On Writing

On Writing is devoted to the art and science of writing, including the craft of storytelling and literary persuasion. - Winning Edits

Chris Guillebeau writes at least 1,000 words a day. Todd Henry carries a Moleskine notebook with him wherever he goes. Neil Gaiman writes and finishes writings unconcerned about the quality of the first draft.

The number of consistent writing habits is endless; the above mark a sparse few. The obvious objective is to discover what repeatable writing habits work best for you. That should make you ponder: “how do I do that?”

Write consistently, but with variety. Write each day like it’s a slight alteration to an ongoing science experiment where you adjust a single variable and record the effect.

You may, for example, experiment with writing...

• first thing in the morning, or in the early evening.
• after you’ve had coffee, or without any coffee.
• in short bursts (say, 15 minutes), or for longer stretches (say, 90 minutes).
• in your pajamas, or fully dressed.
• in a dark room, or a fully sunlit room.
• when you’re eager to write, or when you don’t want to.
• when you’re on the go, or when you’re at home.
• from a place of inspiration, or from a place of unrest.

Writers write everyday. There’s no escaping that responsibility. Beyond that mandate, the how, when, where and why you write matter absolutely. These are the ingredients of consistency. If you don’t thoughtfully evaluate the options available and deduce what works best for you, then the quality and reliability of your consistency suffers. Ultimately, it will wobble and crumble.

Don’t allow your writing career to wobble and crumble. Spend the next month experimenting with these (and other) variables to forge your unbreakable consistency.