Routine Over Skills: Interesting Successful Writers Habits
Every writer has a secret dream of publishing their books, seeing them on the top of the list of bestsellers, and penning down thousands of words every day. We call it a dream simply because it is not easy to achieve. So, we all try to look for some implementation in our writing style.
The irony is not everyone knows the right path to reach this destination of success. But we can choose the right path just by changing some habits. Start applying successful writers habits to accomplish your dreams. Every writer should practice these habits to get success in their writing life and career.
The Best Habits of Highly Successful Writers:
Are you planning to take your writing to a next level? Start practicing Successful writers habits. These are not all about brainstorming or writing only but much more than that. It is not necessary that to be a successful writer you have to be a born genius. It’s how you nurture your creativity and modify your writing practices.
Here are some good habits that a writer should develop and add to their writing life to get success.
Read:
Reading is one of the key habits to achieving success. You have to read everything. In our English dictionary, there is a word, “Voracious”. It means to want or to swallow something eagerly. Your practice of reading should be like that! We all have one or some five books which we can read again and again.
Many of us easily identify that we have pulled an all-nighter because of the flair of writing and depth of the story. If you listen to all the famous writers about their success stories you will realize why it is important to read. They all recommend being a voracious reader.
If you want to follow successful writers habits then begin it with reading whatever is in front of you. Because if you read a wide variety of books then you will get exposed to all kinds of writings. This can help you to understand the portrayals of characters and can inspire you to write your book.
Reading books makes you knowledgeable which eases the flow of our writing. To be a reader you have to love reading. Just like writing every day, you have to read every day. The logic is pretty simple: you can’t be a teacher or a doctor without proper knowledge. The same goes for a writer as well. You need to have enough knowledge and information to be a good writer.
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Write Everyday:
The primary issue with the majority of writers is they don’t write much. That is a completely bad habit. Yes! Every single day you have to write something. In our daily busy schedules, it might seem difficult to take some time for writing. But once you get habituated to this practice it will seem like a normal routine.
All you have to do is just dedicate five to ten minutes every day to your writing. In this world of electronic gadgets, it is not even that harder. You can just set your alarm an hour earlier and then in the morning before starting your day you can write seven to twelve sentences in the notes of your mobile or iPad.
You heard us right, writing every day is that much easier. It depends on our determination only. To practice these habits you have to slightly manage your schedules and give some minor efforts.
Some people are night owls. They have never seen the rising sun but have spent hours counting the stars. If you are one of those night owls then instead of counting the stars engage yourself in writing before going to bed.
At night when all the surrounding is silent, asleep you can have plenty of peace in your mind to nurture your creativity of writing. However, the time in the morning, evening, or night varies from writer to writer but the practice of writing every day is a common secret of every successful writer.
Now if you are worried about how many words you should write per day then that’s up to you. For some, 2000 words per day sound great whereas some feel satisfied with 300 words a day. So it is completely your choice.
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Create Your Writing Shelter:
A writer needs to have his sphere. Writing is a kind of creativity and any creativity can be enhanced in serenity. That doesn’t mean you have to rent a room or a working studio. You can just simply arrange a chair and a desk which will be all yours. A desk stuffed with all your reading books, magazines and pens, and your writing chair.
Or you can sit in your garden chair and focus on your writing. The point is if you fix your writing sphere then it will help you to concentrate on your writing. No matter where we work we all face distractions but in the case of writers, distractions make their work harder.
So creating your sanctuary for writing is one of those habits that can help you to pay attention to your writing more. If you have a particular place to write no matter how much disturbance occurs you can still keep on writing as that place is your comfort zone.
Stay Dedicated to Your Writing:
If you stop practicing your habits it becomes a normal action. Like brushing our teeth is considered as our morning routine or night habit only because we regularly do it.
Dedication and practice make a man perfect. The more you will practice the more skills you will learn in your writing field. Writing regularly is a good practice for authors or novel writers. If they don’t sit regularly for their book writing work then the flair will get lost. Once you start writing daily it will become your habit and then you will realize the worth of these habits of successful writers.
