All the things I do that are 'bad' for my writing

That I have no intention of changing

I love listening to and read about the habits of other writers. The creative process is endlessly fascinating to me. Every time I hear/read writers talk about their habits I’m half hoping to hear the mess I see in my own working life replicated elsewhere. I often find myself frustrated that we seem to be living in a time of increasing optimisation. That if we somehow perfect our habits and routines, we will reach some kind of creative output utopia.

Well, I call bullshit.

So here are my list of habits that I have read at some point or other is ‘bad’ for me as a writer/creative.

Photo by Himanshu Yadav on Unsplash

I don’t write every day

As a single parent, sometimes earning immediate income trumps writing. As a carer, sometimes I have been up half the night. Some days everyone else’s needs are just so urgent that by the time everyone is sorted, all I can do is lie in a bath and stare into space.

I read while I’m writing (mostly)

Ever heard writers say they don’t read while they’re writing incase they adopt the voice of that author? When do these people read??? I have occasionally had to take an enforced break from reading when I have been on a mad book deadline. But it’s very temporary and I hate every moment of it.

I read every kind of genre

Romance, fantasy, the latest ingenue lit fiction, cookbooks, nerdy and niche non-fiction, literary memoir, YA, poetry, crime, prize lists, occasionally a bit of sci fi, fucked up short stories and rereading the entire Agatha Christie back catalog. I like variety. I think reading across genres makes for better writing craft.

I do not tidy my desk/house or empty the kitchen sink/washing machine before I write

Cleaning is boring. Writing is more interesting. The only exception is the first day my kids are back at school after a holiday (that has become a weird ritual).

I don’t get up super early to write (mostly)

I have a disabled teen who doesn’t fall asleep until 11.30ish. I can’t go to bed early, so I can’t get up very early. Sometimes though, if the cat wakes me up at 5.30 and I can’t stop thinking about what I am working on, I will sit down and write.

I don’t stay up late to write (ever)

Umm, as above - I’m lucky if I get to bed at 11.30pm. I am NOT staying up any later than that.

Sometimes I write all day

It’s totally ineffecient - I have read all the things about how after 3-4 hours our brains are too tired blah blah blah. But sometimes I can’t get my head out of my book so I just keep going. I can’t help it! If you are waiting for an email response from me that is very delayed…. this is probably why.

Sometimes I write for 20 mins

Sometimes all I have is 20 mins and you know what - it is surprising how much you can get done in 20 mins. Do I love this way of writing? No. Is it sometimes necessary? Yes.

I do not have a strict writing routine

As illustrated above. If I needed to stick to a strict routine to write, I would have written zero books.

I do not have a killer morning routine

I look at my phone when I wake up. I often eat just toast for breakfast. I drink instant coffee. Sometimes I go back to bed to read. Tech bros would shudder at my morning habits. The most effecient thing about my mornings is the 5-10 minutes of light exercise I do while my HRT gel is drying and I’m stupidly proud of this meagre habit.

I do not have an empty inbox

There is no point - the emails just keep coming. I will not share the number that is currently on my Mail app because I am certain some of you might go into heart failure. Ahh fuck it - its 8805 (*whispers* the number on my laptop is 119,422).

I talk about what I’m working on

With my writers group, my boyfriend and my agent. I’m not superstitious.

I like film as much as I like books

There I said it. I read a lot but I also watch a LOT of films. I think it has shaped me as a storyteller (as did my years as a photographer). The cinema is my happy place. Films defined my childhood even more than books did.

I listen to more books than I read

I have a busy life, so without audio I wouldn’t get to read nearly as much as I would like. I read and cook/clean/fold laundry/walk/run errands. It makes life so much more fun! Sometimes if I have loved an audio book, I buy myself a hard copy, so I can do a closer read on paper.

I’m a binge reader

Last summer I discovered Abby Jimenez and listened to all her books one after the other (whoops!). Sometimes I get on a particular bent and can’t stop reading around that topic or a particular narrative style. I just go with it rather than fight it. I couldn’t care less about balance.

I hate being told what to read

I have written about this before - but I am a selfish read so I am not into book clubs.

I don’t count how many books I read in a year

I suppose I could probably figure it out…. But I really don’t care. I don’t even write the titles down anywhere.

Somehow with all these shitty, ineffecient habits I have managed to get a whole lot of work done.

It is easy to think we need a perfect routine, to follow certain rules, have a huge amount of time and excellent habits to be a writer. But all we really need, is to sit down and get some work done, however imperfectly we make that happen.

Forget optimisation. You are a writer, not an app.

I would love to know what are things you do that go against advise for writers/creatives?

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