So they say the biggest difference between
writers and non writers is that writers turn up to do the work.
For me, it's really important to have a regular creative writing practice.
And it's one of the things that really helped me become a novelist.
You don't get to the end of a novel without turning up regularly to write.
So today I want to talk to you about some
of the sustainable writing habits and practices that I've developed through the
years and how I can help you get to your commitment of becoming a creative writer.
I'm Kat Clay. I'm a writer from Melbourne, Australia.
I'm really passionate about helping new
writers develop their creative writing practice.
So if you're into that, please hit
subscribe, hit the bell and stay tuned for more writing videos.
So the first thing in developing a
sustainable writing practice is to commit both to a word count and to a time.
So the biggest thing I did when I was
starting out, I was like, look, this is huge writing a novel.
It's really intimidating.
But I was like, I can do 500 words a day.
And I did that on the train and the bus going to work every day.
That was a really great time for me to write.
And it meant that I had one hour a day set out to do my writing practice.
This might not work for you, but the principle is the same.
Often we don't prioritize writing in our lives and that's a big problem for people
who are trying to develop a creative writing habit.
So you need to prioritize writing and
carve out a time in your calendar where you say This is the time I write.
Now there's some argument as to whether you should write every day.
You've got to do what works for you.
So I don't write every day.
I usually have a set time on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays where I know that's my writing time.
And if I don't write, then I often don't get time in the week to write.
One of the other ways you can deal with
this when you're starting out is to have an accountability partner.
So someone who has got your back.
It's really helpful to have another writer who might be trying to reach similar goals
or is at a similar stage in the writing journey with you.
One of the great things you can do with
your writing accountability partner is write in sprints.
And say at this time of the day, I am
going to meet you whether that's online or in person and do some writing and you hold
each other accountable that way because, you know, you both have to make that
commitment and you're both going to show up.
And I found that a really helpful way for actually building a writing practice.
So one of the most important things you
can do for your writing practice is remove distractions.
And one of the biggest distractions we all
have in our pockets these days are our smartphones.
Make sure you turn those things off, put
it in the anti distraction mode, put it in another room and then do your writing.
I promise you, this will help a lot if it's not on your desk, if it's not in a
visible radius when you're actually writing, put it away.
Now, another tip for developing a creative writing practice is if you're going to get
up early in the morning to write, make sure you prep the night before.
So make sure if you're doing it before you go to work, have all your clothes out,
ready to go, have your bag packed, ready to go.
That will give you a lot more time in the morning to get what you need to do done.
And it will also, again, minimize the distractions you have there.
One of the hardest things when you're
developing a creative writing practice is to recognize when you're making excuses.
So if you're saying, oh, no, but I need to go clean the house or no, I need a special
pen for this so I can't do it now because I'm too tired or feel this way.
Just make sure you recognize when you're
actually actively trying to make excuses for yourself to not do the work.
Sure.
There's a time to refresh yourself and look if you're exhausted.
I don't recommend pushing yourself.
But, you know, when you're making excuses
or making distractions for yourself, so be aware of that because there will be
resistance that comes up to forming a new habit.
The final tip I have is to give yourself a good reason to write.
If you're trying to start a new habit, you need to think about why you're doing it.
Is it something I've always wanted?
Am I writing for somebody else?
Fame and fortune are not good reasons to become a novelist, let me tell you.
But it's really important that you have a
motivation to write and that will keep you going through this commitment to write.
So my challenge to you, if you're looking
to start a creative writing practice, is to pick a time of day.
It's to pick how many days per week that
you write and to commit to that for a certain period of time.
So say it's 21 days or it's a month and
come back to me and tell me how you get on if you commit to those things.
I think it's a really great way to set you up for sustainable writing practice and to
learn more about yourself and how you like to write.
So can you do that for me?
I challenge you to commit to your sustainable writing practice.
Let me know how it goes in the comments below.
I hope this video has helped you a lot.
Thank you so much for watching.