5 Tips To Get You Writing Everyday

As I’ve said before, a regular writing practice is essential if you want to achieve your writing goals, and in this blog, we’ll talk specifically about achieving the goal of writing every day. 

It’s called a writing practice for a reason—the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Think of it as a habit; the more often you do it, the more you will want to do it. Yes, you may encounter resistance at first, but this will pass in time, and the suggestions in this blog post will help you persist.

1. Create a writing schedule and honor it.

Writing every day is ideal, and if you can do that, it will serve you well, but many of us find it challenging to achieve or sustain a daily writing practice.

We all have busy lives, and it’s essential to be realistic about how much time you can devote to your writing. Consistency is critical, so decide on a goal you can maintain—2 or 3 mornings a week or every Sunday afternoon. 

You will feel much better about achieving a smaller goal than failing to meet a more ambitious one, and it’s easier to build on small successes than grand failures. 

 Once you’ve decided on how much time you can realistically devote to your writing practice, commit it to your calendar and give it the same respect you’d give any important appointment in your schedule.

Start small and build on your success. The more you write, the more you will want to write. Yes, writing can be addictive.

When you feel grounded in the writing schedule you’ve created and have maintained for a while, add to it. For example, you could extend your writing session by 30 minutes or add another session into your week; the key is to gradually build up your writing time until you write every day. 

Whatever writing schedule you set for yourself, make it a habit to think about your writing on your days off.

Keep reading–the following tips will help support your efforts.

2. Create specific writing goals.

If you have writing goals you can meet, you have a better chance of making it to your desk daily. Like a guilty child who avoids their parents when they’ve been naughty, you don’t want to find yourself avoiding your practice because you’re so far behind in meeting your goals.

Having goals is critical. Without specific goals, you are simply hoping you’ll hit the mark (finishing the first draft of a novel, story, or chapter) at some point … somehow … someday.

Determine what a realistic goal might be. Realistic is the keyword here. Creating unrealistic goals you can’t meet will undermine your confidence and create more stress.

In addition, creating accountability is immensely helpful in meeting goals.

Having a writing partner can be a great way to establish accountability as long as you have similar goals. If you don’t already have a partner, think about your friends who are writers, and choose someone whose writing you admire and whom you trust to be both honest and kind—and who will hold your feet to the fire. 

If you are ready to invest in your writing life, you can hire a personal writing coach who will help you define your goals and who will keep you accountable.

3. Get organized and stay organized.

It’s going to be hard to sit down and write if you’re overwhelmed by all the great ideas you have for writing projects. If they’re swirling around in your head, you’ll be too distracted to settle down and write.

I’m a big believer in making lists, and it’s one of the first things I suggest to my coaching clients. Making a list is an essential first step, so block off some time and find a calm, distraction-free writing space. 

Begin the process by writing down all your ideas as a list.

Write enough of a phrase to remember your vision when you return to this list in the future. Cap your list at 30 ideas for now. If you are bursting with ideas, create an overflow list hidden from view and continue to put ideas there for future use.

Now you can organize your list. If you have ideas for multiple projects, group them by genre – short stories, novels, poems, essays, articles, and so on.

If, for example, your project is a novel and you have a list of scenes, it might make sense to put them in chronological order, or you could group them by character.

Creating an “ideas list” will relieve the sense of overwhelm, and you should feel a great sense of accomplishment when you look at your completed list. So take a minute to pat yourself on the back!

Now, you have a list you can turn to when you don’t know what to write next or need a break from something you are working on. Organization is critical in sustaining a writing practice.

4. Where you write matters.

To see yourself as a writer, you have to see yourself writing; to see yourself writing, you have to have a place that supports you and your writing.

Wherever you go to write, having an inspirational space will make your time spent writing more fun, and you’ll see the benefits in the quality and quantity of what you produce. Also, you’ll get into the flow more quickly if you are comfortable.

 I recommend writing in the same place every day as it conditions the brain to know it’s time to write when you arrive there.

 Writing at the same time every day also has a similar effect on the brain. 

If you are fortunate enough to have a good-sized desk, make sure it doesn’t become a depository for household flotsam and jetsam. Some people thrive when surrounded by clutter, while others are most productive in minimal surroundings. If you find comfort in your jumble of items, make sure to declutter regularly. 

Make it a habit to scan your desk before you sit down and remove anything that doesn’t support productivity and a sense of well-being.

It’s hard to say which comes first, writer’s block or distractions. Whether you are stuck in your work and looking for a distraction or allow yourself to be distracted from your work and then become disconnected from your writing, the culprit is the same—distractions.

Your wonderful space and beautiful desk can only go so far in supporting your writing practice, so think about your intention in creating a space that supports your writing goals.

5. Accept Your Inner Critic

We all struggle with a negative inner voice, and the sooner you stop struggling against it, the sooner you will be free of it. Not completely free, but free enough to write freely.

The first step is to be aware of the negative messages. Next, begin to listen closely to what your inner critic says. This step may sound counterintuitive, but it’s essential. 

Listen to the judgments, and you may find that many are undeserved, if not ridiculous. You can dismiss these reasonably easily. If it’s a struggle, look at the evidence that refutes the message.

For example, if the negative message is, “You’ll never get this book finished,” list everything you have done to move the project forward and track your progress.

Remember to celebrate the victories—a first draft/chapter/page completed—the more you do this, the stronger your position in refuting the critic.

Your inner critic may have a point.

Now that you are listening, you may find that the inner critic is dishing out criticisms directed at behaviors that need your attention or improvement. 

Take action! For example, if you aren’t meeting deadlines, you can address this by making a plan, having goals, and creating reminders.

By improving areas that call for it, you are moving in a positive direction and diminishing the critic’s list of complaints.

Be kind to yourself; no one wants to come to a writing practice to be berated and have their efforts diminished.

Use these five tips together, and before you know it, you’ll write regularly, if not daily!