Serious writers – people who finish novels, who publish books, or who even run successful freelancing businesses – don’t talk typically about writing – they do it! To be a serious writer, you have to WRITE. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” ~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
Serious writers also have most of the following habits:
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Writers Write
Sounds obvious… But there are a lot of would-be writers or one-book-writers (mostly memoirs) out there who don’t actually write on a regular basis. Maybe you are one of them. You’d love to call yourself a “writer”, but most weeks, you don’t really get anything written. You have plans, sure. You read writing magazines or blogs. Perhaps you feel that you’re not quite ready to write yet – you’re not good enough yet. Unfortunately, you won’t get any better at writing unless you actually write. It’s sometimes really hard to get over that resistance to write – which can seem almost insurmountable at times. But if you really want you can do it.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~ Stephen King
Writing Regularly is the Key
That doesn’t mean you have to write every single day. If you can write every other day – three or four days a week – that’s fine. If you can only write once or twice a week, that’s fine. Just don’t let week after week slip by without any writing at all. Even better: Write every day! Find small blocks of time to set aside for writing, or try to change your morning habits: Get up one or two hours earlier and while sipping your coffee – write. It might be hard for the first days, but the feeling of having something accomplished before the day even starts is very rewarding. Don’t worry about how good your writing is – just concentrate on getting words down on the page.
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Focus
Maybe you’ve planned to write for two hours on a Saturday morning. You sit down at the computer. You have a quick glance at the news headlines – and then you check Twitter or GooglePlus, and follow a link … Writing is fun, but also hard work – and you’ll come up with all sorts of distractions. Don’t feel guilty or bad about this: it’s something which every writer experiences, at least some of the time.
Which might mean turning off your internet connection, working in a library, or simply closing the door while you’re writing. When you’re writing, set a timer for fifteen minutes (you can increase this as you get used to it). While the timer’s running, write and do nothing else. No checking emails, reading news and gossip, doodling on scrap paper… Focusing isn’t just about willpower – it’s also about setting up the right working environment, and finding ways to remind yourself to stay on task. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
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Reading
Here is Stephen King on reading: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” And “Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn’t carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.”
If you’re a writer, you need to take thoughts, emotions, and ideas and turn them into words. This isn’t as easy as it sounds – it can be tough to convey something accurately, or poignantly, with nothing but a white page in front of you. By reading, you’ll see how other writers tackle similar problems. You’ll learn what works, and what doesn’t. You’ll know what’s been done before, and what hasn’t.
You should definitely read work by other authors in your area: if you’re writing a thriller, read thrillers; if you’re writing a sales page, read sales pages. Ideally, you’ll want to read as widely as possible – leaving yourself open to new ideas and techniques. In today’s busy world, it’s hard to find time to sit and read a book. If you have got a book in hand – on the coffee table, at the side of your bed, in your bag – then chances are, you will pick it up. Try to read for at least an hour a day.
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Learning All About Writing and Publishing
Simply reading isn’t going to teach you everything that you need to know as a writer. You could read dozens of novels, but you’d probably still struggle to see how best to put one together yourself. You’re only seeing the finished product – not the process of planning, structuring, drafting and redrafting that led up to it.
There are lots of books, websites, and courses that can help you become a better writer and publisher. Look for some which tackle your specific area of writing or ones which help with a particular writing problem, such as improving your grammar. And then there is the (self-) publishing aspect, the editing, book cover, layout, book promotion etc. you need to learn – or just to understand a publishing contract if you want to go with a publishing house.
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Professionalism
Having a professional attitude to your writing means taking it seriously. Valuing what you do, and doing it well. Behaving professionally also means making attempts to get your work published – whether that’s online, on paper, paid or unpaid.
If you’re a freelancer, professionalism means sticking to agreed deadlines, communicating well with clients, setting high standards for yourself – and meeting them. If you write fiction, professionalism means following submission guidelines carefully, presenting your best work, and respecting other people’s time. Even if you’re not yet making any money from your writing, it still pays to behave professionally. Other writers – and associated gatekeepers, like agents and editors – will take you much more seriously.
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Reflect
Think about your writing career as a whole. What have you accomplished so far? What could you build on? What are your goals? Where are you hoping to get to? You don’t need to look at these questions every day, of course – just stop and think about it once a month or so.
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enrich your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
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Where would you like to take your writing over the next year? And where do you want to be in five years as a writer? How can you make sure you’re on track for that? “You can, you should, and if you are brave enough to start, you will.” ~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
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