Dec 23, 2009

Hard Habit to Break

This blog post isn't about the song by Chicago, I'm talking about bad writing habits.

Hard Habits to Break such as not writing at all, not writing enough, spending "writing time" napping or on Facebook.

Here is what Wikipedia says about Habit.

"Research shows that it takes 21 days to develop a habit."

21 days (or 3 weeks) to form a habit, hopefully a good habit... doesn't sound all that hard - does it?. A few of my blogs came from wanting to write every day for 21 days and be able to put my writing somewhere.

Like most people, starting it is the tough part and keeping with it the first few days is tough. That is why people try dozens of times to quit smoking or dozens of dieting attempts.
Nicotine helps the smoker get their habit way before 21 days are up.
Food: cheesecake alone is sometimes worth saying, "I'll start dieting tomorrow".

(I need to invent some type of nicotine for writing. What form would you prefer. In the form of a patch, food, or drink? I imagine putting in a "writing patch" that keeps me in front of my computer for awhile. If only...)

How can a writer, eager to get their words down create good habits?
Writers: What good writing habits do you possess?
Does it help to have others hold you accountable?
Do you reward yourself for a job well done?

Writers Bookstore:
101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists: Insider Secrets from Top Writers by Andrew McAleer
Amazon's description: This title focuses on the behaviors necessary to succeed in the dog-eat-dog world of fiction writing by asking successful authors how they practice their craft. Readers will learn how to adopt those habits on their quest to become novelists. The book will inspire, nourish, and provide the needed kick in the pants to turn the wannabes into doers! The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists is full of "aha" experiences as the reader uncovers the collected wisdom from the cream of today’s fiction writers.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've got a few good habits. Of course there is the peanut butter sandwich before a good writing session, but I've found that even without the food I can still get some really good pages down.

The best habit I got into is probably the length of time I write. Even though I have a day job, and two little girls, I still set aside one hour a day to write Sun - Thursday, and two or more hours on Friday and Saturday. The main focus is quantity not quality. I'm going to edit it anyway and at least this way it is getting done. Once the first draft is done I'll change those hours to number of pages a day for the rest of the time I'm working on that project. When it comes to research, I make that part of my time surfing the web.

Now this is a schedule that has worked great for me. It took me awhile to get into this routine, but once I did I have been very productive.

HAPPY WRITING!

ERIC DWIGHT