7 Writing Habits Of Highly Successful Writers

Discover the 7 writing habits of highly successful writers. They’re easy to apply if you want to become more prolific.

So you love writing. You’re committed to developing your writing voice, improving your skills, and working steadily on your craft. But, sometimes, you want to pull out your hair after a day’s writing.

If only you could figure out what successful writers do every day and then use this insight to improve your craft and learn how to become a writer.

Because many successful writers are inaccessible (or they’ve passed on). The good news is that you can still learn from them if you do the work. All you have to do is emulate their writing habits.

In this post, I’ll explain the 7 writing habits of highly successful writers. I’ll also explain how you can cultivate these habits using practical writing tips. They work for short stories, blogging, fiction, and non-fiction.

YouTube video

1. Keep an Orderly Daily Routine

Writing habits of highly successful writers

Following a consistent daily routine means a writer is more likely to find time to write because they are less prone to unplanned interruptions and life events.

The creative process is messy, unordered, and demanding, but you’ll find it harder to organize your writing if your life outside the blank page is chaotic.

The writer George Flaubert argued an orderly daily routine is all writers need to create. He said:

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so you may be violent and original in your work.”

For many writers (particularly new ones), being regular and orderly means keeping a job. When you sit down to write, the last thing on your mind should be paying the bills. If the prospects of an orderly routine fill you with boredom, consider T.S. Elliot.

Working with numbers is anathema for most writers, but British poet T.S. Elliot worked in Lloyds bank in the UK and wrote his poetry outside of work.

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Until your writing is earning you a decent income, don’t quit your job. That way, you can experiment with different genres or niches.

Instead, create on the margins of the day by either getting up early or writing after work. Dedicate time to the creative process, free from email, the news, and social media.

I usually start the day with a cup of coffee or tea and write the first draft for at least thirty minutes without interruption.

That said, if you’d rather not hold down a job unrelated to creative work, check out our guide to the best writing jobs.

2. Write Every Day

Write every day
I recommend tracking your word count during these sessions to evaluate your progress

Successful writers sit down in front of the blank page every day, not just on weekends or when inspiration strikes. They do the work because writing is their job, not just a hobby.

Consider Anthony Trollope. This 19th-century English author produced an astonishing 47 novels during his career; two dozen were published while he worked in the General Post Office. According to Mason Currey, Trollope said about writing every day:

“All those I think who has lived as literary men, – working daily as literary labourers, – will agree with me that three hours a day will produce as much as a man ought to write.”

If Trollope completed a novel during his three-hour writing session, he immediately took out a blank sheet of paper and started writing a new one.

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Writing three hours a day is a tall order if you’ve never attempted it. As with any new habit, start small.

Start by writing for 15 minutes today and 15 minutes tomorrow. The following week, write every day for 30 minutes. And so on.

If you falter, set the alarm on your phone to remind yourself about your writing schedule. Consistency is vital if you want to become a better writer.

Do this until you create a writing routine that sticks. I also recommend tracking your word count during these sessions to evaluate your progress.

3. Leave Yourself Subtle Writing Prompts

Prolific writers know how important it is to get going quickly and efficiently. They leave themselves subtle prompts that simplify picking up from the previous day’s work.

Ernest Hemingway famously stopped writing in the middle of a sentence so he’d know exactly where to resume the following day.

The American novelist Henry Miller was also a big believer in stopping before he ran out of ideas. He said:

“I don’t believe in draining the reservoir, do you see? I believe in getting up from the typewriter, away from it, while I still have still things to say.”

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Buy a packet of index cards or Post-It notes. When you’re finished for the day, write on a single index card or Post-It about what you want to work on tomorrow.

Now, stick this on your writing desk. This writing habit will also help you overcome writer’s block as you’ll have a visual reminder about where to start.

4. Embrace Research

Research is a vital part of the writing process, and a writer’s inputs inform what they produce.

I struggled to accept research as part of the non-fiction writing process for a long time.

I told myself research was a distraction from doing the work of putting one word after another on the blank page.

Now, I know better. The contemporary non-fiction writer Robert Greene spends hundreds of hours researching books like Mastery and The 48 Laws of Power.

Greene typically reads 300–400 books about a particular topic. He annotates what he reads and translates his notes to a trusted system for organizing his ideas. In this Reddit AMA, he said:

“I read a book, very carefully, writing on the margins with all kinds of notes. A few weeks later I return to the book, and transfer my scribbles onto note cards, each card representing an important theme in the book.”

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Review your calendar and block part of your creative time for writing and another part for research.

If you’re worried about getting stuck and endlessly researching your work, set a hard deadline for when you’ll stop researching and start writing.

5. Work Without Distraction

lone are triggers for deep thinking that supports the creative process.

Perhaps, this explains why pictures of writers’ offices and workspaces are so popular with other writers and creative people?

The American novelist behind Freedom and the Corrections seeks solitude by disconnecting himself from the internet. During a book tour for his 2012 novel Freedom, Jonathan Franzen told a journalist he wanted to write more each day.

So, he physically removed his Wi-Fi card from his computer and permanently blocked his machine’s ethernet connection with Super Glue.

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Create a place where you can work uninterrupted on your ideas for at least an hour at a time. This could be a small room in your house or apartment, a quiet table in your local favorite coffee shop, or a seat at the back of the train where you can sit and write wearing noise-cancelling headphones.

