Many people assume that good writers are born that way. A modicum of natural talent is certainly helpful; however, when it comes to long-term writing success, good work habits make all the difference. How many gifted writers are there with half-f
Many people assume that good writers are born that way. A modicum of natural talent is certainly helpful; however, when it comes to long-term writing success, good work habits make all the difference. How many gifted writers are there with half-finished work on their hard drives? The completion of a well-written project requires solid work habits, discipline, and self-knowledge. Luckily, these are not traits; they are skills that can be learned!
These pro tips from successful writers will help you see your work through from start to finish.
Getting Ready to Write
Sometimes, just sitting down to work is the biggest obstacle! Whether it’s challenging yourself with a deadline, setting aside time for writing, or avoiding distractions, writers need to engage self-discipline to create the opportunity to be creative.
- Deadlines Are Your Friends
Deadlines can be a blessing in disguise. They propel you through the more difficult stages of your process, helping that end goal to stay within view. Self-motivated projects are understandably challenging to complete—so create deadlines for yourself. Essay contests and job applications can help provide motivating deadlines for a writer.
While some creative writers may find adrenaline to be a helpful motivational tool, with academic or business writing, it is more likely to result in sloppy work. Your arguments will be stronger and your vocabulary richer if you avoid the stress of a rapidly approaching end-date. By getting a head start, you won’t short change the vital editing process, and you won’t be thrown off course if setbacks occur.
- Limit Distractions
Short story writer Nathan Englander advises, “If you want to get work done, you’ve got to learn to unplug.” When you hit roadblocks in your work, it can feel like a relief to distract yourself by messaging a friend. However, studies prove that productivity skyrockets when personal phones are kept out of sight, or at least switched to “airplane mode.”
For many writers, working at home is the easiest way to avoid noise and distractions. However, if you have children or pets, messy areas might become an additional distraction (and a temptation to procrastinate). It can be hard to focus when surrounded by piles of dirty laundry.
- Use Your Most Productive Hours
The best time to write varies from writer to writer. Often, finding your ideal writing window will depend on how you work best. If you require silence to focus, early morning is a great choice (before anyone has the chance to distract you). Writers Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, and Haruki Murakami famously preferred the early hours for their efforts.
One advantage of morning writing is a sense of accomplishment that can carry you throughout the day. You’ve made progress; now you can relax without writing looming all afternoon. Use the time for editing, administrative tasks, or research, and focus on writing during your most fruitful hours.
- Create Your Optimal Environment
Not every writer prefers absolute silence or solitude. The presence of others can also be inspiring and comforting. This helps explain the rise in popularity of co-working spaces, which are popping up all over campuses and urban centers. The library can also be a pleasant respite from the busy atmosphere of a coffee shop. Regardless of where you work, noise-cancelling earphones can help shut out the chatter. Just be sure to pick music that inspires you! Up-tempo instrumental music can keep you from succumbing to boredom and fatigue.
- Finally: Forget The Rules!
It can be challenging to stick to a regular writing routine with the stresses of our daily lives. It’s important not to fret over less-than-ideal circumstances if you can’t change them. As E.B. White put it, “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
It’s also helpful to remember that even the best writers don’t always feel like sitting down to work. As Henry Miller once said, “write according to program and not according to mood.”
Now That You’ve Started
Congratulations: you’re off! These simple techniques will help you stay focused while improving your results.
- Set Short-Term Goals
Short-term goalposts can help you drive towards the finish line. You choose the writing interval, which may vary from project to project. When writing a thesis, for example, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by such a seemingly monumental task. However, when you break that task up into manageable increments, anything is possible! Just take it one step at a time. Whether it’s a half hour or an hour, all you need to worry about it keeping your head down until the buzzer sounds. Be wary of using your phone as a timer, since this may tempt you to use it as a distraction.
- Leave Yourself Somewhere to Start
If you don’t know where to start the next day, sitting down to write can seem impossibly daunting. One oft-repeated piece of advice is to stop writing for the day (or the session) in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. If you provide yourself with a launching pad, you’ll s