Autumn’s Affairs #10 – Creating Writing Habits

I’ve been trying to make my driving time more productive lately since I’m doing a lot of it. I’ve been listening to books about writing and podcasts. One of the podcasts I’ve been listening to is the Audible Original, In the Habit. I’m three episodes in and it’s really got me thinking about my writing habits.

One of the things that I know, but I’ve been reminded of, is that habits are often created when we build cues and simply replicate the habit again and again and again.

Damn — we all know this. So, why don’t we just do it?

Good question.

I need to create a habit of writing every day. I need to make it something I don’t think about. I just do it at that certain time of day because it is what I do — because it is a habit.

That makes me think about how I can make writing a habit. Here are some things I plan to do:

  1. Write at the same time every day.
  2. Not let myself do other things until I have completed a certain amount/time of writing.
  3. Doing my planning at night instead of in the morning.
  4. Not doing other things like checking Facebook or Twitter or all that stuff until I’ve done my writing.

I’d like to make it a same place, same time type of thing but that’s not always possible. I’m not always in the same place. But I have my portable office so I can use that to an extent.

I’m thinking of creating a playlist for writing, too. Possibly a jazz compilation because I don’t usually listen to jazz music but I do like it.

What do you do to create writing habits? Seriously, leave me a comment because I could really use the input!