Building a Writing Practice | Research

The most consistent finding across all sources: sustainability comes from consistency, not intensity. A sustainable writing practice prioritizes showing up regularly over hitting ambitious word counts.

Start Absurdly Small

The “Two-Minute Rule” from James Clear’s Atomic Habits: new habits should take less than two minutes. For writing, this might mean opening a document or writing 20 words (about two sentences). Make the habit so easy you cannot say no.

Anne Lamott’s “short assignments” concept from Bird by Bird: focus on what you can see through a one-inch picture frame. Do not try to write the whole book. Write just the small piece in front of you.

Habit Stacking

Pair writing with an existing habit: “After my morning coffee, I will write one paragraph.” This leverages established routines to anchor new behaviors.

Identity-Based Habits

The goal is not to “start writing” but to “become a writer.” Every time you write, you cast a vote for your identity as a writer. This internal shift makes the habit self-reinforcing.

The Seinfeld Strategy

Jerry Seinfeld’s “Don’t Break the Chain” method: get a calendar, mark each day you write with a big red X, and focus solely on not breaking the chain. The visual streak becomes its own motivation.

Research suggests it takes 18-254 days (average 66) to form a habit, making streak tracking especially valuable in those first months.

How Much to Write Per Day

Professional Writers’ Word Counts

Writer	Daily Words	Notes
Ernest Hemingway	500	—
Graham Greene	500	5 days/week
Stephen King	1,000 (formerly 2,000)	4 hours
J.G. Ballard	1,000	—
Nicholas Sparks	2,000	5-6 hours
Anne Rice	3,000	—

The sweet spot for most writers: 500-1,000 words per day. Enough to make meaningful progress while keeping the mind fresh.

For Writers with Day Jobs

500 words in 20-30 minutes is achievable. At that pace, you produce 150,000+ words per year—more than a novel. Accept you cannot keep up with full-time writers and release the guilt.

Minimum Viable Practice

Some writers succeed with just 250 words per day or even a single sentence. Anthony Trollope wrote 250 words every 15 minutes with a watch on his desk. The point is not the number but the regularity.

Best Time of Day

Morning Advocates

Willpower is highest in the morning before daily decisions deplete it
The prefrontal cortex is most active just after sleep
Morning minds are “clean slates” not yet cluttered by the day’s events
Toni Morrison: “I always get up and make a cup of coffee while it is still dark—it must be dark”
Haruki Murakami: wakes at 4 AM, writes for 5-6 hours

Evening Advocates

No outside distractions (meetings, calls)
The day fills you with ideas and material
The relaxed state after work can enable creative breakthroughs

The Counterintuitive Finding

Research by Wieth and Zacks found that creative insight problems are often solved better during non-optimal hours. Morning people had breakthroughs in the evening; night owls in the morning. The unfocused state may aid abstract thinking.

The real answer: The best time is when you will actually write. Match your writing time to your life constraints and protect it fiercely.

Environment and Workspace

Location Principles

Choose a fixed, consistent location
Privacy matters—you need to be alone with your thoughts
Low foot traffic reduces interruptions

Digital Environment

Declutter your desktop
Turn off notifications during writing time
Use distraction-blocking apps if needed
Cal Newport’s rule: schedule internet use in advance, avoid it entirely outside those times

Famous Writers’ Spaces

Many celebrated writers use separate writing sheds or dedicated rooms. Neil Gaiman has a writing shed. The common thread is not luxury but intention—a space sacred for creating.

Tracking Progress

Dedicated Apps

Writing Streak: Set daily word goals, track consecutive days
Word Keeper: Deep insights into habits, most productive hours
WriteNext: Track performance, earn achievements

Simple Methods

A physical calendar with X marks (the Seinfeld method)
A simple checkmark in a notebook
Spreadsheet tracking date, words, and time

Why Tracking Works

Seeing the chain grow activates the brain’s reward system. Associating task completion with positive outcomes (checking a box) motivates continued behavior.

Accountability

Why It Works

People are more likely to achieve goals when they write them down, share them with others, and check in over time. External accountability combats self-sabotage and procrastination.

Structures

One-on-one partners: Regular check-ins on progress
Small groups (3-5 people): Weekly goal-setting and reporting
Online communities: NaNoWriMo has 300,000+ writers annually
Weak ties work better: Coworkers or acquaintances are more objective than close friends

The Power of Deadlines

“Deadlines forced me to write, and that inspiration occurred after the writing started.” Deadlines create external structure that bypasses internal resistance.

