Charles Dickens's Daily Routine

Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations. His writing routine was so regular that his son said no city clerk was ever more methodical. The surprise is how early he stopped.

He was at his desk at 9:00 AM, in absolute quiet, and a typical day produced 2,000 words. On barren days he stayed at the desk anyway, doodling and staring out of the window. At 2:00 PM sharp he left for a three-hour walk through London or the countryside, still working the story over and searching for pictures to build on. Dinner was at 6:00 PM, then family or friends until midnight, as Meaning Ring's notes on the book retell it.

This suits writers and anyone whose best thinking happens on the move. It also suits people who can't stop turning a problem over after the work is done.

You get one long morning block, an afternoon that works the day's problems over on foot, and an evening kept for people. If 5 hours is too many, set a shorter block and walk at the same time every day. The same day all week is our estimate, and the hour before dinner is a gap in the sources.