How to Create Writing Habits That Will Stick
It is hard enough to be a creative writer. Maybe you haven't kept a journal in months. Or perhaps you've stopped at the third chapter of your book and are discouraged because you can't finish the story. Is it right to write when you have inspiration? Not unless you want to remain an amateur. Otherwise, you have to learn how to write without inspiration or look for it in radical ways.
When writing becomes a habit, we realize that we don't depend on inspiration. Yes, with it, our enthusiasm and creativity are off the charts, but we do well without it.
So the question is not how to find inspiration but how to develop a writing habit. If you feel it's your thing, take our advice. However, it won't be easy. The following are helpful tips for creative writers. These can also be marketing tips of sorts.
Find Your Space
If there were only one piece of advice, it would be this one. The work environment makes a huge difference.
If you're sitting on the couch with your laptop, and it doesn't make you want to work for more than 10 minutes, find another place. It may be more convenient to work in the kitchen or go to the library. It seems obvious, but sometimes all it takes is one small change to get into the habit of writing.
Experiment with Different Times of the Day
Creative writing for beginners is always a challenge. Somerset Maugham wrote, "I only work when inspiration comes." Fortunately, inspiration comes strictly at 9 a.m. every morning."
Chances are, your productivity levels rise and fall throughout the day. You can write page after page with almost no effort in the morning and go crazy in the afternoon trying to write even a line.
Even if you think you know yourself, try different times of the day. The results may surprise you. Once you find the perfect time, try writing every day. Set your brain up to be at its most active time.
Note the Time and Work at Certain Intervals
Start with the basics. You can use various techniques. Pomodoro is one of them. Write in periods of 25 minutes. The idea is not to get distracted at all during the process. Those who are disciplined enough achieve more. At least 2 hours without a break, and work all that time without distractions from your phone, internet, etc. You can promise yourself to do something nice afterward, but the next 120 minutes should belong to writing.
This simple trick does one essential thing: it develops concentration. It will be hard at first, but the resistance will pass with practice.
Work With a Calendar
A calendar is an excellent tool for acquiring habits. It helps you not just plan things but keep track of what you've done.
Better yet, get a physical calendar. If it takes up an entire wall, that's ideal. Put a checkmark or smiley face on the day you worked. In a month, you can evaluate the results.
Many authors believe that this is the best way to build a successful chain. It is better not to interrupt it. If you've been able to do your writing for two weeks without skipping a beat, that's considered an excellent result. During this time, you will also notice trends. For example, you work better and more productively on weekends. In this case, you need to finish all your other things by Saturday and ultimately give yourself the process at the weekend.
If you don't live alone, you can hang a calendar in the kitchen or standard room so everyone in the house can see your progress. Also, consider a virtual calendar where you report your improvement online.
Overcome Obstacles to Getting Started
What period is considered the most challenging when it comes to writing? We're guessing you know it yourself: getting started. The beginning is the hardest part. From there, we move on through inertia without much of a problem.
You may find that starting to write is easy when:
A pen and a notepad are in place.
The notebook is on, and the file is open.
The plan is ready and in front of you.
The playlist is loaded.
All you have to do is sit down and start writing. Now imagine not having all that: you have to find that pen, remember where the notebook is, and also, the light bulb has blown out. It's easy to say to yourself, "I'd love to, but fate is against it.
Distribute Your Work to Other Writers
Many people need to share their work and successes with others. As a result, they get a lot of support and motivation. Therefore, it's important to find such people.
It becomes much easier when you have those around you (albeit virtually) who have the same problems as you do.
You don't have to join a writers' union. It's enough:
Ask a loved one to read your work every week.
Find an editor.
Publish your work online in forums.
Don't forget that writing must become a habit if you get serious results. It's not enough to devote one day a week to it. When you make a habit of it, more than half of the difficulties will disappear.
Visualize Everything You Write About
80% of the information that a person receives every second is obtained through vision. Therefore, it makes sense that if we want to get the most information to the reader, we need to use the most effective method.
Scientists have proven that the best-perceived texts spell out specific expressions to form a particular image. For the reader to go from "It seems clear" to "I understand," you need to visualize the pictures for him.
What is the right way to write? First, you have to be on the same level as the reader. Then, use what's called a "cooler test": imagine reading your material to a buddy you met at the cooler at work. Better yet, let someone else read the text: a friend, a colleague, a loved one.
Postpone the Text
After you finish with the material, bring it to an optimal form (from your point of view), close it, and put it aside until the next day. Then, get on with other things. For example, you can start working on the following text. The main thing is not to touch the already written one anymore.
The next day, open the material and reread it. Chances are there will be details you want to fix, add to, or change. To fix it, but it's best to stop there.
These are tips to help create a blog. First, do the final editing of the material no sooner than 24 hours after writing it.
Additional Resources
30 Days to Create a Sustainable Writing Practice | self-guided course
Write Together Coaching Program | This coaching program provides accountability and encouragement for writers looking to build a more consistent writing life and take their ideas for projects to completion. They strive to build lasting relationships with writers to help them work through challenges that arise, such as creating a writing routine that fits their current lifestyle and working through hurdles in their short story, novel, essay, etc. See their list of programs
Write or Die Tribe Community Membership | What better way to solidify a writing routine than with the help of their writers. This membership includes access to our writer’s forum where you can meet writers, swap your work and make new creative connections. This membership also includes discounts on our self-guided courses and access to monthly Craft Chats with published authors. Join here