Writing Rituals

Pre-Writing Rituals

Toni Morrison: Makes coffee while it is still dark, watches the light come
Stephen King: Same time, same seat, vitamin pill, same music, papers arranged identically
Jack Kerouac: Lit a candle, wrote by candlelight, blew it out when done
Viet Thanh Nguyen: Reads 2-3 pages of inspiration until seized by the urge to write
Steven Pressfield: Gym at 5:30 AM, does not start writing until 11:30—uses exercise to build momentum

Structured Schedules

Haruki Murakami: 4 AM wake, 5-6 hours writing, 10km run or 1500m swim, bed by 9 PM—no variation
Anthony Trollope: 5 AM start, 250 words every 15 minutes, if novel finished mid-session he immediately started the next
Alice Munro: 8 AM to 11 AM, seven days a week, with a quota of pages
Kurt Vonnegut: 5:30 AM wake, work until 8, breakfast, work until 10, then errands and swimming

Writers Who Reject Routine

David Foster Wallace had “absolutely no routine at all.” Ray Bradbury said his passions drove him to the typewriter: “I don’t schedule it.”

Most successful writers have strong routines, but there is no single correct approach.

Balancing Writing with Life

For Writers with Full-Time Jobs

Find pockets: lunch breaks, commutes, the window between kids’ bedtime and yours
Stretch your day: wake an hour early or stay up an hour late
Set small, achievable goals: “write scene X” not “finish novel”
Accept slower progress—you are not competing with full-time writers
Forget “write every day” if it causes guilt and burnout

Practical Strategies

Time blocking: Schedule writing as a non-negotiable appointment
Task batching: Group similar writing tasks (research days, drafting days, editing days)
Day theming: Dedicate entire days to specific types of work

Protecting Writing Time

Tell family when your writing hours are and guard them. Turn off work emails and phones. Treat writing time as seriously as any other commitment.

Long-Term Sustainability

Preventing Burnout

Diversify creative work: try different genres, formats, or personal projects
Schedule breaks proactively—don’t wait until exhausted
Protect thinking time, reading time, and “staring out the window” time
Learn to say no to draining projects

Recovery After Breaks

Breaks are normal and valuable—they provide perspective and energy
Expect the first day back to be awkward and unproductive
Start smaller than usual: 250 words or just making a plan
Re-read previous work to regain context
Be kind to yourself—the habit returns faster than expected

Career Phases

Books 1-2: You are learning
Books 3-4: You are developing
Book 5+: You can call yourself “established”
The key to your career is not your first novel—it is your second

Essential Mindset

Patience is the most important quality in publishing
Focus on what you control: writing and building connections
Career sustainability requires pacing—marathon, not sprint

What Working Writers Actually Do

Common Patterns

Write at the same time daily
Have a dedicated space
Start with a ritual that signals “writing time”
Set modest, sustainable goals (500-1,000 words)
Protect writing time from interruptions
Take breaks without guilt
Read extensively
Maintain non-writing interests and relationships

The Discipline vs. Inspiration Debate

The consensus among professionals: discipline wins. Inspiration is unreliable. Writers who wait for inspiration produce 20,000 words one week, zero the next. Writers who show up daily build careers.

But discipline alone leads to burnout. The synthesis: discipline is the how, enthusiasm is the why. Both are necessary.

E.B. White: “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”

Key Takeaways

Start smaller than you think necessary. Two minutes, one sentence, 20 words.
Consistency beats intensity. Daily practice trumps occasional binges.
Protect your time. Treat writing as a non-negotiable appointment.
Track your streaks. Visual progress motivates continued effort.
Build accountability. Share goals with others and check in regularly.
Choose your time wisely. Morning has advantages, but the best time is when you will actually write.
Create a dedicated space. Consistency of location trains your brain for creativity.
Expect breaks and recovery. They are part of the process, not failures.
Discipline over inspiration. Show up even when you don’t feel like it.
Play the long game. Sustainable careers are built over decades, not months.

Go Deeper

Books

Atomic Habits by James Clear — The system for building habits
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — Short assignments and shitty first drafts
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield — Overcoming resistance