The location is less important than having a place your brain associates with writing at length without interruption. When this happens, you’re less likely to face problems like procrastination.

6. Keep Strong and Healthy

Keep strong and healthy
Successful writers go to great lengths to keep themselves physically healthy so they have the strength to come up with new and better ideas

Sitting at a desk, hunched over an old manuscript or keyboard for hours at a time isn’t good for your physical health, and writing in pain isn’t conducive to creativity.

Successful writers go to great lengths to keep themselves physically healthy so they have the strength to come up with new and better ideas.

The British writer Charles Dickens was a prolific walker. On a given day, Dickens walked 12 or more miles around Kent or through the streets of Victorian London. He used many moments from these walks as inspiration for his novels. Critic G.K Chesterton writes in Charles Dickens: A Critical Study:

“There are details in Dickens’ descriptions—a window, or a railing, or the keyhole of a door—which he endows with demoniac life. The things seem more actual than things really are,”

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Keep a pair of trainers beside where you write as a visual reminder to exercise. Activities like walking and running will help you sleep better and give you more energy to write tomorrow.

I also like sit-ups and push-ups as they get the blood flowing if I’ve spent an hour or two sitting at a writing desk. If you exercise for several days, reward yourself with a healthy treat.

To learn more, check out our guide discussing the link between exercise and creativity.

7. Write Even When You’re Not Inspired

Even if you don’t feel like you have a good idea, write it down anyway. Accomplished writers are meticulous about recording thoughts throughout the day.

Mark Twain carried a pocket notebook with him for his ideas. Thomas Jefferson jotted down notes about everything from the growth of plants and flowers to observations about daily life. Even George Lucas keeps a notebook with him while shooting a film.

My favorite story about a writer who made it a point to write things down involves the children’s author, Roald Dahl.

One day, Dahl found himself stuck in traffic. Suddenly, he thought of a breakthrough for a story he was working on. Having no notepad or pen, he grew afraid he’d forget his idea before getting home.

So, Dahl got out of the car, and with his finger, he wrote the word ‘chocolate’ into the dirt on his vehicle. This idea later became Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl said about his ideas:

“You work it out and play around with it. You doodle… you make notes… it grows, it grows…”

How To Cultivate This Writing Habit

Commit to writing down 5–10 ideas (it doesn’t matter how outlandish) in a notebook you carry around every day.

You can use digital tools like an app on your smartphone or buy a small notebook that fits in your pocket. Before your next writing session, read back on these notes for inspiration.

The Final Word On Creating Good Writing Habits

If you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll recognize these 7 habits as proven writing advice. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Becoming a successful writer doesn’t mean discovering a great secret. Instead, walk the path of the literary betters who came before you.

Do what they do, and you’ll discover how they built a writing career to envy. Then, you’ll be able to use this new insight into your creative life to improve the quality of your writing and strike out on your own.

Want more? Check out our guide to the qualities of successful writers.

Writing Habits FAQs

What are some examples of writing habits?

Some famous examples include writing in the same place or at the same time every day while listening to a particular type of music or ambient noise. More unique examples include writing while drinking tea or coffee from the same cup or wearing specific clothes while writing.

How many hours a day do authors write?

Highly-prolific authors like Dan Brown and Danielle Steele write for a minimum of three or four hours a day. They start early, usually before dawn. Other writers care less about the time they spend writing and more about what they write.

What are some bad writing habits?

Writing and editing simultaneously, while multi-tasking and writing without the help of an editor are all examples of bad writing habits. They’ll slow down your progress towards a finished manuscript. More specific examples of bad writing habits include overusing adjectives or adverbs and writing in the passive voice.

How can I develop my writing habits?

You can develop your writing habits by starting small. Identify a place where you’ll write consistently. Turn up at the same time each day and write for a set amount of time or aim for a target word count. Get into the habit of sharing your drafts with other readers or an editor for critical feedback.

What are Stephen King’s Writing Habits?

Stephen King tasks himself with writing two thousand words a day or more. He writes from eight onwards, usually up until 13.30. King listens to music while writing and enjoys bands like Metallica and Anthrax. He works with his phone and internet access turned off.

After a productive morning writing session, King naps. He spends his free time reading, catching up with family and watching Red Sox games. This daily writing habit has enabled him to write over 61 novels and 200 short stories.

What Can Alter a Person’s Writing Habits?

A person’s writing habits are dictated by energy, time available to write, location and environmental triggers. For example, a bad migraine could derail even a prolific writer with a solid worth ethic. On the other hand, writing in an environment conducive to deep work, like a library of coffee, should enable more effective writing habits.

Cultivating Atomic Writing Habits With James Clear

James Clear

James Clear is the New York Times best-selling author of Atomic Habits. He also coaches readers (and even writers) on how to succeed in their personal and professional lives by reaping the rewards of smart daily decisions.

In this podcast episode,  Clear explains:

  • How to use effective habits to write a book
  • The value of writing just one page a day
  • His process for coming up with book titles like Atomic Habits
  • How writing two articles a week helped him build a business and write a New York Times best-selling book

We cover lots more. If you like this article, you’ll enjoy our companion piece A Habit Expert Reveals How To Finally Find Success At Work

Author

  • Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

Tweet
Pin
Share
Share