The Discipline to Write
Greetings and salutations Scribblers!
Today we’re going to chat a bit about the importance of developing good writing habits. Remember, there’s no right way to be a writer. You always have to do what works for you–but if something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to stop,reassess, and then pivot to a different path forward.
We’ve chatted before about the discipline to write. The focus, the determination, the stubbornness it can take to not only write an entire manuscript, but then to revise it, query it or self-publish it.
Like anything else, building good writing habits takes time. So let’s take a look at how you can start to change your narrative from struggling to write to being consistent and reaching your goals.
First, I recommend assessing where you’re at with your writing habits and determining what is and isn’t working. Give yourself a hour or so to just sit and consider what habits you already have–good or bad. Look at when you’ve felt the most creative versus when you feel like you struggle the most throughout the day. For a long time, I tried to push myself to write at night because it was the biggest uninterrupted chunk of time I had, but my brain was already so exhausted from the day that it was difficult to be creative and I was frustrating myself. I’ve since learned that my best writing time is between 8 am and 2pm. Over the summer I get to write all the time, but during the school year, I’ve pretty much stopped writing in the evenings during the week because my brain is just too exhausted. Which means I do almost all of my writing on the weekends from September through May.
This was something I had to figure out and it took me a few years. Partly because my weekends were just as filled as my weekends because I was actively training for dressage shows and had a few part time jobs but I was determined to write, so I took the only time I had available–my exhausted evenings.
There’s a bunch of people who get up at 4 or 5 am every day to write first thing in the morning. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but it’s also such a great time to write because everything is quiet and if you have kids or a partner, they usually aren’t up yet either, so you can focus. I’ve tried this and while I’m not good a being creative first thing in the morning, I am a get up and exercise or take my dog for a walk at 5am kind of girl, which gets me in the mood to write because I’m actively waking up my body and my brain has a chance to get into its flow state.
Similarly, assess how you write. Do you prefer pen and paper, a notebook, a specific pen, your laptop, etc. Figure out the tools that make you the most comfortable and the set up. When I first started, I didn’t have a desk. I sat on my couch with my computer in my lap and typed away, I hated it. In 2020, after 4 years of typing from my couch, I finally decided to buy myself a desk and what a difference it made. I bought myself a fancy chair and now it’s so much easier for me to write because I’m comfortable.
Alright, now that you’ve assessed all of that and decided what works and what you want to change up.
Make a list and put those things you want to change in order of how you want to change them. You could work from most important to least important or maybe easiest to most difficult change to make.
Then, start small! If you’re trying to find time to write, you might start with just 5-10 minutes two days a week, then after a few weeks increase either the number of days you're committing to write or the time. Either way, keep your changes small and your goals attainable. Starting out like this builds success, as those two 10 minute days start to become routine, then challenge yourself to do more.
And, whatever you do, when or if it doesn’t work out, don’t get mad at yourself! I know this is easier said than done, but you have to give yourself grace. Sometimes things are just out of our control and we have to be flexible. So find ways that you can be flexible. Maybe you have to do two five minute sessions instead of one 10 minute continuous session. No matter what, be committed to showing up for yourself.
When something works or doesn’t work, take the time to analyze why. Identifying the reason behind your success or difficulty will help you to refine your practices and find what works for you. Be honest with yourself about why something does or doesn’t work and don’t be afraid to try something that seems out of your comfort zone.
Give that 5am writing a try for a week and see what happens, you might surprise yourself!
As you start to develop your habits, it can also help to have an accountability buddy or accountabilitbuddy if you will. Just telling someone else what your writing plan is and asking them to check in on you can make a big difference as you work to make your habits into daily practice. I know when I message one of my writing friends and speak my writing goal into the group chat, I’m more likely to achieve it. And if I don’t, I feel like I have to explain why, which forces me to analyze why it didn’t work out and that allows me to make adjustments.
The big take-aways here are to be honest with yourself about what is and isn’t working and why. As you set your goals to build better writing habits, start small and make changes as needed. Give yourself grace and be flexible. Find someone to cheer you one and help you stay committed to your goals.
Finally, remember that your writing habits will likely change over the years or from project to project. Let yourself grow and change and keep moving forward.
If you’re looking for someone to chat with about your writing and specific ways you can change things up to build habits and meet your goals, check out the coaching options offered by The Scribbler’s Den, we’ll build a tailor-made program to meet your needs. Alright Scribblers, go forth and write! Build those amazing habits and just be awesome in general!
As always, your mileage may vary! Take what helps and leave what doesn't! I’d love to hear what helps you stick to your writing goals! Tell us in the comments!
