5 Daily Success Habits for Writers
I’m a big believer in the small things.
Pick a simple habit, work to make it a daily occurrence (one you no longer have to think about), and repeat. The more I’ve learned to do this, the better my quality of life has become.
It’s no different for authors!
Good habits are the key to success. Not only that, but the actual activities authors need to do in order to improve their craft and grow their success is very simple.
I’m telling you, some of these habits might seem crazy obvious. But just because they’re obvious doesn’t mean they’re not effective.
Also, just because they’re obvious doesn’t mean you’re actually doing them. So check yourself. I know I have to.
With that said, I don’t do every one of these every day, but I rarely miss more than one day, maybe two.
So without further ado, if you want to be a good writer, a successful writer, a writer who is constantly improving, I believe you should be making all 5 of the following DAILY habits.
1 | Read - a good writer is also a good reader
Read in your genre.
It’s important to have an idea of the structural beats, tropes, expectations, etc. within a certain genre.
More specifically, within your chosen genre. If you write middle-grade fiction, read middle-grade fiction. If you write adult thrillers, well, you get it.Read the classics.
I had a bit of an epiphany when I was outlining my top 10 books of the year. This happened when I realized that the top two spots were both taken by classics. The only two classics I read in 2020 (shameful, I know).
Recently, I also watched a YouTube video someone had made detailing the results of a poll she had taken over the previous year. In it, she asked people to name their favorite book of all time. Of the top 25 results, almost all of them were classics.
Classics have stood the test of time for a reason.
They’ve done something right. They have memorable characters, timeless plots, and universal themes. Their craft and artistry is exceptional. In essence, these are the best teachers we can learn from.
It doesn’t mean you have to love every classic you read, but it does mean you can glean important lessons and grow as a writer as you consume classic stories.Read popular books.
I love to analyze the stories that move me. The ones I can’t get out of my head.
And I also love to analyze the stories that drive me crazy.
Often, popular books fall into this category. They’re popular. People—a lot of people—like them. So maybe you pick up a popular book and find that you can’t put it down. Great! Figure out why.
Or perhaps you read through a story everyone is buzzing about and…want to pull your hair out the entire time.
These can be just as good of a learning experience. Why didn’t you like it? What did you feel the author executed poorly? Ask yourself these questions and add the answers to your growing expertise.Read stretch books.
What do I mean by stretch books? I mean get out of your comfort zone.
People tend to have a few genres they stick to absolutely. Which is fine. But every once in a while pick up something you wouldn’t normally read. You might just get a surprise.
Maybe they’ve done something with their characters you’d never considered and would not have come across in your normal reads. And maybe it’s the exact thing that can set you apart or take your book to the next level.
2 | Write - a good writer, umm...writes. All. The. Time.
I know you’ve heard that you should be writing every day.
It’s true.
Now that I’ve said that…I don’t. I don’t write every single day. But I write most days.
I have a goal of at least 500 (and sometimes up to 1,500 depending on where I am in a project) words (figure out what works for you) a day when I’m drafting.
If I’m editing, that number goes out the window. If I’m on vacation. It goes out the window. If I’m on a tighter deadline, the number goes up.
Be flexible, but keep in mind that your craft will only improve if you actually work on it. Practice makes perfect may be a cliche, but it’s a darn true one.
3 | Research - a good writer learns from the best.
Writers study what works well for others, what fits into their style, and what actions they need to take to be successful. They study story theory, structure, and mechanics. They study themselves.
This might mean analyzing your favorite stories (I do this a LOT).
It probably also means listening to podcasts, watching videos, taking courses, reading blog posts, and, of course, reading books on the craft of writing.
But here’s something else.
It probably also means researching the other things you’ll have to tackle if you aspire to be a full-time writer. Things like growing your author platform (more below), marketing, and publishing your book.
In conclusion, if you don’t know something, or if you want to learn more about something, research.
4 | Be bored - a good writer isn’t cramming a distraction into every moment of their day.
A writer allows time to think and to give inspiration room to talk.
If I could scream one thing to you, it would be this. STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT.
It’s the number one thing that helped and continues to help me overcome hurdles in my writing.
Every time I hit a wall or come across a plot hole or inconsistency, the best thing I can do is just stare off into the distance and think about it.
Maybe this works best for you while you walk or knit. But whatever it is, allow the silence. (Or quiet music if that works better for you. I know many authors write to soundtracks. I am someone who needs complete silence (barring some background noise *cough* screaming children).
Every single time I’ve done this the answer has come to me. Every. Time.
And usually, it’s something that makes me cheer out loud because I’m amazed at how well the pieces I’ve already laid out fit together or at how fun the idea is. Adrienne Young calls this “story magic.” (When your subconscious brings your story together better than you could have consciously planned it.)
Your brain is amazing if you let it communicate with you.
5 | Author Platform - a professional writer has their own growing platform.
If you want to be a writer, you’re going to need people who will actually read what you write. Funny how that works.
I’m assuming if you’re taking time to read this post, you want to be a writer with more readers than just your mom (thanks mom, for being the first to read my books. Love ya.) if you’re going to do that, you’ll need a platform.
There are many options available. Instagram, YouTube, podcasts, blogging. (Hey, that’s what I do!)
But the only way you’ll actually build an audience is if you work on your platform consistently. That’s right. That means pretty much every day. I won’t get into the specifics of what to do here, but all you need is a bit of research (we talked about that!) and time.
BONUS | Goals
Have in mind what your end goal is.
Do you want to self-publish? Query? Figure out what your big goal is, then break it down and work on the minor steps that lead up to that goal every day.
And that’s it! I honestly believe that if you are consistently working on each of these 5 things—if not every day then at least a few times a week—you will improve your craft and you will be able to create success.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
