“The secret of becoming a writer is to write, write, and keep on writing.” ~ Ken MacLeod
We can all agree that becoming a writer means one must write. We’ve already discussed building momentum with our writing and becoming a habit-driven writer. But, if we look at the habits of many famous authors, we’ll find that many have taken a unique path to become a writer.
Becoming a Writer doesn’t mean working in a perfect setting.
According to E.B. White, “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”
He wrote listening to music in the midst of his home despite the “carnival” that was going on all around him.
Becoming a writer may require one to lose some sleep.
Kurt Vonnegut, who was a teacher and a writer, rose early in the morning to write before he began his work routine. He also exercised regularly and wrote while listening to jazz.
Becoming a writer may require one to be a little eccentric.
Some famous authors had writing routines that ranged from OCD to odd to downright bizarre.
- T.S. Elliot wore green face powder while he wrote. His biographer explained that Eliot may have wished to look more interesting than a bank official.
- Virginia Woolf wrote standing up as did Ernest Hemingway. This is not such an odd thing, though, as today many are learning the benefits of using a standing desk.
- John Steinbeck liked to keep twelve perfectly sharpened pencils on his desk at all times.
- Edgar Allen Poe wrote drafts on separate papers and sealed them together with wax.
- Agatha Christie developed some of her best ideas while soaking in the bathtub, eating apples.
- Speaking of apples, Friedrich Schiller, a poet, kept a drawer full of rotting apples in his desk. Supposedly the smell inspired him.
Becoming a writer may include sticking to a specific routine.
Stephen King is a good example of a writer with a routine. He writes at the same time each day. He writes approximately the same number of words each day. He writes in the same seat each day. He drinks the same beverages while he writes (tea and water). And he writes listening to music. According to King, “The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon. It’s not any different than a bedtime routine.”
Do you have any oddities, routines, or must-haves in your life that have helped you with becoming a writer?
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