Writing and Eating: Daily Habits
One of the hardest things for writers to do is develop a daily writing habit. Some self-help books advise comparing it to eating. “You wouldn’t forget to eat each day” or “You wouldn’t tell yourself ‘I don’t have time to eat at all today so I’ll just skip it’”. No, they say, you’d make time to eat, even if it was five minutes of fast food while running errands. And likewise, they say, you would make time for writing as well, if it was really important to you.
So let’s look at eating every day as a blueprint for writing every day.
Breakfast – many people allow time to eat first thing in the morning, either before they get started with their day, while driving to work, or while sitting at their desk. Can you do the same with writing? Allow yourself 15 minutes to write as part of your getting-ready routine. I don’t advise trying to write while driving, but you could speak notes or dialogue into a mini-recorder while driving. You could also rehearse your next scene in your head, so you’re ready to commit it to paper when the opportunity arises.
Lunch – Lunch is sometimes a meal out with friends or coworkers, a meal eaten by yourself or food consumed at your desk. Can you have lunch with writing friends and talk about your novel, a scene, the progress you’re making? If you’re eating by yourself, bring along a notebook to jot down ideas for character development. If you’re eating at your desk and have Internet access (and your employer allows it), do some research for your current project.
Dinner – This meal ranges from take-out at the drive-thru to an hour spent at the table with your family over a home-cooked meal, discussing the day’s events with many variations in between. If your evening is busy with errands, can you plan a scene in your head or jot notes while waiting to pick up kids? If you’re having a sit-down meal with the family, can your children or husband clean the table and do the dishes while you write for a few minutes?
Snacks – Try a few minutes of writing while waiting for popcorn to pop or for the kids to finish their snacks. Getting yourself a little something to eat? Give yourself a quick writing break as well. Five minutes of writing at different points throughout the day will slowly add up to page after page.
Make writing a habit by fitting it into the small spaces in your busy life. If writing is food for your soul, don’t let a day go by without indulging in some yummy words.
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