They say that our habits are our second nature. This is certainly true when it comes to writing. Like with all crafts, it requires both thought and precision, and you need to train you mind to be as specific as possible if you want others to see the vision you see in your mind. To ease the transition that happens when you decide to write down your thoughts, I think you need equal amounts of passion for writing, motivation for sharing ideas, and discipline to keep you going when the going gets tough. Reading the biographies of some of the most well-known authors in the world, ranging from the Austrian poet and novelist Stefan Zweig, to the British national treasure, intellectual and writer - Stephen Fry, I have noticed some rituals and habits that successful writers have in common. Let me share them with you.
1. Developing self-awareness
Taking the two examples of writers I've mentioned, Zweig and Fry, you can see that throughout their writing careers, they developed an understanding of their own skills and limitations. Zweig started out as a journalist. He did not however stay a journalist. Instead, he tried writing a novel, and an autobiography. He is also known as a poet. Fry wrote series of sketches while at University (by the way, it you're a fan of comedy, have a look at 'Bits of Fry and Laurie.' You can thank me later). He later reviewed books, wrote novels, autobiographies, and even a guide to understanding poetry! By challenging themselves to write in different genres, they both discovered where their strengths. In other words, they became more aware of their individual temperaments as writers. These two prolific authors do not seem to have limitations, but there are writers who find that their temperament is best suited to writing poetry, and others who exclusively write non-fiction. Developing self-awareness through dabbling in different genres is a quick way of discovering your unique temperament.
2. Making writing a priority
Especially if you are starting out, you haven't published anything, or you are still treating writing as more of a hobby, than a career, you can push it down your priorities list. It could, for example, be below going to the cinema, talking to friends, or any other distraction. Distractions slide into your day very subtly which is why developing self-awareness is so useful for writers. Notice how you spend your days. No judgement here. Just, see what are the first three things you do after waking up. Is one of them going over your idea for a poem? Or, maybe, one of them is checking the news on your phone? Another thing to notice would be your attitude towards writing. What do you do when you write? Do you solely focus on the work at hand? Or, do you play background music, having multiple tabs open on your laptop? If you're serious about writing, you will minimize the number of distractions in your day, and devote that time to mastering your craft.
3. Discipline writes books
Stephen Fry talks about how he has discovered a time of day when he feels the most productive. He has reserved this part of day for writing, and when he writes a book, he has a routine where he gets up at a certain time, makes certain type of food and writes for a certain amount of time, no questions asked. Someone wise once said that books are written by discipline, not ideas. Writing is an everyday commitment. And good writers can only become great by making time for writing, preferably, every single day as opposed to bursts. If you stimulate your brain every day, you use (and expand) you brain's full capacity by allowing sensible breaks in between sessions that are just enough for it to rest, but not too long for it to get lazy. Make a routine, an everyday appointment with yourself. Carve out a few hours everyday to devote them to your passion.
Hope this helps!
As always, yours, Alicja
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