Writing is hard. Writing consistently (say daily) is hard too. Some people (I'm thinking Seth Godin, Valeria Maltoni, Chris Brogan) make it look so easy; they dish out fresh new content almost every day.
How do they do it? How do you develop/cultivate a good writing habit? Practice of course (lots of it daily). Take Jim Cronin for example, he blocks out an hour a day to write (whether it's email, copy or blog posts, it's writing). Now THAT'S practicing a good habit!
Start By Practicing Good Habits (Daily):
Some people are just naturally good writers (yeah I know, I'm jealous too). They spit out new content, write eloquently and poetically and well, it just works. Others, well, they have to work at it. In case you're wondering, I fall into the latter category.
So how do you cultivate a good writing habit?
Step 1: Start by Reading:
I was going to go with writing first but that's unrealistic if you have a bad case of writer's block. So, let's go with reading first. Do you know why reading works? It stimulates ideas and gets your creative senses moving. In fact, Darren Rowse recommended reading (sort of) in his 31 Days to Build A Better Blog Series:
The idea here is to sift through the magazine in search of headlines and post ideas.
The same can be done with books. I read books with a hi-lighter and stickies handy (like this). When I read something that inspires a new post idea, I quickly hi-light the section, put a sticky note on the page, and I open up a new draft to be posted at a later date.
Yet another source of inspiration is the ever growing feedreader! With 300+ subscribed to and counting, my feedreader is one of my first stops every morning. If and when I find something worth referring to for later use or inspiration strikes for a future post, that particular article is quickly archived in my delicious bookmarks.
Step 2: Time-Block & Write:
Jim Cronin over at the Real Estate Tomato has a daily ritual. Every day, and without fail, he writes for at least one hour. Whether it's email correspondence, blog posts (published and drafts), or other sales copy, it doesn't matter...he commits to writing, period. It's a daily habit and a good one.
The best way to cultivate a writing habit is to schedule 20 - 30+ minutes a day to just sit there and write. You don't have to always publish what you write, but it's a good idea to time block and use that time to write, period. Don't worry about whether the words are poetic or the post is well structured. Just dedicate the time to writing. After all, as they say, "practice makes perfect."
Step 3: Write Some More:
I use legal pads religiously. Whenever I take a trip to Staples, I buy a whole pack (or two) of 'em. I use them to jot notes down daily (not just my "To Do List" but other ideas that strike me throughout the day). I basically use it as a running journal of what I'm doing in my day to day. It's a messy exercise but it's helpful in terms of getting my thoughts down on paper (emphasis on the last part). That's your goal each and every day, to get your thoughts down on paper.
There's another exercise that Darren Rowse recommended in his 31 Days to Build A Better Blog Series:
This exercise works so well because it forces you get get out of the cave you call an office and to get some fresh air. This can often lead to creativity especially if you're out there interacting with new people. The change of atmosphere and change of pace (heck, the change of everything) almost always leads to new inspiration. But make sure you have that note pad handy otherwise it's a waste.
Conclusion:
Writing isn't easy at times but it doesn't have to be hard either. Often the best ways to inspire creativity are to read, practice doing, and get out for some fresh air and socialize. Talking amongst friends (whether it's a mastermind, a networking event, etc.) almost always leads to new ideas just as reading new content does. Just remember to write your thoughts down on paper (always) and practice writing daily.
Next thing you know, you'll be well on your way.
What tips do you recommend for cultivating a good writing habit? What's worked for you?
A good rest!
You will never write a good article when your body is tired :)
You will have tons of ideas when you are not tired or in a hurry to write something...
Posted by: Roseli A. Bakar | September 09, 2009 at 01:35 AM
@Roseli: aha! Excellent point! Sometimes it is a wise idea to turn the computer off, step away and get refreshed. You can't dish out good content if you try too hard to force it.
Thanks for visiting Roseli!
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 09, 2009 at 01:38 AM
Nice article. I think a lot of the "every day" bloggers will write a series of articles in one day and save them for the days when they don't have time to write or are fresh out of ideas.
I like how you reference other Bloggers. Many people are scared to do that. I am subscribing to your blog.. good reading.
Posted by: Carl Coddington | September 09, 2009 at 06:45 AM
@Carl: a lot of "every day" bloggers knock out a bunch of content in one sitting so that they save up for a rainy day or a holiday. I try and do the same (in fact I think I have 20+ posts sitting in my drafts; most of them with unfinished thoughts). I think it's a good idea to write as much as you can especially when you're feeling very creative and save some of that stuff up for later use.
Thanks for stopping by Carl! Welcome to the site and pleasure to meet you :-)
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 09, 2009 at 09:48 AM
Hi Ricardo,
I'm with Roseli on this one. Being rested can make a huge difference.
Also, like you mentioned, when I'm feeling creative is when I try to concentrate on writing and avoid other distractions. In the past if I ignored those creative times, I would find they would slip away and then I was stuck with writers block. Listening to our muse is very important.
Posted by: Barbara Swafford | September 09, 2009 at 04:33 PM
Brainstorming works for me--brainstorming is a great way to develop writing topics. Thanks for sharing your writing steps.
Posted by: Rondi | September 09, 2009 at 08:10 PM
Hi Ricardo,
I think to read more does help us to be more inspire to be creative and as a result we write better and more.
Thanks for the great tips, I enjoyed reading about them.
Giovanna Garcia
Imperfect Action is better than No Action
Posted by: Giovanna Garcia | September 10, 2009 at 08:46 AM
@Barbara: you know, sometimes you sure do need a nice little break. But then Barbara, you've done something that really creative in setting up guest authors... The way you've come to manage your content on BWAB is great!
And yes, taking advantage of those creative moments is very, very important. Unfortunately for me, they almost always come at night just when I'm about to jump into bed. (Now I use to phone to record memos). LoL.
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 11, 2009 at 05:35 AM
@Rondi: you're welcome. And thank you for stopping by! Quick question for you though, what do you do to set the mood when you're brainstorming? In other words, what kind of environment do you need to create for yourself to be most effective?
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 11, 2009 at 05:37 AM
@Giovanna: so great to see you here!
For some people, reading can be distracting. For me, it's motivating. It gets my creativity going ya know? I like that. Only bad thing is that I'm a sucker for the fresh smell of new books which means I visit Barnes & Noble fairly often... :-)
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 11, 2009 at 05:40 AM
You have definitely pinned this down here. I agree with you about reading; like what you've said you can get ideas from it. I do and I'm glad I'm alone with this.
Practicing may be difficult at first but making it a habit would make a big difference. All that is needed is determination. :-)
Nice choice of image. :-)
Posted by: Walter | September 11, 2009 at 09:44 PM
@Walter: I definitely get inspiration from reading. Some people meditate. Me? I read or run! Well that or listen to some good music. Either of those three usually gets my creative juices flowin'...
Practicing and nailing it down at first is definitely challenging. But once you make it a part of your daily routine, it just gets easier and easier...
Thanks for stopping by Walter and commenting! Welcome to the site...
Posted by: Ricardo Bueno | September 14, 2009 at 03:43 AM