The One Thing You Must Do to Build a Daily Writing Habit

I’m baffled by the number of articles online that tell you how to build a daily writing habit. So many tips, so much advice, and most of it misses the point entirely.

The truth is, it ain’t that hard.

I’m not saying all those tips are useless, I’m saying they’re not necessary. If you want to write at the same time every day, set an alarm and get to it. If you want to write in the same place every day, go on with your bad self.

But the habits, tricks, and triggers you use don’t really matter, because to build a daily writing habit you only have to do one thing.

Write every day.

It doesn’t matter where, or when, or with who, or what hat you wear. It can be in a notebook, a computer, a tablet, or the back of a napkin.

You can set up all the routines you like, Pavlov yourself to death with triggers, and make sure you have your favorite Lamy Safari fountain pen filled and at the ready. But what happens when those things break down?

What if your routine is interrupted? What if your triggers aren’t triggering? What happens if your Lamy is out of ink and you forgot to buy more?

I’ll tell you what happens. Nothing. Because none of that is necessary. If you want to write, write.

And don’t start making excuses. I know you have plenty. But none of them are valid. Let’s try out a few just to prove it.

I don’t have time to write

Yes, you do. In the time you’re wasting reading this article, you could scribble some scratches in your writer’s notebook, jot down some lines for a poem, or whip out your pocket notebook and describe the environment around you. In short, you could be writing.

Remember what I said about the one thing you have to do? Reading this article isn’t it. Writing is.

You could even be writing an article about how stupid you think I am and how much you disagree with me.

Although I don’t see what there is to disagree with. “Daily writing habit” has the answer baked in the title. Write every day. But if you think it means only write during snowstorms on Thursdays, write an article about it. I’d be interested to read your logic.

It doesn’t need to be epic. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t even need to make sense. Even on the most harried day of your life, when it’s all gone wrong and you have nothing left but tears, three minutes at the end of the day before you pass out from exhaustion is all it takes.

Those three minutes with a pen and that notebook you keep next to the bed can be cathartic.

I have writer’s block

No, you don’t. You just don’t want to write. Could be fear. Could be laziness. Could be writing just isn’t your passion. Could be a lot of things. Only you can know what it is, and then only if you’re willing to be honest with yourself.

But I can look around the room and see I don’t have writer’s block. There is a green wall in front of me. I could start with that. I could write about the mistakes we made when painting it, the lessons we learned, and what we would do differently in the future. It might make a good article for anyone thinking about painting their house.

Or I could write fiction from it. Let’s see.

“Detective Price scrutinized the blood spatter on the deep green wall of the victim’s bedroom. All he could tell was that the colors clashed. He’d have to wait for the blood spatter expert to show up, if they could figure out which bar he was holed up in this time …”

Is it brilliant? No. But it’s a first draft, right off the top of my head. Writer’s block doesn’t exist. Just pick something around you and start writing.

But I don’t know anything to write about

Seriously? Did we not just talk about this green wall right here?

Income inequality? Racial injustice? The decline of the American health care system? The rising cost of housing?

Have you never learned from a mistake? Has a great quote never inspired you? Have you never been sick or scared or lost in a strange city?

Have you never learned anything new, developed a useful skill, or read some ancient wisdom that brought you peace?

Do you have no opinions on politics, education, or herbal tea?

You know plenty of things, and all of those things are things you can write about.

But I’m sick and in the hospital

Well … ok. I’ll cut you some slack there.

Although … I’ve been in the hospital more times than I can count over the last six years, and I still kept writing.

But not every day. There were days when I couldn’t. But on the days when I could, I did, and it helped.

Take care of yourself, first and foremost. But if you’re a writer, an honest-goodness, deep down in the heart, true-blue writer, do yourself a favor and keep a pen and a notebook by your bed.

Because you’re going to get the bug. You will need to write. And the writing can help you heal.

But for the rest of you yahoos, quit whining and get started. Are you still reading? No! No! Have I not made myself clear? Go away and write!