8 Simple Habits to Develop Writing Inspiration
UPDATED: May 2020
Do have something you simply have to do before you can really get into your writing? Most writers do! Many have specific habits or even “requirements” for the environment where they are most productive or rituals they must do.
Many factors go into the decision such as:
Type of writing
Expectations of what to accomplish
How much distraction will detract from what a writer is working on.
Some famous writers had/have crazy writing habits!
Some famous writers had/have crazy writing habits! For instance, writing in the middle of the night, or only two hours a day!
Personally, I don’t feel like I have many required habits for me to feel inspired to get writing.
Writing Inspiration
My Productive Writing Starter Pack: Computer, charging cord, pen & notepad, encouraging Post-It, socks, drink, Charlie (and his rope), and a blanket for when I get cold.
Below are 8 simple writing habits that ensure my writing inspiration & productivity.
Music
1. Turn on Music or a Movie Soundtrack
Music or a film soundtrack can be an inspirational catalyst. The type of writing we're trying to accomplish can dictate what background sound we play.
Music
Choosing music is important because it helps create a specific mood and mindset. Music is an emotional experience for many of us, so by choosing something specific, we have a good chance of channeling the kinds of thoughts and emotions we need to be inspired.
Choosing music is important because it helps create a specific mood and mindset.
If I am working on my novel, which is Young Adult (YA) fiction, I tend to choose something that reminds me of when I was in high school and first starting college.
Sometimes that’s Taylor Swift or Aly & AJ. I also like the 70’s light rock Pandora station because most of the songs don’t require a lot of energy or thinking. I grew up listening to most of the songs, so it’s an easy-listening music experience.
Taylor Swift concert
Taylor Swift Concert, Red Tour, 2013
Movie Soundtrack
I also love film soundtracks. Movies that we love and have seen a thousand times often bring up memories and emotions that we don't even recognize, but that can be supremely helpful to help us find the words for what we're trying to write.
Movies that we love and have seen a thousand times often bring up memories and emotions that we don’t even recognize.
Braveheart is by far my favorite film soundtrack because of how emotional the music is. Incidentally, you can listen to the whole thing for free on Spotify (you will just need to sign up for a free account)!
When I am writing emotional scenes or blogs, I listen to a movie soundtrack because I subconsciously recall what emotion is happening during the scene and use that to inspire my words. I also really enjoy Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables (1985) because it’s such a positive story, and the soundtrack reflects that mood.
Why it Works:
Having some kind of music and/or white noise playing in the background helps reduce the amount of distraction many of us face while writing. Things like kids screaming, dogs barking, or a spouse asking a favor. You know the kind. Music can help block this out and allow us time to really focus on being productive with our writing.
It can also help spark inspiration when we know we need to write but feel utterly uninspired. If you don't know where to start writing, turn on some of your favorite tunes and see what kinds of memories and ideas start popping up!
Close Email
2. Close Email & Put Phone Away
Before you outright reject this strategy, let me give you some background info! For those of us in administrative jobs, especially customer or client-facing roles, we don't really have the opportunity to just disconnect during the day. We never know when something might catch fire that we have to put out!
There are also many of us who work second jobs, which doubles the email expectations. Having email on our phone almost becomes a necessity.
We also can’t predict when anyone will call or text throughout the day. Sometimes it’s a spouse, but sometimes multiple family members, friends, and the pharmacy service all text and call. It really depends on the day.
The constant word stimulation is definitely a distraction from any type of writing we might be doing.
The constant word stimulation is definitely a distraction from any type of writing we might be doing. Have you ever started writing something, even just a sentence, and all the sudden an email pinged into your inbox on your computer or phone? Suddenly, your brain starts wondering what's in the email and if someone will need an immediate response. There goes any inspiration or productivity you might have!
If I get the chance to write at work, I set a timer for having all of this turned off so I don’t miss anything important, but can still focus. If I’m at home, it’s definitely easier to disconnect, and will often (to the annoyance of my husband) turn my phone on silent altogether.
Why it Works:
How much can you get done when your inbox is pinging constantly? Or when messages are pouring in? (We see you, group texts.) No one can function efficiently like that, especially writers! Your writing inspiration and productivity will get a quick boost when you close email and put away your phone.
