Writing regularly is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a writer. It strengthens your skills, helps with focus, improves memory, and even polishes up your spelling and grammar. Plus, let’s be honest—there’s nothing quite like that feeling of momentum when you’re in the groove, words flowing, story unfolding.
But let’s also be real. Writing regularly isn’t always easy. Life gets in the way. The well runs dry. Sometimes, it’s just impossible to squeeze in a writing session between work, responsibilities, and the sudden urge to play Skyrim for six hours straight. (Been there.)
Still, if you’re serious about writing—whether for personal fulfillment or with the goal of getting published—building a writing habit is essential. I’m not saying you need to write every day (for some, that’s just not realistic), but writing consistently? That’s where the magic happens.
How to Build a Writing Habit (Without Losing Your Mind)
There are two main ways writers tend to structure their daily output:
Word Count Goals – Aiming for a set number of words per day (e.g., 500, 1,000).
Time Goals – Writing for a set amount of time (e.g., 30 minutes, an hour).
Start small. 500 words a day is manageable for most people, and even that adds up quickly—stick to it, and in two months, you’ll have a novel draft. Sounds easy, right? (It’s not, but it’s also not impossible.)
Rachel Aaron, author of 2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, swears by planning before you write. She found that outlining and having a roadmap before sitting down to write massively increased her word count. It’s worth experimenting—sometimes, knowing exactly what you want to write before you start can save hours of staring blankly at the screen, willing inspiration to strike.
Tricks to Keep the Words Flowing
1. Find Your Writing Time
Some people are morning brains. Others are night owls. You might work best at sunrise with a coffee, or at 2 AM, fuelled by sheer stubbornness. Try different times of day and see what feels natural.
And if your schedule is chaotic? You steal time. You hunt it down. You drag it into an alley and demand it works for you. Even 30 stolen minutes can add up to something worthwhile.
2. Find Your Writing Cave
Your “Cave” is wherever you write best. For some, it’s a quiet, candlelit office with a perfect aesthetic. For others, it’s a noisy coffee shop or the living room with Netflix droning in the background.
I can write pretty much anywhere as long as I have my MacBook, but if I really need to focus, I slap on noise-cancelling headphones and listen to instrumental music. Or, if I just want silence, I put the headphones on without playing anything. (Bonus: it stops people from talking to me.)
If home is too distracting, take your writing elsewhere—library, café, park bench, bus stop, wherever. I know people who secretly write at work (respect).
3. Struggling to Get Started? Try Morning Pages
There’s an exercise in The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron called Morning Pages. The idea is simple: every morning, before doing anything else, you write three full pages of whatever comes into your head. No rules, no structure, just a brain-dump of thoughts, worries, nonsense—whatever tumbles out.
It’s not meant to be “real” writing. It’s a warm-up, a way to clear mental clutter so your brain is ready for the actual work. Some people swear by it. It won’t work for everyone, but it’s worth trying.
4. Love Your Idea (Or You Won’t Stick With It)
Honestly? The biggest thing that keeps me writing is loving my idea. If I don’t care about my story or my characters, writing becomes a slog. But when I’m obsessed with them? I have to write. It bothers me when I don’t.
If you’re struggling to stay consistent, ask yourself—do you love your story enough? If not, maybe it needs tweaking. Maybe you need to dig deeper into your characters, your world, or your themes. Because when you love what you’re writing, it’s much easier to make time for it.
Writing Feels Amazing—Once You Start
I’ve talked myself out of writing more times than I can count—because I was tired, busy, full of self-doubt, or just really invested in a game. But every time I actually sit down and do it, I remember how good it feels. Writing consistently isn’t just about productivity—it’s about momentum. It makes writing easier.
And writers should get to feel great about writing every single day.
What keeps you writing? Let’s talk about it!
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