How to Building a Sustainable Writing Practice

Pete O’Shea, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is a sustainable writing practice?

A sustainable writing practice is one that can, and will, sustain. Like most things in life with value, it takes work. It should look different for each writer and fulfill their unique needs. What you need will change and grow as you grow as a person and writer because your writing goals will change.

I like to think of sustainable writing practices as a relationship between the writer and their writing. Checking in with yourself and asking what you need at each step of your journey is an important step. How long you practice is entirely up to you. If you love writing and want to sustain it throughout your life, you’ll need to plan carefully to avoid burnout.

I share basic actionable steps below that can work for any writer, follow or break them, make them your own.

How Do You Build a Sustainable Writing Practice?

The first step to building a sustainable writing practice is making a commitment to write regularly. How often you need to write is particular to your goals as a writer and your current skill level. Some say daily writing is a must. However, this can be detrimental to some writers, and we all need time to rest and recharge.

One key aspect of building a sustainable writing practice is understanding each writer’s needs are their own. A one-size-fits-all approach does not apply to writing practice. All writers have their own set of goals, therefore they need different things out of their practice. A songwriter, comedian, novelist, screenplay, blogger, copywriter, investigative reporter, or playwright will all have different needs. Circadian rhythms and the personality of the writer also add complexity to a writer’s needs.

I prefer doing my creative work early in the morning when my mind is relaxed and not fully awake. I get up early so that I’m not interrupted and I can slowly wake up mentally while I’m writing. I reserve this time in the morning when my brain is still in contact with my subconscious mind for problem solving, brainstorming new article ideas and fiction writing. I do editing and content writing later in the day when I am at my peak, not being a morning person.

I write every weekday in the morning when I first wake for an hour focusing on my personal creative projects, weekday I work as a copywriter and blogger, and I reserve weekends for personal journaling, no editing happens, and the rest of the day is open for relaxing and recharging. I take writing vacations when I feel I need to.

Find what works for you by experimenting. Figuring out the best time for you to write is a huge first step. I tried different times of the day until I found the sweet spot for me. Don’t feel obligated to write every day, regardless of what others say. And you should not feel guilty or inadequate if you can’t keep up with someone else’s ideal schedule. Find out what works best for you.

Actionable Steps to Sustainable Writing Practice

1. Start small.
2. Set an attainable word count goal within a set time period. (For example, write a short story within three weeks.)
3. Commit to it by setting aside a regular time.
4. Play to your strengths. And take time to learn the areas you’re not confident about. (For me, I wasn’t confident about editing my work. I have dyslexia. Once I knew how my confidence soared.)
5. Evaluate what works, what doesn’t and why, then make changes. (Once you get going, you can skip this step. You can add it back in when you want to experiment at anytime.)
6. Reward yourself when you reach a goal. (I usually have a cup of matcha latte tea, but sometimes I cheat and get it while I’m writing. I love tea!)
7. Repeat.

How can you maintain your writing habits?

Reading Good Writing

Make time to read good writing. This is an important part of training your mind’s ear to recognize good writing. It can increase your vocabulary. Help you become more in tune with rhythm within a language’s written word.

Reading can help you maintain your writing practice by giving your creative mind a rest and stimulate other areas of the brain that process storytelling.

Divide Up Large Projects

Divide large projects up into manageable parts of time you can do in one setting. Using a word count goal can help you decide how many words you can write within the time you have for writing practice. As you become more comfortable, you can increase this, but start where you are now.

A Sustainable Writing Practice Includes Rest

Give yourself permission to rest. I take regular breaks. Sometimes, I do another task or take a walk. However, if I’m having a difficult time a few days off when I feel need it. Other times it is a weeklong vacation. This schedule supports me and helps me grow. When I first started writing, I wrote only two to three times a week for a short period. At first, I discovered that a gradual and consistent pace was necessary. And what I needed changed as I changed and grew as a writer.

Making Mistakes is Part of Learning and Growing

You will make mistakes, everyone does. Learn from them what you can and move forward. Sometimes this means telling your inner critic to piss off. I have a nasty inner critic who tries to undermine my writing practice any chance it gets.

One way I silence mine is by agreeing with it. Next, I tell it that learning comes from making mistakes. The best writers were not great when they stated. Be kind to yourself. There is no shame in learning. Leaning takes curage and should be celebrated.

The initial draft of a project isn’t a polished piece of work. Its purpose is laying down the bones of foundation to support the next step in creating a polished piece of work. It’s supposed to be messy, fun, or whatever it needs to be for your process.

Don’t make unfair comparisons of you work with other writers. They are not you and you are not them. You each have your own obstacle to overcome. Don’t let your inner critic tell you if you’re not the best, you should just give up. Everyone has parts of writing they are better at than others. Play to your strengths and spend as much time as you need to learn in the areas you struggle with.

Developing Sustainable Writing Habits

https://www.writinginstitute.pitt.edu/writingroutine