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Try to be Deliberative:
Writers are often asked to carry a notebook and pen with them. Yes, there is a reason behind it. Carrying a notebook with yourself can help you to cultivate successful writer habits. Anyone can be a writer’s inspiration. The man sitting beside you on the bus or the shopkeeper who is selling vegetables can be the character of your next project.
Creativity is a natural quality of every writer. But if you start considering it as a part of your job then it will be more helpful. Brainstorming is very useful for writers. It is worth spending time on. Reading books can also be considered brainstorming. Being creative helps in the progression of a writer’s career.
If you are a copycat then there are high chances that you will be left behind in the race of achieving success. To be the best you have to deliver the best. If you deliver something that has been already published then how can you be the best? So being innovative, unique, and creative can help you to nourish your writing skills.
Set Your Goals:
You knew the important habits include this, didn’t you? Never go for some difficult to reach goals. First set goals that you can easily reach. The more goals you will achieve the more confidence you will gain. It will indirectly take you closer to success. Whether it’s for reading or for writing you have to set goals.
For the start, you can try reading two to three pages a day and write 300 to 500 words per day. This will bring regularity to your practice. The more you will see that you are achieving your goals you can then increase the goal bars.
Prioritize Your Writing:
Successful writers habits also include prioritizing your writing. To achieve success you have to focus on your work. We all indeed have our responsibilities and limitations. But we have to overcome that. Finish your drafts first. Everything will be your second choice but writing should be your priority.
Find out What Your Audience Wants:
While following the habits you also have to understand what your audience wants. Writing for yourself is completely different from writing for your readers. When you want to earn money and fame from your writing then you have to understand what your audience is looking for.
If you practice this habit then you can easily gain success as a blogger or author or writer. People will then love to read your blogs, will buy your books, and share your articles. You will also get more followers. Understanding your audience is also a part of SEO ( Search Engine Optimisation).
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Treat Writing as Your Passion and not a Profession:
If you see famous writers around the world you will see that most of them have or had a passion for writing. For them, writing is not a medium of earning money only. They are passionate about writing. If you love something then you can own it. The flair of writing, the tone of the text, and every other thing can be handled once you start loving writing.
Keep Your Words Simple:
Many writers still believe that using fancy or hard pronounced words is a very creative thing. This is a complete myth. Keeping your writing easily readable is one of the important successful writers habits. You have to understand that your reader is not supposed to be aware of all the fancy words that you are intending to write. So you have to keep it simple and easy.
Spend Time Listening to Podcasts:
As we have already discussed the importance of brainstorming, it is now clear that you can get inspiration from anywhere. So just like reading books and watching people around you can spend time listening to podcasts also. Podcasts not only help you to get ideas or inspiration but are also very entertaining.
Set Your Boundaries:
Remember that writing is your priority. It’s your primary responsibility. So you have to say no to many friend outings, social gatherings, or family meetings. But you have to be strict to set your boundaries.
Keep Shipping:
One of the necessary habits is you have to keep on writing. We have to accept a certain fact that we all are not born unicorns like Shakespeare or J.K.Rowling. We are normal people. Yes, there can be chances of achieving success like those unicorns but that chance is very little. So you have to constantly write books and ship them.
Appreciate Yourself:
Whenever you create a good piece of work, try to celebrate that. Treat yourself or buy presents for yourself. Self-appreciation will make you feel your steps towards success and that will intense your urge to achieve more.
Practice and Learn:
There are no shortcuts or practice. The more you will study, the more you will practice, the more writing skills you will learn. You have to learn the techniques, the basics, and the skills to become a good writer. If the base is strong and concrete then with some successful writers habits you can easily fly in the sky.
Connection:
You have to build connections with your readers. Give them your email and try to reply to their queries. This is how indirectly you will start creating your followers and community as well. Not only that but the constant touch with your readers will make you more knowledgeable about their demands and requirements. You can use that knowledge in your writings. Later when the readers will find the connection between your writing and their thinking they will feel touched and happy.
Read with the Mind set up of a Writer:
In the very beginning, we have discussed the importance of reading as one of the successful writers habits. But now the thing is you have to read with the mindset of a writer. While reading you have to pay attention to the selection of tone, in the plot twists, in the portrayals of characters, and many other minute things. It will help you to understand what works better. Most importantly it will teach you what factors do not work at all.
