How to Build a Writing Habit

“How do I build a writing habit?”

I’ve seen that question—or variations of it—pop up on social media and discussion threads from folks who are trying to get an idea they have in their head onto paper (or word processor), be it a fantasy story, non-fiction narrative, short story, etc.

It’s an important question, and one I had to ask myself when I was in that same boat—an aspiring writer who wanted to turn my idea for a fiction novel into a reality. After all, if you’re not writing consistently, it’s unlikely you’ll get anything done. So, how do you build a writing habit? While I can’t claim to know a foolproof, one-size-fits-all method that will help you cut through procrastination or carve out time in your schedule, I can tell you what’s worked for me—and I hope it’s helpful for you.

Commitment Equals Time

If you’re an aspiring writer and you’re asking the question stated above, then you’ve already taken your first step toward building the writing habit. You’ve heard the “call to adventure,” so to speak. But now it’s up to you to heed that call.

Writing consistently is a commitment, and commitment equals time. You have to find the time in your schedule to write. No one else will do it for you. So, what does your schedule look like? If you’re like many of us, it’s probably busy. But I’d wager there’s time to be found if you’re really looking for it. It doesn’t matter if it’s fifteen minutes a day or five hours. Find that time and commit it to writing.

I write in the morning—that’s helped me stay consistent and engaged over the past few years. I’ll write, think about my story, and write some more during that time block. And the added bonus of writing in the morning (in my experience, at least) has been that, if I don’t reach my daily goal, I have the rest of the day to squeeze in a little more writing.

Speaking of goals…

Set a Goal

Currently, I try to write at least six (Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced) pages a day, five days a week. It’s a goal I ripped off from Stephen King. He’s a prolific writer, to say the least, and I want to push myself to make consistent progress on whatever I’m writing.

For me, it’s a math problem, really. Say I wanted to write an 80,000-word novel, or roughly 320 pages. If I wrote six pages a day, I’d complete the draft in approximately 53 days—less than two months!

What Works for You?

Now, am I saying you have to write six pages a day on whatever you’re working on? No way. You need to do what works best for you. You may write less; you may write more. Shoot, you might find that “pages” aren’t a good goal for you. You’ve got to work with what your schedule allows—so time might be your goal.

Is that fifteen minutes a day, five times a week? Or an hour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Whatever you decide, stick to it. I’d recommend no less than three writing sessions per week. Why? Because the more often you’re working on your writing (even if it’s just for fifteen minutes), the more your mind will be thinking about it while you’re not writing. Anything less than that makes it hard to make writing a habit, in my opinion. A four-hour writing session once a month won’t be as productive as a consistent writing pattern.

Here's an important note, though: don’t beat yourself up over missing a day or even a week here and there. Life gets busy, and there’s nothing wrong with sacrificing writing time for more important things like family when you need to. Just get back into your writing pattern as soon as you can.

Disavow Writer’s Block

I don’t believe in writer’s block. That has helped my writing habit. Whether you believe writer’s block is a thing or not in your heart of hearts, I’d encourage you to tell yourself it’s malarkey. Even if it is real, it doesn’t help you any—it’s just a potential excuse you can use to avoid building a writing habit.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Embrace the Grind

I love to write. If you’re looking to build the habit of writing, I’d guess you probably do, too. Or at least you like the idea of it.

Here’s the reality, though: sometimes writing is a grind. Even when you’re writing on something you’re excited about. Oh, sure, there are times when you’re struck by “the Muse” and everything is flowing, and it all feels great. But, if you’re like me, those times can be few and far between.

A Poorly Constructed Metaphor

You have people in your life whose company you enjoy and have fun being around, right? Considering those friends, do they sometimes reach out to you to hang out? Probably, yes! Are they always the ones initiating time together? Hopefully not!

What I mean is, a friendship is a two-way street. If you want to look at creativity in terms of “the Muse,” don’t let it be the only one that initiates time together. Sometimes you have to go out and find it, even if that search can be hard sometimes. How do you do that? By sitting down and writing. Even if the words that come out of you move at the speed of molasses.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into a writing session kind of dreading it, only to come out energized because I discovered something in the grind that worked for my story. Your creative brain can do incredible things for your writing when you refuse to give it an easy way out.

Your First Draft is for Your Eyes Only

Here’s a realization that was a game changer for me—your first draft is supposed to be junk. As someone who was often obsessed with writing something perfect the first go ‘round, I can’t tell you how much pressure this removed.

Just write, just get something out of your head and on paper. Because then you can do something with it. Then you can improve it. You won’t be able to fix it if it only ever stays in your head. And if your goal is to release your story for others to enjoy, this is critical. But no one needs to see your story when it’s fresh out of your mind.

Now, there is a danger of overediting and never letting your story see the light of day, but seriously, your first draft is for your eyes only. Who cares if it’s bad? So were the first drafts of a lot of great stories. Let that knowledge bolster your writing habit and start getting stuff done!

Conclusion: How to Build a Writing Habit

If you’re looking to build your own writing habit, I hope this post has helped you. Feel free to reach out in the comments with your experiences or questions. You can also reach out to me on Twitter if that’s more convenient. Writing consistently is just like any other habit, it takes time, commitment, and the right attitude. Find out what works for you, schedule time, set goals, and write!