I meet people all the time who tell me they’ve wanted to write a book for many years–five, ten, seventeen…but they haven’t gotten to it yet.
And yet, I work with people every day who write their books and publish them. In fact, I just got an e-mail from a Bring Your Book to Life® Program graduate who is ready to write her next book, after the award-winning success of her first one.
The secret, of course, is in your writing habit and how committed you are. And that means showing up every day. Sometimes we get caught up in the reasons we’re not showing up. That doesn’t work.
I’ve updated this post as of 10/28/21 to share some new opportunities to reinforce your writing habit.
Here are some things I do to commit to my writing and reinforce the writing habit. You may want to choose some of these too.
1. Scheduling writing time with two friends–we meet; we write. I love the sense of community and camaraderie as a counterbalance to the solitariness of writing itself. And I love bringing the accountability into it. Can you bring a friend into your writing commitment? Or is there another way to support your accountability?
2. Writing in the mornings before beginning work: this is a way to claim writing as a priority. Am I perfect? No. In fact, today I didn’t write until evening. But the morning writing has definitely improved my productivity and commitment overall to the “writing habit.” Do you have a specific time of day to write?
3. Attending Writers Conferences or Virtual Workshops. I’m offering my Get Your Writing Done Program starting Nov. 4, 2021. In this out-of-the-box virtual workshop we employ the TENER Method for Creative Flow to enter into a state conducive to inspired writing; then we write! No staring at a screen in “zoom room” state. Instead we move, write, move–just like you’d do in person. FUN! Find out more here.
4. I’ve been working with a writing coach for a year now (make that more than seven years!). I even taught her my meet-your-muse exercise, so she can do for me what I do for my clients. I love having a champion who believes in me. I share some of my rawest writing with her and love that I can do that. Stuff I’m unsure about.
5. Experimenting. I’m not 100% sure which project to pursue so I’ve given myself permission to experiment with several and see where it takes me. Sometimes the path is linear, but it’s okay when you’re meandering and exploring. Writing, after all, is a creative act. Do you need to give yourself some freedom, space and flexibility around your writing so you can get more clarity?
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that my Stevie award-winning Bring Your Book to Life® Program which begins in 2022. I’ll be offering a steep discount during the Thanksgiving Holiday Sale. If you’re looking for guidance, accountability, support and community to finally get that first draft started and completed, do check it out!
So, what works for you to in committing to your writing habit? Is there something new you want to try? I’d love to hear from you–please comment below.
How I make my writing more creative? Fun? Playful?
I eat chocolate when I finish a page…. okay, I eat chocolate all the time. But it tastes exceptionally better when I finish a page!