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Today’s post is about habits and was written by Maddie Morrow. It’s a good one!

Forming Habits to Write Consistently

We’ve all seen the various memes out there laughing over the fact that writers want to be writers, without ever actually having to write.

And while I can appreciate a good meme, that sentiment is all too true. It is so easy as a writer to get lost in a world of blogs, Pinterest, social media, writing groups, writing discussions, etc. etc.—all in the name of writing, but not actually dedicating a lot of time to writing.

How do we solve this predicament? So often writers want to jump straight from little to no consistent writing time, to pounding out 5000 words a day for the rest of forever. We think NaNoWriMo would be a great way to gain consistency, and then wonder in dismay what happened when we finish the month behind schedule, and valiantly cling to writers block as our excuse for why we just couldn’t have done any better.

I’ve never heard of a couch potato who hadn’t stepped foot outside in ten years, running a marathon one day and doing any good. Have you? Just like athletes have to prepare, and work up in increments to meet their goals, writers have to develop good habits to write consistently.

Designate a specific time.

Forming habits becomes real when you set time aside for it. Figure out which time works best for you. First thing in the morning before everyone else wakes up, right after school, before bed, whenever. But decide when is going to be your writing time. Give it a name and guard it.

For me, it’s at six in the morning when my little boy is asleep, and two in the afternoon while he takes his nap. I know that no matter what else I get done that day, those will be my writing times. I stick to it because my day is busy enough I might not get another chance to write if I skip my normal times. I guard that time with my life, and only the biggest of ordeals could take priority during those times. No Netflix, no reading, no Facebook.

It’s much easier to commit to writing—or anything really—if you take the time to get specific. If you just say “I’m going to write today” It’s easy to keep putting it off through the whole day until the day is over. But if you say “I’m going to write today at five o’clock” then you have a goal to aim for and keep you accountable.

Start in small chunks.

Just like a runner starts with small races—100 yard dash, 400 yards, a mile and so on, we need to start small so we don’t overwhelm ourselves and burn ourselves out on writing.

If you plan to start writing first thing in the morning, consider setting your alarm just fifteen to twenty minutes early to start with and gradually work up to an hour or two.

Other small steps you can take toward consistent writing would be to set a timer for just ten minutes a day and write. It doesn’t have to be a lot of words, or even particularly good ones. But committing to that ten minutes will start getting you in the swing of writing every day, and eventually you’ll find that ten minutes flies by and you want to keep on going.

Setting little goals for yourself, like writing 100 words a day is a good way to set yourself up for success while building those healthy habits. 100 words is about a paragraph long, and only takes a few minutes to get down.

Not sure when you have time to write, even if it is in small increments? Look at what you do. Is there anything that could be cut back on? Maybe just one less episode watched or chapter read, and that time could be your designated writing time.
Write while you’re waiting for your cookies to come out of the oven, or for a few minutes before it’s time to leave for an appointment. Seize whatever chance you get to write so you become accustomed to fitting it into your day.

Set goals for yourself in writing. Start small with them (like 100 words a day) and gradually move up. Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself, but do make them attainable. There’s no better feeling than achieving your goals and having something you can be proud of.

Remove distractions.

If you do get a specific time set aside for writing, you don’t want to waste it with being unproductive.

Get rid of any distractions in your writing sessions. Delete apps if you have to. Lock your phone or iPad screen on just what you’re working on. Close the door and hang out the do not disturb sign. Whatever it takes to keep that writing time producing actual writing.

Don’t even let writing related things become a distraction if you can help it. If there’s something you come across that needs researched, jot a note down for yourself to look into it, but keep writing. Many a writer has been lost down the rabbit trails of research

To do lists can be a great way of staying on track. If you start your day or week with a list of writing things you need to get done, it’s easier to avoid getting sidetracked by new shiny projects. My list currently is:

• Revise Blood and Dust
• Do character sheets for The Mad Hatter.
• Brainstorm the Viking story.
• Write Wednesday’s blog post.
• Write Story Embers article.

With this list I know exactly what I need to write, and which ones need to take priority first. This will hopefully keep me from diving into something totally unrelated to my goals.

No excuses. Just write.

I think it’s definitely true that writers tend to prefer the idea of writing to actual writing. We’re all about the aesthetic, and making sure we’ve got our coffee, and the perfect #amwriting photo for Instagram.

But resist, fellow writers! Put your butt in a chair and write! Use the urge to hop on Facebook to spur writing. Every thousand words you can check your feed. Use an app with a goal tracker if need be. There are multiple options available that keep you from closing out of your writing before your word count goal is met. Whatever works for you, do it. But write.

Don’t make excuses for why you can’t write. Somewhere in your day there is time. Find it.

One thing that used to always hold me back in the past was writers block. I’d feel blocked and quit that project until I felt unblocked. Most times that never happened.

Here’s the deal. You can’t move forward on a story if you put it on the shelf when you run out of ideas. You need to keep writing, plotting, thinking it through so you can get past that block. Writers block is just a concept. It shouldn’t have the power to take down you and your story.

Sometimes we have to be unconventional if we’re going to get writing done. My go to method of writing is on my laptop. But if circumstances (my two year old) won’t let me sit down to type I’m not afraid to switch it up. Use dictation, write by hand. Write in the notes app, or email. A napkin. Anyplace you can get words down is a great place.

What about you? What things have you started doing to get in a consistent habit of writing?

 

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