How have you built a daily writing habit while holding a job or going to school?
I use my partner's gym time as my accountability stick. We drive together to an area with both a coffee shop and a gym, and while he's at the gym (usually 2 hours per day) I sit and write. He's my ride, so I'm forced to stay in a location and write until the time period is up. I don't have the discipline to carve out a time for myself without external accountability (like being physically stranded). – Piper CJ9 years ago
I've found it helpful to have a writers' group with a small group of friends. Every meet-up we set an achievable goal (research this, write 500 words, make an outline), so we remain motivated and see our progress. – ckmwriter9 years ago
I've always been taught to start ridiculously small and work up. (Either by minutes or word count.) Sometimes I aim for 15 minutes a day (but one could even do 5 or 10 minutes to start off), first thing in the morning, which forces me to ensure I make time for that 15 minutes. Even with such a small time commitment, you are motivated to add more time to your daily goal, building up to 30-60 minutes. And even if you stick to a small goal, after one year you've ideally written for over 90 hours. – tracyrwdeboer8 years ago
I just love to write (or rather type) and creating short stories or novellas. It's something I don't even have to try and fit into my life because it is life. I think it started after a couple dreams. I wrote them down then realized I could expand upon them and as such I have created several stories that I am working on to publish someday. – The Pokemon Professor8 years ago
I use my son's nap times when I am at home, which still affords me a good couple of hours. At work, I use break times. Also, I write for at least one hour in the evening. Sarah Selecky's daily ten minute writing prompts are a fun way to get yourself into the daily writing habit. – LAMead8 years ago
