My Writing Routine in Bangkok, Thailand
Update from C.S.M.
Traveling internationally can be a wise move for writers.
You’re able to:
Live cheaply
See the world
Focus completely on writing
Of course, the countries you travel in have to be budget friendly.
My budget is usually around $1,000 per month.
You don’t always wind up with the most ideal writing setups— I’ve written in the sweltering cafes of Vietnam and frigid libraries of Hungary.
But the most glamorous place I’ve been to yet is Bangkok, Thailand.
I’ve locked down a luxury apartment for $20 per day.
Join me for a day of writing in Bangkok:
I’m currently writing a dystopian novel.
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Work Session 1:
My morning usually starts around 7am.
I head to my laptop and take care of the more administrative side of things.
It could be writing a newsletter (I share a free writing lesson every week) or responding to comments on a recent post.
I try to balance the actual novel-writing with leaving a daily digital footprint. I’m trying to grow an audience as large as I can before launching my dystopian novel.
My brain is still waking up at this point and I often find myself scrolling through my X feed while working on things.
Instant coffee powers me through these morning hours (Nescafe Americano).
Break 1:
Around 11am I’ll take a break.
My apartment in Bangkok has a gym and pool that aren’t usually crowded (especially the pool). This is super nice because I’m able to get out of the apartment to reset but not have to travel very far.
If I’m not feeling up to the gym or pool, I’ll watch some Youtube videos or read part of a book. I just finished The Shining by Stephen King.
I’m not too locked into a timed schedule because I plan to be working all day anyway. If there are some unscheduled breaks I don’t really care. I have weekly goals set every Saturday evening so I know what has to get done.
Work Session 2:
After a break I’ll get ready to leave for the day (shower, change, etc.)
There’s a 711 in my apartment complex, so if I’m hungry I’ll grab a snack.
The 711s in Thailand are on a different level… but my main BIG meal of the day won’t be until later.
The goal for the second work session is to work on my novel. In actuality, my brain has been working on the novel since this morning, planning the chapter I’m writing today.
I walk to a nearby coffee shop (Cafe Amazon), order an Iced Latte, and settle in.
I’m currently handwriting the first draft of my dystopian novel in a notebook.
This novel is specifically designed to release initially through this newsletter format, so the chapters aren’t terribly long. The goal is for you to be able to read each chapter in one sitting, and to make sure they end in a way that makes you excited for the next one.
Writing a chapter usually takes a couple hours. I have the story outlined prety in-depth so I know exactly where the characters are going. The writing process is strange because there’s always a heavy force of resistance before finally putting pen to paper, but then I look up hours later and realize I have full pages written.
It’s surreal.
I scan the coffee shop and see entirely new faces at the tables.
The writing is intense (it reminds me of that post-SAT feeling), so it’s time for another break.
Break 2:
The goal of break 2 is to eat a delicous meal.
Not too complicated.
It’s usually around 4pm by now and I’ve already put in a good amount of work for the day so I feel satisfied and am ready to relax a bit.
There is no shortage of good food options in Thailand.
In Bangkok, I often walk over to a nearby mall: Central Rama 9. The malls in Thailand are incredible, I wrote a whole post about them here:
The best part is they each have a food court where you can find incredible meals for near-street food prices. I still eat street food when I’m out, but right now it’s been super easy to hit a food court on a typical writing day.
My favorite meal has been Pad Kra Pao for about $2— minced pork with holy basil and white rice.
If I’m still hungry, I’ll get another meal. Or an ice cream cone for $0.41.
Are you starting to understand the joys of traveling and writing?
Work Session 3:
This is by far the most relaxed work session of the day.
I’ll walk back to my apartment and settle down with my laptop at the kitchen table.
At this point I’ve already worked on:
This newsletter
My dystopian novel
So this is where I do any additional tasks.
It could be writing another newsletter post (I send weekly summaries and analyses to paid subscribers) or researching my next travel destination.
There’s always a new city or visa to look into.
And my marketing plans for the lead up to the novel are big, so it takes a lot of time.
Posting interesting content on X and Substack Notes also takes work, but I think its been paying off. I was hyped to see a post of mine shared by
, the CEO of Substack last week:X and Substack Notes have been the primary tools for growing this newsletter.
If you know someone who would be interested in my writing, consider sharing this post:
Winding Down:
The remainder of the night is reserved for talking to family and friends back home and trying to turn off my brain.
I travel with a Switch Lite that doesn’t get much use, but I’ve recently been playing the newly released remaster of the Tomb Raider trilogy.
Did you grow up playing those games?
TV shows and movies usually make me want to scroll on my phone during them, but a difficult old game like that gets my full attention. Some nights I’ll read in bed, setting my phone in the corner.
Since I’m able to set my own schedule, I find it important to make time to STOP and just exist outside of C.S.M.
That’s one reason I take Sundays completely off. Stepping off of the hamster wheel is essential. You also want to be able to add some sort of beginning and end to your week.
Final Thoughts:
This is in no way the schedule I follow every single day.
Sometimes I’ll venture out in the mornings to a random spot in Bangkok and read or write there. Sometimes the grand plans you had fall apart and you’re disappointed with what you’ve actually gotten done.
I’m not a robot.
And I don’t want to be.
You might have noticed that a large part of my routine includes walking to different places (like a coffee shop, a mall, or the train station to travel somewhere else).
This walking time is where my better ideas hit me.
A lot of the ideas for my novel crystalized while spending hours exploring Bangkok.
The important thing is to do your best to get done what is needed and not trap yourself in your room all day.
I’ve definitely made that mistake before— letting myself get so bogged down with stress that I wasn’t able to experience anything beyond my computer screen. But that was Budapest… and a story for another time.
I’m no expert in the whole traveling & writing thing, but I’m getting better with time.
I’ve spent 8 months of the last <2 years doing this on and off.
If you enjoyed this, I invite you to subscribe and follow along on my writing journey:
I’ll be sure to share more of my adventures.
- C.S.M.
Love the fact that you’re handwriting the first draft of your novel. Thanks for sharing your writing routine and welcome to Bangkok!
Try writing by the beach in Hua Hin!