4 Major Creative Benefits of a Regular Writing Habit (And How to Start One)

A regular writing habit is important for many reasons, but it’s often hard to know what that might look like. Does it mean you need to write every day? Or is once a week enough? Habits—anything from brushing your teeth before bed to attending the same yoga class every week—form important parts of our lives. A regular writing habit can help you start writing that book, boost your creativity, and better set you up for publishing success.

The idea of a regular writing habit may sound intimidating, but it needn’t be! Below, we dive into what makes a habit, talk about the benefits, and offer a few tips to start a regular writing routine that lasts.

What makes a habit?

The NIH defines a habit as: “actions that are triggered automatically in response to contextual cues that have been associated with their performance.”

Habits already form a major part of your daily life, and you may not always realise it. For example, automatically putting on your seatbelt after getting in the car, brushing your teeth every night, or having a cup of coffee first thing each morning are all examples of everyday habits. Essentially, a habit is an action or activity you don’t think too much about doing. 

A regular writing habit should feel the same— like it’s a natural part of your routine. Like with any habit, the goal is for it to be such a normal part of your life that you don’t really have to think about sitting down and writing. You just do it. 

How long it takes to form a habit will vary from person to person. Some people may take a few weeks, while for others, it can take months. However, as long as you stick with it, maintaining a regular writing habit will get easier over time. 

4 major benefits to a regular writing habit

1. Keeps your skills sharp

Frequent practice is important for improving any skill, including writing. Look at creativity like you would any other muscle. If you neglect it, it weakens. But the more you use your creativity, the stronger and more developed it becomes. Hence, a regular writing habit will help you to become a better writer and self-editor and improve your craft.  

Remember though, you shouldn’t solely rely on a regular writing habit. You can’t write a great book in silo. Interacting with other writers and getting feedback on your work is just as vital to building your skills (and keeping them sharp). Along with starting a regular writing habit, you should also aim to join a writing group or get involved with the online writing community. And if you’re looking for something more personalised and one-on-one, an author coach might be a great alternative, too.

2. Regular writing trumps writing a lot at once

Every writer is different, and only you can decide what type of routine works best for you. However, developing a regular writing habit can have huge benefits to your craft. 

With this in mind, it’s typically better to write a little every day rather than a lot once or twice a week. First of all, you’re much less likely to form a habit (or stick to your schedule) if you, say, aim to write for five hours every Saturday instead of more regularly throughout the week. Five hours seems a lot more intimidating and time-consuming than an hour. You’re more likely to cut your writing time short, run out of energy, or even find ways to avoid it.

Writing in shorter, more regular spurts will also keep your creative muscles limber. If you save your writing for once a week, you may struggle to get back into your character’s head, lose track of arcs and plot points, or simply have trouble re-immersing yourself in your manuscript. And, because you’re not training your mind to be creative every day, you may get frustrated when you experience writer’s block. On the other hand, if you have trouble during one of your daily writing sessions, there’s always the next day! It’s much easier to stay motivated and positive. 

So, an hour out of your day (or even thirty or forty-five minutes) will feel much more manageable. It’s also easier to maintain over the long haul. But it will also serve your creativity better and make writing your book a smoother, more consistent process. 

3. Trains your brain to be creative

Some schools of thought suggest frequent practice will help you train your brain to respond and engage more creatively. This is why it’s so important to maintain as much consistency as possible with a regular writing habit. Hence, sitting down at the same time every day or using the same ‘triggers’ every time you write can boost your creativity. 

Try to incorporate daily ‘triggers’ into your routine. Maybe brewing a cup of coffee helps put your brain into writing mode. Or listening to a specific writing soundtrack. (To enhance your creative trigger, don’t listen to this at any other time except when you want to write.) Or maybe try warming up and getting your creative juices flowing with a few writing prompts. 

With a regular writing routine and the same daily triggers, writing will become second nature.

4. Makes you more productive

Steady productivity is important in writing, especially if you plan to publish. As an author—whether you self-publish or traditionally publish—you’ll set yourself up for better financial success if you have a body of work and steadily put out new books. 

Look at it this way: if a reader reads one of your books and likes it, they’re more likely to look for other books you’ve published or pre-order something you plan to publish. A regular writing habit will help you maintain the productivity you need to stay engaged and present in the publishing world.

Some literary agents and publishing house editors also look favourably on writers who have more than one idea and the ability to execute these in the future. It can be more appealing to sign an author who has more than one future book in them than a writer who might be just a one-off. It’s also possible to land a multi-book publishing deal, and you’ll want to make sure you can deliver. A regular writing habit will help you to develop the ability to do just that. 

A regular writing habit can also help you strengthen the professional skills you need to meet deadlines. If you always wait for inspiration to strike before sitting down to write, you may never even finish your first draft or will struggle to push through edits. Having a regular writing habit means you’re more likely to continue being productive, no matter what. 

How to start a regular writing habit

Choose your triggers

Decide what your writing ‘triggers’ will be and stick with them as much as possible. Always light that same candle, brew that cup of coffee, or spend a few minutes meditating beforehand. Whatever gets you in the mood to write! 

Set a schedule (but give yourself flexibility, too)

If you set too rigid a schedule, you may become demotivated if and when you don’t manage to keep to it. No schedule at all and you may never sit down to write. Find that sweet spot where you aim to stick to your writing schedule most of the time. But have some leeway for when life gets in the way (such as the busy holiday season). 

Create micro-goals

Micro-goals are small, achievable daily targets. A few examples of great micro-goals can include: 

• Write at least 500 words a day
• Write for an hour
• Finish a tricky chapter
• Create an outline for your book 

Always set a micro-goal before you start and make sure it’s something you know you can achieve in a single writing session!

Bundle in enjoyable activities as rewards

We get it, sometimes writing is hard! Which is why it can be helpful to ‘bundle’ in an activity you know you enjoy as a reward. Maybe give yourself 10 minutes to scroll through Instagram every time you finish writing 500 words. Or read a few chapters of a book you’re currently enjoying before you start writing. Bundling in these activities can prevent you from feeling burnt out or dreading your writing time. However, be careful about rushing through your writing so you can do a fun activity. And don’t let the reward overtake your writing time! Be honest and firm with yourself about whether you’ve truly earned it.

So, should I write every day?

“Write every day” isn’t a hard and fast rule. What’s important is that you make writing a regular habit, whether that means writing daily, every other day, or a few times a week. Forming habits takes time, so be kind to yourself and don’t stress when something interrupts your routine. 

If you’re still struggling to find that balance between committing but not over-committing, you might benefit from an author coach. Our knowledgeable coaches can provide guidance and support whether you want to form a regular writing habit, brainstorm your book, or need help manoeuvering the writing and publishing world. 

However, at the end of the day, it all comes down to you. Only you can decide if you want to commit to a regular writing habit and take the needed steps to achieve it. While it may be a challenge at first, you’ll be able to reap great creative benefits for a long time to come!