H is for Habit

Image courtesy of kjnnt / freedigitalphotos.net

It is generally agreed upon that if you want to write more and become a better writer, you need to make
writing a daily habit, like brushing your teeth and getting dressed. But how can we cultivate this habit?

The best way is to fit your writing into a routine that has already become habitual, such as first thing in the morning after brushing your teeth, or as soon as the kids have gone to bed. This way, the routine that you have attached it too becomes a kind of trigger and your brain becomes hard-wired to using this as writing time.

Set your self realistic goals for these daily writing sessions, whether it be 100 words or 2,000. Use a figure that you know you can write comfortably in the time you have assigned yourself. Having an unrealistic goal is just setting yourself up for failure. It's far better to have a lower figure in mind and feel a sense of achievement in passing it, than a higher figure that you consistently fall short of and beat yourself up about.

Another important factor is keeping a record of your writing time, whether this is simply a red cross on a calendar to show that you have written that day, or a record of your word count. This visual reminder of how far you have come and how much you have achieved will act as a motivator for you to keep going.

Finally, writing is hard work so don't forget to reward yourself. This could be a small treat like a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine on the days you get your writing done, or something bigger when you reach a certain milestone like a completed first draft.

Do you make writing a daily habit? If so, how? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm going to be away on holiday until 15th April, but I have scheduled all the posts for while I'm away. I will try and log in once a day to check everything is running smoothly and reply to as many comments as I can. If you leave a comment I will visit your blog when I return and reciprocate. Happy A to Z'ing.