101 Habits of Highly Effective Writers

Just about every college student ends up writing several papers for classes, and whether you need tips for how to get great grades or if you want to take it a step further and try to make a living from writing, then you will likely need a few pointers to help you become the best writer you can be. Learn to build a routine with good habits so that your writing gets stronger and more effective. The following habits are recommendations from all types of writers–from fiction to non-fiction and famous to lesser-known–and all offer great advice.

Routine

Finding and maintaining a successful writing routine will help you become a better writer.

1. Keep a schedule. Keeping a consistent schedule every day is an important way to ensure you are writing every day.
2. Know what works for you. If you work better waking up early in the morning and working straight through until mid-afternoon, then calling it a day, then go with it. If you work better in two or three sessions of fewer hours, then go with that. The best writing happens when you find the schedule that works for you.
3. Set deadlines. Give yourself small deadlines leading up to a major deadline. Many writers work best when they know they have to reach a deadline, even if they are self-imposed.
4. Controlled environment. Keep a controlled writing environment where you work every day. Some writers even use the same instruments for their writing and note-taking.
5. Set goals. Give yourself goals to meet, then reward yourself along the way. If your goal is to finish a chapter or complete one assignment, then reward yourself with a half-hour of personal time or whatever reward works for you.
6. Quiet. Most writers find that working without the distractions of TV, lots of conversation, or other external noise helps them concentrate better.
7. Set aside time for writing. If you work a day job and are trying to find time to write, set aside or make time for writing each day.
8. Prioritize. If you have more than one task in front of you, make sure you prioritize with the most important tasks at the top of your list.
9. Take care of yourself. Make sure you are well-rested, get exercise, and stop to eat. Pushing yourself through without taking care of yourself during the day will show in your writing.
10. Take breaks. Standing up, stretching, or taking a short walk around the room every 30 minutes to an hour will get your blood flowing and provide you with a new focus when you begin again.
11. Meditate. Some writers find that spending a few minutes clearing their mind and finding focus prior to writing is helpful to a successful writing session.

The Process

The process of writing has as much to do with what is actually being written, so take these steps to make sure you are setting up a good writing process.

12. Write. Every writer has those days when writing isn't coming easily and it would be simpler to find something else to do. It is important to keep writing, even on those days.
13. Stick to a style that works for you. If you are a better grant writer than fiction writer or a better short story writer than a novelist, than stick to the style that works for you.
14. Work methodically. Rushing through just to get words on paper is not quality work. Instead, work carefully and slowly to ensure you are providing your best work.
15. Plan. Plan ahead for what you are going to write. Some writers like using mind maps to plan and organize their ideas while others like making outlines.
16. Take notes. Jot down notes when they come to you. Many writers carry a notebook or keep notes on their phones so they don't forget important points, no matter where they come up.
17. Rewrite. It's a rare writer who can get everything down perfectly without rewriting. Revision allows you to shape your writing into the best it can be.
18. Don't compare yourself. Appreciate your strengths and work to improve your weaknesses, but don't compare yourself to other writers.
19. Research. Spend some time researching what you are writing about. Your writing reflect your new-found knowledge.
20. Know your audience. Make sure what you are writing is appropriate for your target audience. If you are writing a tutorial, then keep the editorial comments for your letter to the editor.
21. Editing partner. Have a friend or relative look over your work in an objective manner, making constructive suggestions about changes you can make.
22. Format. No matter what type of writing you are doing, there will likely be a format that you are required to stick with when turning in your work. Double check that you have met all formatting requirements each time you submit your work.

Style

Good writing communicates the author's thoughts to the reader without the reader laboring to understand those thoughts. The following are great habits to improve your writing style.

