Writerly Habits For a Writerly Career

It’s like getting to Carnegie Hall.

There’s an old joke about a guy in New York City who asks another guy, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?”:

The other man replies, “Practice!”

Carnegie Hall is a prestigious concert venue in Manhattan. To play there, you have to have some skills.

To have skills — fundamental skills — you have to practice.

To become a writer of any skill, you have to establish some healthy habits.

Some writerly habits.

Easier said than done?

Here are some tested and sure strategies you can adopt to become a stronger, more practiced, and skilled writer.

Give them a try. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Freewriting

Once upon a time, when I was in college, there was this thing called “freewriting.”

The central concept was to sit down with a piece of paper (this was before laptops) and write without stopping to edit. The goal was to get words down on paper quickly and without pause.

Editing could be done at a later time.

The practice of freewriting helped me get started on a number of term papers. I’d break down a project into sections, jot down my thoughts on each topic or subtopic, and set it aside for a day or two.

I’d take it out again after some time and begin revising. This would entail more than simply correcting language and punctuation; it would also entail editing sentences to make them flow better and researching particular references to back up my claims.

When I stumbled into freelance writing years later (many years later), I discovered that the technique worked just as effectively.

Sure, there was some preliminary research. I studied my topic and jotted down a list of points, but I’d then take each point and freewrite a few words on it.

Soon, I’d have some preliminary paragraphs for each subhead in my freelance article. Then I’d review everything and edit, edit, edit.

After a few years, my writing improved overall. I continue the freewriting-then-editing process, but it now takes less time.

Try freewriting yourself. Don’t overthink things or attempt to do everything just right the first time. Instead, take the risk of writing a fast, shoddy first draft.

You can always make changes afterward.

Track Your Wordcount

I started logging my daily word counts when I became serious about becoming a writer. I tried to keep those counts exact — no rounding up or down. I noted 851 words in my daily log if I wrote 851 words that day. I’d do the same if I wrote 213 or 1,560.

Review your daily log each time you complete a writing session. Look at it each time you sit down to initiate a new writing session.

Use your log to feed your encouragement.

You’ll eventually get enough confidence in your own work that you won’t need to keep track of your word count. It is, nevertheless, a helpful tool when you are just getting started.

Keep a Notebook

I’m a fan of notebooks.

In my car, beside the couch, next to the bed, in the bathroom, on the front porch, and on the back porch, I keep a notebook. There are notebooks all over the place.

And my phone has some handy note-taking apps.

Why?

It’s one tool to ensure I never run out of topics to write about.

Writer’s block is a rare occurrence for me these days.

When ideas strike, jot down your thoughts as quickly as possible. It only needs to be a few lines long. Even just a title idea is better than nothing.

You’ll not only have a steady supply of ideas, but you’ll also be making writing — and thinking about writing — a more significant part of your life.

Building a Routine

Select a time of day when you can commit to writing, uninterrupted, for 15 or 30 minutes. As time goes on, you can extend this amount of time if you wish.

When I started establishing a routine many years ago, I wrote every day for the 20 minutes I usually had between finishing breakfast and leaving to catch the bus to work. After a month or so, I added an hour each evening before going to bed.

These days, I’ve set aside a couple of hours in the morning before my family gets up, then a couple of more hours in the early evening when I’ve finished all my other tasks.

I make a cup of tea for each session. I write. It works out great.

Even when traveling, I try to follow this routine as much as I can get away with.

You can easily turn writing into a habit by sticking to a regimen. Having a defined time for writing makes it simpler to get into your writing flow, whether you’re composing poetry, a novel, or a half-dozen blog articles on estate law.

Ask me how I know.

Good Habits Lead To Good Writing

We are creatures of habit.

If there’s a skill you want to build, having a routine makes that more possible. Want to become a skilled pianist? Play every day. Want to be an artist? Draw or paint whenever you can.

Similarly, if you want to be a halfway decent writer, get a routine down that has you actually sitting down and writing.

Every day. No excuses.

It’s easier than you think.

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2.

Do you like poetry, short fiction, and general oddities? Check out my new book, Life Among Psychopaths: an unexpected potpourri, now available on Amazon.