Andy Weir wrote The Martian while holding down a full-time programming job. His routine is built around a modest daily target and a few rules that keep him honest, and he rarely skips a day.
The 1,000-Word Rule
Weir's target is 1,000 words on a workday. It's a number he can hit even on a rough day, which is the whole point. He's been open that inspiration is unreliable, so the quota does the work motivation won't. He built The Martian this way while employed as a software engineer, a career that spanned about 25 years before the book's income let him write full time.
To make himself follow through, he leans on a list of things he's banned from doing until the words are on the page.
I have a list of things I'm 'not allowed' to do until I've written my 1000 words on any given day. No TV, no video streaming, no woodworking (my hobby), etc.
Andy Weir, WorldClassPerformer interview
A low bar plus real consequences is how he kept a novel moving alongside a day job. The rule works because the reward is specific. Woodworking is the thing he most wants to get to, so it's the thing he withholds until the page is filled. The words come first, then the fun.
When and Where He Actually Writes
Weir doesn't keep a rigid clock. In one interview he's described writing in the evenings, and in another he's laid out a day that starts around 7:30 a.m., with a dog walk, morning emails, and hobby time before he settles into writing after lunch. By that second account the writing lands in the back half of the day, once the dog's been walked and the inbox is clear. What stays the same across both is the environment he needs around him.
He's said he has to be alone in the house, with no music playing, before he can write. Quiet and solitude matter to him more than any set start time. That preference lines up with the quota, too. He isn't chasing a dramatic marathon session. He's clearing every excuse so the day's 1,000 words actually get written. For the story behind the routine, see the full Andy Weir writing routine.
What You Can Steal
- Set a target you can hit on a bad day. 1,000 words survives low motivation.
- Use a ban list. No TV or hobbies until the words are done.
- Protect your conditions. Weir needs quiet and an empty house more than a fixed hour.
- Write around the day job. A small daily quota builds a book without quitting work.