--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not write by any set time schedule…" description: "\"I do not write by any set time schedule. I realize there are many writers who follow a daily regime where they arise at 6:00 a.m., do some sort of exer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/donald-mckay-55832_any_i-do-not-write-by-any-set-time-schedule_2530315.jpg" --- # I do not write by any set time schedule. I realize there… ![“I do not write by any set time schedule. I realize there are many writers who follow a daily regime where they arise at 6:00 a.m., do some sort of exercise, eat breakfast and then sit down and produce words for a three to four hour period.” quote by Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/donald-mckay-55832_any_i-do-not-write-by-any-set-time-schedule_2530315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/donald-mckay-55832_any_i-do-not-write-by-any-set-time-schedule_2530315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/donald-mckay-55832_any_i-do-not-write-by-any-set-time-schedule_2530315.jpg) > “I do not write by any set time schedule. I realize there are many writers who follow a daily regime where they arise at 6:00 a.m., do some sort of exercise, eat breakfast and then sit down and produce words for a three to four hour period.” [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects rigid schedules, preferring flexibility over strict daily writing rituals. **In simple terms:** Writing without a fixed timetable. Key Takeaway Embrace a flexible writing routine. Themes creativity discipline flexibility Mood reflective calm Type advice personal When to use this quote - authoring - freelance work - creative projects Key Concepts self‑regulation habit formation Questions to Reflect On - How does flexibility affect your productivity? - What routines support your best writing? A Different Perspective Rigid schedules may hinder natural flow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Arise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) [Breakfast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakfast/) [Daily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Eat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat/) [Eat breakfast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat-breakfast/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Hour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hour/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Realize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize/) [Realize Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-writers-1337309/) [Regime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regime/) [Schedule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schedule/) [Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Hour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-hour-1337308/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writers Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-follow-1037002/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [It's all about who's where on the food chain. When I'm the story editor, I expect my writers to follow my vision. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wein/it-s-all-about-who-s-where-on-the-food-chain-when-i-m-the-story/) [Len Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wein/) > [He puts his right hand lightly on the cup, I put my left, leaving the right free to transcribe, and away we go. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-merrill/he-puts-his-right-hand-lightly-on-the-cup-i-put-my-left-leaving-the/) [James Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-merrill/) > [It's better to say nothing than spend 1,000 words or an hour speech saying nothing. 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Montapert”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-a-montapert/xpect-the-problems-and-eat-them-for-breakfast-alfred-a-montapert/) [Alfred A. Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-a-montapert/) > [I rarely eat breakfast because of our schedule, actually. If I do, though, I'll try to do an egg-white omelet with some bell peppers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kawhi-leonard/i-rarely-eat-breakfast-because-of-our-schedule-actually-if-i-do/) [Kawhi Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kawhi-leonard/) > [I need someone to eat breakfast with and watch AdventureTime with! Then, do other miscellaneous things that you can't say on Twitter!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-robinson/i-need-someone-to-eat-breakfast-with-and-watch-adventuretime-with/) [Adrian Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-robinson/) > [Sometimes I wouldn't eat breakfast before 1 P.M. games because I knew it would make me sluggish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/sometimes-i-wouldn-t-eat-breakfast-before-1-p-m-games-because-i-knew/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) > [“In this book, you’ll naturally look for common habits and recommendations, and you should. Here are a few patterns, some odder than others: More…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/in-this-book-you-ll-naturally-look-for-common-habits-and/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the soundtrack of our own impending death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/we-eat-breakfast-lunch-and-dinner-to-the-soundtrack-of-our-own/) [Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/) > [“Okay, cool. I actually don’t eat breakfast. I’d love some orange juice, though, if you have any.”“In the icebox.”Icebox? Who says icebox anymore? “Thanks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-reece/okay-cool-i-actually-don-t-eat-breakfast-i-d-love-some-orange-juice/) [Julie Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-reece/) > [The first duty of a revolutionist is to get away with it. The second duty is to eat breakfast. I ain't going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/the-first-duty-of-a-revolutionist-is-to-get-away-with-it-the-second/) [Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/) > [“I know you're banged up, honey, so this mornin' all you gotta do is lay back and I"ll eat you for breakfast before we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/i-know-you-re-banged-up-honey-so-this-mornin-all-you-gotta-do-is-lay/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) ## More by Donald McKay > [To come up with the ending to a story and then work backwards is like tying your shoe with one hand only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mckay/to-come-up-with-the-ending-to-a-story-and-then-work-backwards-is-like/) [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) > [Write in a disciplined manner, but write in a way that is natural to the individual's thought processes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mckay/write-in-a-disciplined-manner-but-write-in-a-way-that-is-natural-to/) [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) > [I write when the urge hits me, getting the words down as fast as I can type and then I step back from what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mckay/i-write-when-the-urge-hits-me-getting-the-words-down-as-fast-as-i-can/) [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) > [I've been a writer for 42 years and, yes, it is a full time job for me. Not a hobby, but serious work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mckay/i-ve-been-a-writer-for-42-years-and-yes-it-is-a-full-time-job-for-me/) [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) > [My first novel took 12 years to complete because life got in my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mckay/my-first-novel-took-12-years-to-complete-because-life-got-in-my-way/) [Donald McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) [Explore all 6 Donald McKay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mckay/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. 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