I don't even keep my sound on most of the time like everyone else, so I can't imagine what it's like for writers who keep their sound on. The same goes for phone use. If you're going in and out of a text convo, or people keep calling you, both your writing and the conversations are going to be worse for the wear.
Close Tabs
3. Close Tabs (Especially Social Media)
How many tabs do you have open in your browser right now? I have 12. Would I try to write with this many tabs open? HECK NO.
Like email, having a bunch of web pages open is a total distraction from our writing - the exception being if you are using one or two of them for research or something directly related to your writing.
Be honest, though, how many of your tabs are actually productive?
Be honest, though, how many of your tabs are actually productive? How many are social media?
Social media sends out an insane number of notifications by the hour - sometimes more! Just like an email dinging into your peaceful workspace, it throws us completely out of our focused writing mindset.
So although it's hard, we need to close tabs and make sure to shut down all of our social media when we are trying to connect with our writing inspiration and be productive.
When I say social media, I mean:
Pinterest (although it's not a true social media)
AND anything else you're checking regularly for social updates.
Note: I know we can turn off the notifications for all of these; however, being able to click on the notification when I have time has proven to be helpful, especially as I interact with a lot of people directly for business.
Why it Works:
You just posted the cutest picture on Insta and you can't wait to see who likes it. You just found the funniest joke to tweet. You need to get to promoting that new blog on Facebook! Or find beta readers for your novel!
It’s a great feeling to to see people interacting with your content.
I get that.
It's a great feeling to to see people interacting with your content. But you have to have time away from social media to create that amazing content that keeps people coming back for more! You can't fully focus on your writing if you're watching your phone or browser like a hawk for new notifications.
Pen and Paper
4. Have Pen & Paper Ready to Go
Do you ever have a stray thought that has nothing to do with what you are working on? I know I do! Sometimes our brain has more of these moments when we're trying to write because it's looking for a way out, a way to distract itself from being productive. Or realizing that we're not inspired.
If we really want writing inspiration, we need to cut out the excuses and distractions and get productive.
It’s important to have a place to jot these thoughts down that’s not on the computer and/or document you're working on. If we really want writing inspiration, we need to cut out the excuses and distractions and get productive.
When I suddenly remember I need to answer an email by the end of the day, my blog post or novel is not the place to write that down. For one, I definitely won't find it again in time. Not to mention that I will keep seeing that reminder for the remainder of my writing time, which tanks my momentum.
Why it Works:
Writing things down by hand helps you remember things. Scientists study this all the time! In my experience, though, when you write things down in the wrong place, you STILL forget, only then it's worse because you know you wrote it down but you can't remember where!
Don't do this to yourself. Keep a pen and paper nearby when you're writing so you can easily come back to your ideas later.
Laptop Charged
5. Have Laptop Charged & Charging Cord Nearby
If you are writing on a desktop, you obviously don't need a cord because you're connected to the wall, which is great!
But, if you're like many writers and writing on a laptop, it's so important that you make sure to keep your laptop charged when you want to write. If your computer is a little older or otherwise prone to losing charge quickly, it's also important to keep the charging cord nearby.
Excuses seem to multiply like rabbits when we're low key trying to avoid our project(s) from a lack of writing inspiration or motivation.
This is imperative because when we sit down to write, and we're not “in the zone” yet or having trouble focusing, we tend to get up and do any number of things instead of actually getting writing done. Excuses seem to multiply like rabbits when we're low key trying to avoid our project(s) from a lack of writing inspiration or motivation.
Such an easy step to make sure we stay on target!
Why it Works:
You can't type out writing if your computer is dead can you? I mean you could, on a phone or tablet, but will you? You can't make this excuse to get up and away from focusing on your writing if you have already prepared!
Even worse than not being able to work, if you're writing and your computer dies, you may or may not be able to get all that hard work back when you charge up again. This is a major bummer, believe me from experience!
Location
6. Location Matters
Some people have to be at a certain place to get a lot done. I know many writers who need to be at their desk or have certain lighting to get into their ideal writing zone.
This habit is all about figuring out where you do your best work.
Where we are has a lot of impact on what and how we think. This habit is all about figuring out where you do your best work.
