"Write without pay until somebody offers to pay"  —Mark Twain

Work Habits For Writers To Cultivate

Writers face both advantages and drawbacks when setting a regular schedule by which to write. Family and friends can either enhance or distract from writing objectives by protecting or resenting the time spent writing. Regardless of family pressures, a writer must practice his/her craft on a regular basis. It will take a long time to complete a novel if the writer waits for convenience and inspiration. Develop the habit of following a regular routine.

Reserve an hour or two each day to work on your writing project. Some writers are more creative in the morning. They value this quiet period while their family still sleeps. Others spend a couple of hours after lunch writing. Still others enjoy writing at night just before bed. Whatever your schedule and preferences, do it every day, preferably at the same time each day until it becomes a habit. Remain firm in your determination to follow your schedule and plan other activities around it

Writing tools such as paper, pens, software, manuals, etc. should be kept close at hand. Writers thrive in different environments. Some need absolute quiet while some enjoy music playing softly in the background. Still others like to have their family nearby despite the noise.

As you move about doing housework, mowing grass, visiting the dentist, grocery shopping, or exercising, you can use your mind to review what you have written thus far. This does not work if you sit staring at the television set. It has a way of dulling your brain and delaying the creative process.

Refrain from taking to heart what close relatives and friends say about your work. They tell you it’s great even if they think it isn’t. Lavish undeserved praise is useless and will get you nowhere. Others will pick the work apart and discourage you. Keep in mind the uneducated editorial advise and criticism can destroy your confidence. Avoid it.

User your own editorial skills, slim as they may be, to fine-tune your manuscript. Read dialog aloud and ask yourself if you would say the exact same thing if you were put in the same situation. Tighten the novel by getting rid of repeated thoughts, as well as words such as “had”, “that” and “and”. Strive to make the story flow. Someday you may be asked to read before an audience and you’ll be glad you spent time tightening the text.

Reading to a tape recorder helps some writers. If you don’t catch, problems during the actual reading you’re bound to pick up on them when you replay the tape. Excellent times to review the tape are while cooking, washing dishes, folding laundry, walking the block, driving, and other such activities. In addition, once the tape is recorded to your satisfaction it is ready to convert into an audio cd for family and friends who have a reading disability.

Keep a log of your daily activities as well as a fact based record on the novel. In the log, record your thoughts, mood, etc. If you have a problem doing this, write these entries as letters to yourself. You’ll be surprised at how helpful these notes can be when you go back to review them. Be sure to note the page count of your manuscript each day. These statistics can be used to average your productivity and estimate the completion date of the manuscript.

Carry a small wire bound notebook and mini recorder everywhere you go. Use the mini recorder when ideas strike you during the night, while out walking, exercising, etc. Use the notebook when in meetings, theatres, church, public libraries, and other such places where talking is frowned upon. You can keep track of dreams, thoughts, Ideas, facts, contact information, and Internet research links in you notebook. You should also keep information about your story in the small notebook. Facts such as character names, descriptions, streets, businesses, etc. can be vitally important when you need to refresh your memory.

Lastly, create a tip sheet from your fact pages. Print it out on card stock and attach it to the wall or sit it on your desk. An ideal way to display your tips is by slipping the sheet into an inexpensive acrylic frame.

These simple suggestions should help generate useful ideas as you strive to perfect your writing skills.