23. Be concise. Use fewer rather than more words. Concise writing is easier to follow.
24. Be organized. When your writing is well-organized, readers can follow your argument or train-of-thought without struggling to keep up.
25. Have a point. Writing just for the sake of writing may have its place, but typically, readers want to read something that has meaning behind it.
26. Have a thesis. Whatever your point is, make sure you tell your readers what it is with a strong thesis sentence presented in the first paragraph.
27. Use strong, active words. Vague words or passive verbs weaken writing, so be sure to select words that convey meaning clearly and use active verbs.
28. Edit. Be sure you go back over your work to find any mistakes you may have or to change any wording that may be confusing. Here are three great ways to edit your work successfully.
29. Write the introduction last. The introduction is really a summary explaining to the reader the gist of what you are writing. How can you successfully sum up what you have written if you haven't written it first? Save the introduction for last.
30. Use exclamation points sparingly. While these punctuation marks have made a comeback as a form of expression through email, IM, and texting, use them sparingly in professional work. The emotion you are trying to express should be made through your words, not your punctuation.
31. Learn the rules, and break them. Learn the rules of grammar and writing, and when you've become proficient, learn how to break the rules in all the right ways.
32. Vary sentence types. Your writing will be stronger if you get in the habit of using different types of sentence structures.
33. Stay on topic. Unless you are writing a stream-of-consciousness work of fiction, stay focused and on topic.
34. Use emotion. Keeping your writing detached is dry and boring. Put emotion and feeling into your writing to inspire the same emotion in your readers.

Inspiration

Work on finding inspiration to improve the quality of your writing. Here are some tips on how to do that.

35. Seek inspiration. Make a point of purposefully seeking out inspiration for your writing every day.
36. Observe. Keep an eye on everything going on around you. Watch people, their habits, their motivations, social interactions, and anything else you can see to find inspiration.
37. Stay current. Read the news, surf the Internet, and listen to what people are talking about in order to stay current with the latest trends.
38. Take a break. Sometimes writers become too consumed with what they are doing and need to take a break from writing to get a clear focus.
39. Go outside. Many writers find inspiration when they step into nature–no matter what type of writing they are doing. Something about moving out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and embracing nature sparks inspiration for many.
40. Music. Many writers find it's easier to do their job when they have music playing. Whether you find inspiration in Mozart or Spoon, play music if it helps your inspiration.
41. Travel. Traveling to new places opens up a whole range of experiences that can inspire your writing.
42. Brainstorm. Brainstorming is a great way to find inspiration. Let your mind run freely with an idea and jot everything down. Some people find it even more inspirational to brainstorm with a friend.
43. Write about your passion. Writers focusing on topics that they feel passionate about usually discover they are at the top of their game.
44. Imagine the death of your enemies. See what advice Alan Rinzler got from friend and fellow writer Herbert Gold about finding inspiration.
45. Listen. Make it a habit to listen to conversation. Pay attention to the mechanics of conversation to help write better dialog. Pay attention to the topics people talk about to understand what topics are important.
46. Memories. Dig through memories and use them for inspiration when writing. Draw on incidents, remembered emotions, pieces of conversation, and anything else your brain gives you to play with.

Improving Your Craft

Every writer has room to grow. Make the following ideas habits in your life to help improve your skills as a writer.

47. Expand your vocabulary. Take some time each day to learn a new word or two so that you are constantly expanding your vocabulary.
48. Look it up. When you run across a word with a meaning you don't know or aren't sure about, take the time to stop and look it up.
49. Read. Most writers agree that the only way you can truly know how to write is to have plenty of experience reading other writers.
50. Follow grammar experts. There are plenty of blogs and Twitter feeds that send out tons of great information on grammar. Follow a few of these to keep improving your grammar skills.
51. Use a thesaurus. Instead of using the same word over and over, spend some time looking up words in a thesaurus. This will help vary the vocabulary in your writing as well as help incorporate new words in your working vocabulary.
52. Read the dictionary. Any time you have a few extra minutes, open the dictionary up to a random page and see if you can find a word you didn't know.
53. Play word games. Board games like Scrabble or written games like solving anagrams are a great way to strengthen your vocabulary.
54. Work crossword puzzles. Learn new words and their meanings or just learn to think about different ways to use words when you work challenging crossword puzzles.
55. Accept criticism. Learning to accept criticism is a vital part of being a better writer. You will hear things about your writing that may hurt, but you can learn from this and make your writing stronger.
56. Writing exercises. Performing writing exercises will help you learn to analyze your writing and select stronger word choices.
57. Brush up on misused words. Check out a list or lists of commonly misused words and make sure you are using the correct word in your writing.

