Habits

Develop your habits – good habits.

Writers are procrastinators. We find excuses, put off what we really need to do for things we should not be doing at all. Writers need to work of developing the habit of writing. Sure there are those few, who can write anywhere, whose words just seem to flow, no matter what. Personally, I need the habit on writing.

1. Find your motivation. Why are you writing? What makes you keep sitting down at the keyboard and plugging away? What do you think about when you don’t feel like writing that makes you pick up the pen anyway? Write down what you want and why you want it.

2. Focus. Make the effort to really focus in on your goals. Focus on forming a new habit that will make writing a priority.

3. Same time, every day. If you pick a certain time of day that you set aside to write, you will start to associate that time with writing. I prefer morning, first thing in the day. I figure it’s better to get it over with early, then I feel much better and less pressured. If I get in extra time during the day, I feel even better.

4. Share. To be fully committed, it’s best to be open, not private about your goals. Tell friends, family, writing partners, tweet it, blog it. Tell them your plan and report your accomplishments. If they are on your side, they will keep you honest.

5. Reward yourself. Don’t wait until the end. Choose little rewards for all of your accomplishments along the way. Maybe word count, maybe writing time, whatever your goals, make sure you acknowledge them.

Getting in the habit of writing is the key to being a successful writer. What are your goals?