Habits are extremely important when starting out your writing. Habits are one of the techniques you can use to avoid procrastinating with your writing. Intentionally establishing writing habits that help you to write is extremely important. Otherwise you will unintentionally establish habits that help you to avoid writing.
Many of the habits you need to establish revolve around where and when you will write. But everyone is different. So how do you ensure the habits you establish now will work for you in the future?
Here are 5 questions you can ask about your writing to help you determine what habits you want to establish.
1. What type of writing are you going to do?
Just as the type of writing you do affects the systems you need, so it will also affect the conditions you require for writing. Characters are extremely important to fiction writing. After all, characters are part of the big three of fiction writing. On the other hand, characters are less important to non-fiction... especially self-help. If you are writing fiction you need to have some "observation" time. In other words, a time and place where you can watch people and write character sketches. That means you may need multiple writing locations and times. Inspiration comes to non-fiction writers from other sources so multiple writing locations and times isn't needed.
2. Will your writing require you to meet with people?
If you are meeting with clients -- even if it is via webcam -- you need to have a separate place. Meeting with them while the kids and dog are running around screaming just doesn't scream "I'm a professional". Of course, if you are writing your first book and you don't intend to become a professional writer, meeting with clients just isn't a priority. In that case, you don't need a separate hideaway.
3. Will your family respect your need for quiet?
Now no family will always respect your need for quiet while you write. Let's face it no one wants to tiptoe around their own home. But if the family accepts that you are working and need a touch of quiet to work, then you may be able to avoid working in a separate office.
4. Will your writing disturb your family?
Some people require sound around them in order to work. Or they work in "odd" ways. Or they need the space. Or your family is easily disturbed. But if your writing "style" will disturb your family or if you'll end having to offer up red-faced explanations of what you are doing then privacy is in order. Just as you may not want their heavy metal music disturbing your quiet time, your choice of Beethoven may not fit with their current television show.
5. Will your writing need a lot of space?
If you write with paper references, you may need a separate office in order to keep the paper without having a mess in your living area. If you write using digital references -- or no references -- you may not. Of course, there are always ways of hiding the mess -- that's why the office-in-an-armoire was so popular. But the best way is always being able to close the door.
Many of the habits you need to establish revolve around where and when you will write. But everyone is different. So how do you ensure the habits you establish now will work for you in the future?
Here are 5 questions you can ask about your writing to help you determine what habits you want to establish.
1. What type of writing are you going to do?
Just as the type of writing you do affects the systems you need, so it will also affect the conditions you require for writing. Characters are extremely important to fiction writing. After all, characters are part of the big three of fiction writing. On the other hand, characters are less important to non-fiction... especially self-help. If you are writing fiction you need to have some "observation" time. In other words, a time and place where you can watch people and write character sketches. That means you may need multiple writing locations and times. Inspiration comes to non-fiction writers from other sources so multiple writing locations and times isn't needed.
2. Will your writing require you to meet with people?
If you are meeting with clients -- even if it is via webcam -- you need to have a separate place. Meeting with them while the kids and dog are running around screaming just doesn't scream "I'm a professional". Of course, if you are writing your first book and you don't intend to become a professional writer, meeting with clients just isn't a priority. In that case, you don't need a separate hideaway.
3. Will your family respect your need for quiet?
Now no family will always respect your need for quiet while you write. Let's face it no one wants to tiptoe around their own home. But if the family accepts that you are working and need a touch of quiet to work, then you may be able to avoid working in a separate office.
4. Will your writing disturb your family?
Some people require sound around them in order to work. Or they work in "odd" ways. Or they need the space. Or your family is easily disturbed. But if your writing "style" will disturb your family or if you'll end having to offer up red-faced explanations of what you are doing then privacy is in order. Just as you may not want their heavy metal music disturbing your quiet time, your choice of Beethoven may not fit with their current television show.
5. Will your writing need a lot of space?
If you write with paper references, you may need a separate office in order to keep the paper without having a mess in your living area. If you write using digital references -- or no references -- you may not. Of course, there are always ways of hiding the mess -- that's why the office-in-an-armoire was so popular. But the best way is always being able to close the door.
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