Business

If you are writing to pay the bills, there is a good chance you must also learn a little bit about business. These habits will keep you successfully working as a writer.

58. Pay attention to contracts. Don't just sign a contract without actually reading through it and understanding all the nuances. Pay attention to deadlines, pay scales, and any other pertinent information that will affect you.
59. Meet deadlines. Consistently meeting deadlines inspires confidence in those working with you. If you absolutely have to miss a deadline, explain why and work diligently to wrap up your work as soon as possible after the missed deadline.
60. Know your worth. Talk to others in your field and determine what your worth is as a writer. Don't take anything less, unless you are working up toward a goal that will eventually have you working for what you are worth.
61. Negotiate. If you are offered a contract for below your worth, be sure to negotiate in order to get closer to a fair price for your work.
62. Network. Don't be afraid to put your name and qualifications out there. Some writers would rather stay behind their keyboard than go to a mixer and boast about their skills, but networking is an integral part of letting others know about you.
63. Market yourself. In addition to networking, make sure you are marketing yourself well. Create a simple website, hand out business card, and learn how to pitch to the appropriate agencies where you hope to sell your work.
64. Dress the part. While one of the perks to writing is being able to do so at home in your PJs, when talking with clients, emailing, or performing any of the other parts of freelancing you will have to do, dress the part of a professional–even if you can't be seen.
65. Work hard. Expecting to write a few hours a day and earn millions is a dream that is usually not fulfilled. Work hard, do your job well, and you will likely find success.
66. Be persistent. Keep trying, even if you feel discouraged. Persistence usually pays off.
67. Be careful what you say. Maybe that last client took 6 months to pay you, despite your repeated invoices every 30 days, but you should be careful what you say. Your negativity may be looked down upon (even if you are in the right), and it may harm future work prospects.
68. Take on more than one client. Spreading your interests not only protects you in case a client is no longer providing you with work, but it also gives you an opportunity to sharpen different aspects of your writing if you work for different types of clients.
69. Pay attention to details. What may seem like small details can make the difference between getting another chance for a writing job or not. Follow submission guidelines to the letter. Meet word-counts that your editor assigns you.

Habits You Don't Want to Have

Make sure you avoid forming these habits if you want to become a successful writer.

70. Taking on too much. Saying yes to every writing opportunity that comes your way may seem like a great idea, but if you can't complete them all or can't devote the amount of time you need for each job, then you are not giving yourself or your client your best work.
71. Breaking promises. While emergencies do arise, don't make breaking promises to clients, such as missing deadlines or skipping out on assignments, be a habit.
72. Poor quality. Consistently turning in poor quality work will not reflect well on you and will not help you strengthen writing skills. Take the extra time to do thorough research and to ensure your writing is the best you can produce.
73. Not communicating. If your clients are trying to contact you, but you just give radio silence, they get nervous. Even if you know your article will be turned in on time, if they are asking, let them know your status on projects.
74. Procrastinating. That old joke about cleaning the house suddenly looking better than sitting down to write has more than just a kernel of truth to it. When writing feels difficult, procrastinating will only put you further behind. Don't let it become a habit.
75. Settling for low-paying gigs. While low-paying jobs are a good way to break into the industry, any writer with experience shouldn't waste time with gigs that won't pay what they are worth.
76. Being too rigid. While writing is definitely an art form, if you decide that it has to be your way, all the time, you may run into problems. Being open to edits and rewrites or writing in a different style than you are accustomed will open you up to more jobs and better writing skills.
77. Don't stay with a bad situation. What might have started out as a great opportunity might not stay that way. Be sure that you are doing what you like to do, and don't be afraid to move on when you are no longer happy with what you are doing.
78. Waiting for inspiration. While those beautiful moments of clarity about what you should write do occur, if you wait for those moments every time you sit down to write, you may be waiting a while. Instead, sit down and write whatever comes out of your head. You may be surprised to see how successful you are.

