How to start a writing practice
It's hard but it's not impossible.
Hello! I’m Celine and I write about books, cooking, gardening and surviving life in the city with a wild heart. Subscribe for free posts like this one, or sign up for a membership, for other exclusive writing. Either way, thanks for your support!
Did you know that sitting down and quite simply writing something is actually one of the hardest things to do?
At least, that’s how it feels some (much) of the time.
There’s a real joy to be found in threading words together to form a cohesive sentence. Yet, like say stretching first thing in the morning, it is seemingly one of the hardest practices you can take up.
As, wherever do you begin? How do you make time for it? Why does clearing out your entire wardrobe or cleaning the bathroom become all the more enticing whenever you try to write?
It seems like a mystery, but it isn’t really. I’ve been drawn to the written word since I were a wee nipper and am constantly refining my habits.
Here are some tricks I’ve learned along the way to having a regular writing practice (which at the moment consists largely of diarising and maintaining this newsletter).
Why write?
Writing is swell as it is, first and foremost, a way to slow down and really take notice of the world, and your place in it.
You’re deliberately choosing a few hours of your week or even day that are just for you – whether it be going over the events of the day, making observations of the natural world around you, or even - gulp - attempting to write some creative fiction.
Writing isn’t for everyone and if it’s something you don’t enjoy doing, then by all means, don’t add yet another unpleasant task to your list. Goodness knows we all have enough of these to contend with.
Yet if your heart longs to write and life seems to get in the way (and I hear you on this), then perhaps one of these ideas will prove helpful.
Keep a journal
Starting a diary is a quick and easy way to get into a writing habit. It’s low-stakes – unless you have a particularly nosy partner/family/flatmates, no one is going to see it (and if you do, find an excellent hiding place). You don’t have to do it every day either to gain benefits from it, as a scribble here and there can suffice.
What it does so is get you into the rhythm of writing and help formulate a habit. An important first step.
I’ve been journalling for, ah, twenty years, and offered some of my tips and tricks in a previous post.
You can also use your journal scribbles for later inspiration (particularly helpful for travel or nature writing), as I did with this recent post.
Have a place to write down ideas
Sometimes inspiration strikes in the most unlikely of places. So, make sure you always have a place to get your ideas down on paper.
Or phone, as it were. My Notes app is an excellent place for inputting ideas for stories, or this newsletter. Sometimes I even write down a situation that just happened, eg: “Saw a man drinking a beer and walking his pet goat off lead today.” Yes, this is a true story.
If you’re generally in the habit of thinking about what you’re going to write, you will feel more excited and motivated to sit down and well, write it!
Start that writing project
Thinking about starting a newsletter/blog/short story or even the dreaded novel?
Simple advice, but stop talking about doing it and just… start.
Nothing is ever lost from starting a project and you’d be surprised by how much can be gained. Sometimes it’s not what you hoped or imagined, but it eventuates into something else completely marvellous.
You can easily start small. Maybe you decide to sign up to a newsletter platform like Substack and spend some time creating a logo. Or you give yourself an hour to research setting up a website. Or take a writing prompt, set a timer for 20 minutes and let the words flow.
Take the first step, no matter how big, or small it may be. You might - shock, horror - find yourself having a bit of a good time and feel inspired to come back to the project.
Once you’re set up, it’s helpful to give yourself a deadline – for example, I have a commitment to send out a post at 8am AEST every Thursday. If I don’t, the world doesn’t exactly end, but I FEEL BAD and it does generally help to be consistent.
Have a dedicated time of the day that you write…
Writing is a practice that is best served through habit. If you do the work to embed it into your day or week, you’ll likely find yourself almost needing to write.
Perhaps experiment a bit and see what works for you. I’m generally a morning person, so I find I do my best wordsmithing in the AM. Some people are night owls, who prefer to work at 10pm. Some people like to write or pursue other creative projects in the middle of the night. Move things around a bit and you’ll find the right time to write.
…And a dedicated place
Space can be at a premium in modern housing, but it is helpful to have a dedicated space to write. It could be on a laptop on the couch (TV off, trust me), at the kitchen table after dinner. If there are way too many distractions at home, you could try the local library or a nearby cafe, or even scribble away in a park – honing a habit and getting your daily Vitamin D, all at once!
One thing to note, is if you work from home in any capacity; don’t try to write in the same spot, especially if creative writing is the end game here. You may find it difficult to shift perspectives from work mode, to writing-for-yourself mode.
Change up the scenery
On that. It’s not just time of the day and a certain spot that can trigger creativity. Movement or even a change of scenery may prompt some great writing too.
Perhaps you feel inspired after a yoga, swim or gym session, or out and about walking or pounding the pavement.
You could take advantage of a long train commute, or discover simply sitting in nature helps get the creative juices flowing.
Travel is what does it for me personally – even a day trip somewhere or an exploration of a different part of my city leaves my fingers itchy, desperate to get words down on a page. Or onto my laptop screen, as it were.
Complete a writing course
A writing course excellent way to motivate yourself – you’ve paid some money to hone your craft and therefore you’ve got skin in the game.
Sign up to MasterClass, Udemy or Skillshare to learn from creative experts. Literary magazine Kill Your Darlings also offers self-driven short courses on just about every genre of writing (I’m currently completing their course in Nature Writing, pieced together by the legendary Sophie Cunningham). Places like Faber Writing Academy offer a mix of online and in-person experiences.
If you dislike online learning (I hear you), your local TAFE or University may offer short courses in writing, which are a lot easier to finance than saying taking up a MA in Creative Writing or the sort. Although if that’s what your heart is telling you to do, then by all means, heed its call.
Don’t be afraid to write trash
Suffer from perfectionism? Me too, my friend. And this can be a real deterrent in sitting down and getting the thing done.
What if it’s… what if it’s just not very good?!
Well, can I just say… most first attempts at anything, especially if you haven’t done it in a long time or ever before, just aren’t that swell.
And that’s perfectly fine.
This is because just getting something down on the page is an achievement in itself. Finishing a project, even if you think it is terrible, is a solid win; you go you wunderkind, you.
You see, you did it. You did the hard thing. It exists in the world. And now you can refine it, while you bask in the pleasure of having finished something. No easy feat.
Likewise, don’t beat yourself up
This is perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned on my own writing journey. You’re not a failure if you skip a few days, weeks, months. Or even years. It’s hard to form a habit and it’s harder still to maintain it. Life gets in the way and that’s okay.
Forgive yourself and try again when you’re ready.
Just do the thing
And I’ll finish with an argument that may null and void this entire post.
I’m currently reading Oliver Burkeman’s new book Meditations for Mortals in which he suggests that there is no magic formula or system for doing the things you want to do (but you may find hard) – you just need to do them, knowing that your time on earth is finite.
And that you may not build a habit of out them and that is fine. Habit development largely consists of future planning. After all, the only moment that is truly happening is this moment, right now, where you are doing the thing you want to do.
So, if writing is something you truly want to spend time doing, don’t go and clean the garage or weed the garden. Don’t spend your time plotting how you’ll become a person who writes every day.
Just sit down. Pick up a pen, or grab your laptop. And write. Right now.
If you liked this, you may also enjoy:
How to read more every single day
10 inspiring books about walking
The benefits of a regular meditation practice
That’s it from me for now. If you’ve got any of your own writing tips, I’d love to read them in the comments.
‘Til next we meet, stay well and well-fed.
-Celine
So many good tips here! Changing up the scenery is something I definitely don't do enough and would love to do more - especially now the days are getting warmer and sunnier, and the thought of sitting outside with a tea and my laptop sounds quite delightful!