A Little Goes a Long Way: How to Lazily Build a Writing Habit

It’s official! I’m actively writing my solo novel! And with Mortal Bonds well on its way to start rewrites, I just might have two solid manuscripts by this time next year! Assuming I don’t lose steam half-way through, that is. I wish that wasn’t a genuine fear, but my track record with actually finishing a WIP is… less than ideal. So, clearly, I need to actually build up a writing habit.

Now, if you’re a writer, you might be thinking that building a writing habit is a given. Because it is. To anyone who does not have completion anxiety. Any author will tell you how important it is to write consistently, but knowing that fact and putting it into practice are two entirely separate things. Telling yourself to “write every day” is a quick and easy way to burn yourself out.

So what am I doing to combat this? I’m starting small. Each week-day, I devote at least half an hour to my book, and I do it in the morning before my nine-to-five job because I recognize that my energy levels after work aren’t always sufficient. I also give myself a reprieve on weekends. If I don’t have work today, my mind would rather relax and doom-scroll on whatever app strikes my fancy.

And, so far, that’s working for me! I’ve written 2500 words in about two weeks, and while that’s not a lot, it is something. I’ll likely start setting time aside on my weekends, too, to devote specifically on Mortal Bonds, especially because that’s been in developmental hell for forever. But, as a Self-Proclaimed Lazy Writer, I am content with the progress I am making as an author. And I can’t really ask for more.