Advice from Writers

This section is courtesy of a two-part article from The Guardian (thanks, Boing Boing, for pointing it out) that requested ten rules for writing from authors such as Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and Zadie Smith. Below are eleven great pieces of advice from the articles, but check out part one here and part two here for all the fantastic suggestions.

79. Margaret Atwood. She claims writers should do back exercises to help prevent pain, which can distract you from working.
80. Roddy Doyle. This writer suggests giving your writing a name as quickly as possible. When you name it, you begin to own it, which leads to an easier time writing.
81. Helen Dunmore. Finish your writing when you still want to write more. Following this suggestion will have you chomping at the bit to begin again the next day.
82. Anne Enright. Enright claims that description in writing is merely expressing your opinion about the world. She suggests you make a stand in order to get your description written well.
83. Esther Freud. "Trust your reader," says Freud. Instead of explaining everything for the reader, she suggests you put life in your writing and trust the reader will see what you are describing.
84. Neil Gaiman. Gaiman says that no matter what you are writing and no matter what it takes, finish what you are writing.
85. Hilary Mantel. Mantel suggests that if you are serious about writing, you should get an accountant. Oh, how true those words.
86. Joyce Carol Oates. Perhaps summing up the nature of putting your writing out for others' judgment, Oates says, "Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst."
87. Zadie Smith. Smith's advice is great for those easily distracted. She suggests if you are writing on a computer, you use one without Internet connection.
88. Sarah Waters. Respecting all your characters is what Waters recommends–even the minor ones.
89. Jeanette Winterson. Perhaps the most difficult piece of advice delivered here, Winterson suggests that you be honest with yourself and accept when your writing is good, and accept when your writing is bad.

Habits of Famous Writers

If you want inspiration from more writers, see what habits these famous writers had to encourage their writing.

90. Toni Morrison. Morrison describes her daily ritual involving making a cup of coffee and watching the light come into the day before sitting down to write, taking advantage of her most productive time of day for working.
91. Haruki Murakami. Murakami wakes at 4:00 am, writes for five or six hours, then either runs 10k or swims 1500 meters (or sometimes, both). The rest of his day is consumed with reading and music.
92. Stephen King. King starts his day with a cup of tea or water and his vitamin, then sits down to work between 8:00 and 8:30 in the same seat with his papers arranged on his desk in the same way.
93. Gertrude Stein. Stein accidentally discovered inspiration from writing in her car and continued to do so, scribbling poetry on scraps of paper.
94. Aldous Huxley. Huxley's day started with breakfast with his wife, then he would work until lunchtime. After lunch, he and his wife would go for a drive or a walk, he would work again for a few hours, they would have dinner, then she would read to him until almost midnight.
95. Franz Kafka. Kafka juggled a day job and writing, starting his job at 8:30, he would not sit down to write until 11:00 in the evening and usually worked until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning.
96. John Cheever. Perhaps one of the more unusual habits was one of Cheever's, who worked in his underwear. He would go to his private office, then remove his suit to work, and redress before leaving his office.
97. Charles Darwin. Darwin had a strict schedule that spelled out when he would walk, work, eat, and play backgammon. He also kept socializing to only 30 minutes at a time.
98. CS Lewis. CS Lewis stuck to a very stringent daily schedule with all of his activities planned for a specific time, including work, walking, meals, tea, and socializing.
99. Kingsley Amis. This British novelist took care of his work in the morning, then left the afternoon for personal hygiene, eating, and biding his time until the bar opened in the evening at 6:00. He would then work a bit more until 8:30.
100. James Thurber. Due to failing eye-sight later in life, Thurber would spend his morning composing text in his head, then between 2:00 and 5:00 he would dictate about 2,000 words to his secretary.
101. John Grisham. Grisham's first novels were written while he was still a practicing lawyer. He would start his day by sitting at his desk with a cup of coffee and a yellow legal pad by 5:30 where he would write at least one page, then start his day job.