Caution: May be Habit Forming

I'm a staunch advocate of writing daily. Of course, where there's a mindset of doing something creative every day, there's another saying wait for the muse. But I've yet to run into a successful artist or writer who practiced the latter, waiting for the right moment to write.

So when I speak to groups and suggest strongly that they write every day, I meet with resistance. Everybody's days are already full, and they let me know with eye-rolling, head shaking, flat-lined mouths and a bit of whining. Then I see those people who are still anxiously waiting for me to help them figure out how to do it. Those are the people I look at as I continue with my advice to do the following:

1) Write 10 minutes each day. 

What you're striving for is the habit. Thinking you need a huge chunk of time is self-defeating because a habit doesn't start drastically. When you change your exercise or eating habits, those experts tell you not to change your entire set of life habits overnight. You can squeeze ten minutes into any day, even making yourself do it before you go to bed. Soon you're looking forward to it, and you stretch it to fifteen....then thirty. Suddenly you realize you can't do without it.

2) Mark off the days.

Jerry Seinfield has a well-known writing habit that makes him develop his material on a steady basis, constantly improving. He suggests a writer post a calendar with the entire year shown on it (not a monthly or weekly calendar). Then, as the writer fulfills his writing goal (i.e., 10 minutes, 500 words, one chapter) he marks off that day with a big red marker. Soon he sees his habits. And he realizes quickly when he's sliding. And he strives to make red X's closer together on a regular basis.

3) Carry a notebook.

Whether it's electronic or paper, carry a notebook, taking each spare moment to jot down a thought. It serves as a prompt for you to view the world through a writer's eye, and as that revelation comes to you, you pull out your device or paper and write it down. Sure, you'll go back and delete/cross-through a lot of them, but you'll also preserve some nugget to embellish and expand upon . . . an idea that would have evaporated into the air if you hadn't written it down.

Now....how hard is that? All are doable. And all gradually take you from a stop-and-go writer to a diligent one who starts seeing development and improvement in his work. Good luck!

Let me know if you do any of these. Or let me know if you have a successful habit of your own!