When I was in graduate school, I loved to hole up in a library study room or in our home office. I find I don’t really need a particular place, now, though. I will usually either write at my desk, in my journal in bed, or on the couch snuggled up with my dog, Charlie. He is the best (and cuddliest) supporter during the times when I’m writing like a maniac.
Why it Works:
Location is very personal, unlike some of the other habits we've talked about. You might be open, like I am, but you might need a little more quiet or more structure.
I know plenty of people who prefer a table to using their laptop on the couch. It's all about figuring out how you can be comfortable and leveraging your environmental preferences to get your writing done.
Writing Medium
7. Decide on Writing Medium
There are all sorts of ways to write in the digital age! Of course you can always trust in a good old pen and paper routine. But there's also Google Docs, Microsoft Word, notepad (search your computer for the app), Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, Wattpad, and the list keeps gong on and on. How you write is really personal because you are the one working in it on all your projects.
I used to prefer writing in a Word document and emailing myself back and forth. The problem being that if I forget to send that email...well, I would have to wait until I was back at that computer to work more on the piece of writing because I was saving locally to my computer.
How you write is really personal because you are the one working in it on all your projects.
Nowadays, Microsoft 365 is a game changer with Sharepoint and cloud-hosting, so you can access your documents similarly as you do with Google Drive.
My preferred medium now is Google Docs, where everything is instantly saved online, so I can access it wherever I can get internet. I can work at home, at work, and even on my phone! We have the Google Pixel phones, so all of my documents and things sync together nicely.
Why it Works:
When you pick a medium and stick to it, you know, reliably, that your documents will be safely waiting for you each time you go to write. Make sure you have a way to back up your work, whichever medium you choose.
I have to say, Google Docs is pretty dang great! I love the fact that I can write something on one computer when I'm out, it saves to the cloud, and I can pull it right back up when I get home. I don't have to worry about forgetting to save and send or taking my flash drive with me, and neither do you!
Comfortable
8. Make Sure You're Comfortable
This is probably the most important habit because being uncomfortable is the ultimate distraction. Who can pay attention when they're sweating or freezing? When their feet are cold or they've been sitting on a hard chair so long that they don't know if they can get back up normally again. No one! We've got to be comfortable when we write.
Personally, this habit is tricky for me because I’m fidgety. I don’t do well sitting down without moving for long periods of time, and I get cold very easily.
We've got to be comfortable when we write.
I typically sit cross-legged or with one leg tucked underneath me whether I’m in a computer chair or on the couch. I always wear layers, and have a pair of socks on hand for when my toes inevitably turn into ice cubes. Sometimes I even have to go get my slippers in the middle of summer! Interestingly, I find it more distracting to have cold toes than walk away and get my slippers.
I tend to move around and sit in different positions throughout the time I spend writing, that way I can remain as comfortable as possible. There’s nothing worse than having an aching tailbone right when you’re about to write about someone’s first kiss!
Why it Works:
Your body is super important to your writing. When you're not on your game physically, you probably can't be at your best or most productive in your creativity. You know yourself best, so you know if your toes get cold when you sit down for a long time. Or, if your eyes hurt from looking at your computer screen for a long time you probably need blue light glasses or the free Flux app to help you out.
Your body is super important to your writing. When you’re not on your game physically, you probably can’t be at your best or most productive in your creativity.
There will always be more habits that could be helpful, but these are critical. Making sure to build these habits over time will really help writing inspiration and productivity!
If you're like me, though, and inspiration strikes, we are on it. We get the words onto the page as soon as we can, lest we forget anything (short term memory is definitely not my strong point!).
Sometimes I can get to my computer, but sometimes I can’t. I have written in almost every medium! There’s a section of my novel that was typed on my phone in the Google doc when I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep. As it turns out, it was a full three pages. There were also several sections handwritten late at night when I got inspired right before bed.
Once you start writing you'll figure out how to best tame and create your habits.
What are your writing habits? What do you need to write productively? If you don’t have any, you’ll get there! Don’t feel pressured into doing anything crazy. Set your own goals and work towards achieving them.
I would love to hear more about your writing habits and rituals! Drop a comment below, find me on social media, or shoot me an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com! Let's chat.