7 Daily Habits of Highly Effective Writers (So You Can Be One)
These habits make the writing process easier
As you progress in your writing career you’ll notice that there are some ways to improve your process.
I have been writing for over 15 years and I have been writing professionally for over ten.
I have picked and changed dozens of habits over the years as well as seeing what other writers do.
Here are some of the most effective habits I’ve tried over the years.
1. Having a set writing time
This is one that took far too long to start doing.
I was far too much of an artist and not a businessman when I started writing. I wanted to write late at night. Or just random times throughout the day.
My schedule was always changing.
I didn’t want a typical job. I figured if I sat down at a desk every day for eight hours, I might as well go get an office job.
However, my work suffered. I would have good days and bad days. Some days would be much more productive. Other days I would procrastinate all day and then have to hurry at night to get my work done.
I found sitting down to start working at roughly the same time every day made it much easier to get work done.
Plus I would actually get writing done instead of doing other things knowing I could always write later.
And if I started early, if I really got into the groove then I work extra long hours.
Often when I’d work later at night, I would find a great rhythm only to get too tired to continue and have to stop working.
2. Setting a timer
This is another thing I thought was only for productivity gurus but it works.
I do this often. Especially if I have a number of pieces to write.
Sometimes when I sit down to work nothing comes. I have a title and blank page and that’s it.
I’ll set a timer for thirty minutes, and that usually triggers my brain to get going. The pressure of the clock unlocks something and I can really go for it.
Plus let’s you have three articles to write.
It can be pretty easy to let time get away from you and have it take all day.
If you use a timer then you can get it all done in an hour and a half.
3. Reading your work aloud
This is one of those key things you find out about too late.
My writing used to be stiff and clunky and it never sounded natural. It would droll on monotonously. Just one boring sentence after another.
When I was in college a professor told me to read my work aloud.
It made it much easier to see where it was getting bogged down and what parts felt unnatural.
This is especially true with fiction, and doubly true with dialogue. If you read it aloud it allows you to see if your characters sound like people.
It also helps catch mistakes in the editing process.
Speaking of editing
4. Under editing
This may sound crazy, but I know far too many writers that obsess about editing. They will spend weeks editing short stories, trying to fine tune everything.
Yes you want your writing to be polished but eventually you have to publish.
It’s way better to have one mistake than to agonize over every comma for weeks.
It will kill your production if you do.
5. Continue Reading
I know far too many writers that stop reading after they start writing professionally.
You need to keep your creative tank full. I prime the pump for a new creation.
Many newer writers, I do as well, fear they will sound like other writers.
But don’t do that.
I got news for you.
You already do that. Anything you write is already an amalgam of everything you’ve read.
There’s nothing new under the sun.
Stop stressing about it.
6. Finish things
I used to start a million different projects and never finish them. I have an old Thinkpad somewhere that has at least 37 novel attempts on it.
You have to get used to finishing things.
That’s why I am a big proponent of writing every day and writing/posting a story a day. You want to start getting used to writing “The End.”
It’s also why it’s good to practice with shorter pieces off the jump. You’re much more likely to finish an article or a short story than a book.
7. Have fun writing
If you really want to succeed at writing then you have to start liking the process.
I used to hate the act of writing. I loved having finished the story. It was much more fun to tweak an already done story.
But now I’ve begun to love the whole process.
I love my fingers hitting the keys.
The words appear on the screen.
Everything about writing.
So if you want to be an effective writer then you Ishtar want to try these habits out.
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Focus and reducing distractions is key. Having a to do list and ticking off priorities first also works.
Super helpful!