cozy aesthetic. Plus, whenever I need to channel autumn, I’ve got a shelf full of the coziest themed notebooks to choose.