Find the Platform:
There are many online platforms for writers. On these platforms, you can express your thoughts, explore your writing skills and discover many unknown writing secrets. There are many online platforms where you will get paid for your writing. All you have to do is find a suitable platform for your work and start writing.
Create a Group:
It is one of the best successful writers habits. Because a writer can always help another writer. So, find out the other writers and create a community, where all the writers can share their brainstorming ideas, their inspirations, and their write-ups. When others will praise your work you will feel motivated and when they will criticize your work you will understand the mistakes.
Never Lose Hope:
Nobody is a born writer! Yes, there are some names but they are born geniuses. For normal people, the scenario is very different. They have to keep on going through the process of writing, which is not easy. The path is full of barriers but you should never lose hope. If one blog post fails the other will surely work. Just keep on working.
Successful Writers Habits of Some Famous Writers:
Who doesn’t know the famous writer Haruki Murakami? In an interview, he said that when he works for a novel he daily wakes up at four in the morning, and then at a stretch he works for almost five to six hours. After that to take a break he runs ten kilometers or swims fifteen hundred meters. For leisure, he listens to music or reads books.
At nine o’clock he prefers to go to bed. He added that he tries to stick to this routine as it helps to maintain regularity and also to mesmerize himself. He believes that a certain regular lifestyle allows you to feel the deeper state of your mind. It is obvious you need enough mental and physical strength to stick to such a routine for longer days but that is what we call dedication towards our work.
Ernest Hemingway once revealed his daily routine to George Plimpton. He said that when he works on a book or story he starts working in the morning as soon as possible. Because in the early morning there is peace in the surroundings and you find no one to disturb you. The weather remains cool and that calmness enhances your creativity. He keeps on writing until he reaches a point where he knows what to write next or what will happen next. Then he stops working and relaxes throughout the day. Then on the next day the schedule repeats.
Henry Miller also shared his daily routine as a writer. He works on one thing at a time. Miller works calmly and joyously. That encourages him to deliver better works. Keeping things lively and realistic works the best. For that, he said you have to see people and visit places. While working on a particular book don’t think about the other books that you want to work on. Just focus on your work. First learn to prioritize your work, which means writing should come first and everything else just afterward.
The famous writer Jodi Picoult once said that in our college days when we had to write a paper we always used to fix it all in the last few hours. It means when you have very little time you just sit and write. It might not be good but you at least write. Later if you want you can edit bad writing but you can never edit a blank page.
This statement proves how important it is to follow successful writers habits like writing every day or prioritizing your writing. James Salter believes that creating drafts and then editing them, again and again, can create a masterpiece. Because you should allow your writing age. Only then you will understand the depth of that work and can make the necessary changes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How to practice these habits of successful writers in life?
To become a successful writer you have to practice successful writers habits. But how can you apply them in your life?
- You have to be physically and mentally enough strong. If you push yourself harder, you can mentally be ready to take challenges. Murakami said he swims every day whereas Vonnegut gives push-ups daily. Now which activity works best for you is completely your thing.
- Most of the famous writers start their writing early in the morning. It is not a normal coincidence, rather it is a wise practice. Successful writers’ habits include starting your work first. In the early morning, our mind remains fresh and that helps in our writing.
- Writing is not everyone’s cup of tea. To become a successful writer you have to work hard and embrace your journey. You have to understand that fame doesn’t come overnight. You have to follow successful writers’ habits. After months and years of practice, you will start achieving your dreams.
2. What are good successful writers habits?
Writing every day is the answer. Daily writing is the most important thing. Even if you start this practice by writing a thousand words every day then also you will see a significant change in your writing style.
3. What makes a writer successful?
The more your writing can connect with your audience the more you will become successful. If your readers can relate to your story then they will love sharing it, or following your works.
4. How many hours per day a writer should spend writing?
It varies from writer to writer. But in maximum cases, writers spend one to two hours writing.
Conclusion:
The fact is we writers can be our worst rivals. Because in our paths we face lots of hurdles and many of us fail in that. All the popular successful writers habits are not achieved just by knowing the practices. You have to maintain the regularity, the consistency. Start practicing the habits little by little. Gradually with time, you will own those successful writers habits.
