I’m generally anti-time change. I have enough sleep disruption without losing an hour, but this time, I’m trying to reframe my attitude. And I’m going to take you with me.
Writing disruptions happen more often than time changes, and not writing over the dark and cold winter months is not unusual, which is why we shouldn’t judge ourselves or others in this plight. Instead, we can view the time change and the hopeful onset of spring weather as a time to dust off our writing and begin anew.
Growing up, my mom required us to participate in Saturday cleaning day (ugh) and the dreaded spring cleaning once a year when everything was pulled out from the wall, dusted and vacuumed and polished until it looked and smelled like spring. Clean. New.
My temptation—and quite possibly yours—is to start spring writing by cleaning off the desk, the literal writing desk or the digital files that have run wild on the computer. I also have reams of notebooks with a few pages written in them that I need to review, so I’m not against cleaning the desk or the floor next to my desk, which has become my “research later” pile, but that’s only one part of the writer’s spring cleaning.
We need to clean out the mind, so to speak. Repair our attitude. Clean and dust and vacuum out the bad thoughts and ideas that have plagued us and bring them into the sunlight.
What habit have you recently acquired that acts as a form of procrastination, or as a former student calls it, procrasti-work? These are the things we do to avoid the work we should be doing. For instance, if I need to write, I use my entire laundry list of chores—including laundry—to avoid my writing to-do list.
What is your procrasti-work chore that triggers hours of avoidance as you wash, fold, and fluff the curtains? For instance, is it “I’ll just clean off the table or load the dishwasher?”
Here’s how this might work in the average writer’s home. “I’ll just clean off the table” becomes my mother’s version of spring cleaning, wherein the writer can complete the whole list of chores that have been waiting for weeks before they sit down to write. I’m not saying that the work doesn’t need to be done, but don’t lie to yourself. You’re spring cleaning to avoid spring writing.
How much time do you spend doom-scrolling or watching television?
What device (phone, tablet, or computer) do you reach for that you know for a fact will suck you into hours of scrolling?
What social media platform pulls you into the drama instead of writing your own drama?
How do these activities make you feel?
How does writing make you feel?
If “loading the dishwasher” is code for I’m going to avoid writing today, it’s time to recognize it. The thing is, I can tell you (or I can tell myself) that we should be writing, but until we address the avoidance in the room, the writing will still be stacked in the “research later” pile next to the desk.
Ok, I get it. So how do I avoid avoidance?
Set your intention.
Right now my intention is to get back into the writing flow. That means showing up at regular times to write. Forming habits means repeating something at a planned time and place until it becomes rote, until it becomes your default choice.
The intention cannot be vague. For instance, “I want to write three times a week” (vague) versus “I want to write on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday” (specific).
My family knows that on Monday evenings I have sprint group, so they make space for me to do that, but they would also know if I wimped out and skipped a week, so it’s both accountability and support. And, when I sit down on Monday evenings, I’m ready to write because it’s become a habit.
Build a habit.
One way to build that habit is to attach it to something you already do. According to Atomic Habits by James Clear, “habit stacking” involves attaching a new habit to an existing one. Pick something you’re already doing, like waking up and pouring coffee, and attach your new habit to that habit. If you’re a caffeine addict, you won’t skip the morning coffee, so it would be a good place to stack another habit, like writing morning pages or writing for the first hour of the day.
One habit I’ve talked about before is the fifteen-minute rule. I write for fifteen minutes, and then, if I’m not feeling it, I can quit (the same applies to running or any other activity that I resist even though I know I love it). Most days, after the initial fifteen minutes, I keep writing. But Atomic Habits recommends the “two-minute rule,” which suggests starting a new habit by committing to doing it for only two minutes each day, making it easier to overcome initial resistance and build momentum; both are strategies to effectively build positive habits. How many words can you write in two minutes?
How to build writing habits
When do you want to write? To build a habit, you need a regular time and place. While some believe morning pages are superior, to night owls, that’s just crazy talk. We perform better at night, thank you very much. The point is to find the time that fits your personality, your existing responsibilities, and your writing goals. Once you have an ideal time, ask yourself:
What habits do I already have? Write a list of existing habits (good or bad, who are we to judge). Think about the things you do without thinking, like brushing your teeth, taking your vitamins, coffee or afternoon tea, reaching for a snack, or packing your lunch. Turning on the light when you walk into a dark room. No one tells you to do it because it’s a habit. Once you have a list, consider which existing habits you already have that happen around the time you want to write. How/when can you pair a habit with a writing habit you hope to build?
What can I place in my space to remind me to write? Make writing a visible part of your home or office. The television sits in the place of honor in many living rooms, and we often click the on-button on the remote without thinking. Writing and your writing life need to be as visible and easy to turn on. What can you put out that will trigger your desire to write? For me, the computer doesn’t do it, because I’m on the computer all the time for work, but a favorite pen or journal are visuals that make me happy (this is why many writers have a collection of beautiful pens and notebooks).
How can you reduce writing friction? Friction is a force that resists movement. Friction in writing can be: I’m tired and I just want to veg out; the laptop without enough charge; a pen out of ink; a family demanding dinner. To build better habits, recognize the friction that stops you from writing, and yes, some of it is in our head (just because it’s in our heads doesn’t mean it’s not real).
Reducing friction can help you build better habits by making them easier to start. The idea is that the less effort required to do something, the more likely you are to do it consistently. If you meal prep your lunches during the week, you’re reducing the friction, which might prevent you from eating lunch out. It’s putting your work clothes or workout clothes out the night before, putting a book on the nightstand so you’ll read before bed, or keeping your vitamins in the kitchen so you remember to take them with meals.
What can you do to reduce friction in your writing life? For example, make writing night family pizza night, so you can spend more time writing than cooking. If weekly takeout doesn’t fit the budget, meal prep on weekends. While you’re writing, someone in the family can pop the prepped food in the oven, giving you guilt-free time to write. Whenever you notice the struggle, find a way to lessen the friction.
What can you do to add friction to avoid the things that get in the way of writing? This is where you can be your bad habit’s worst enemy. Let’s talk about the Internet, social media, and all manner of apps that suck away our time. One way to add friction is to turn off the WiFi on your writing computer or deleting apps to social media sites. The key is that you can still access the Internet or social media, but by creating friction, you’re making it a more conscious choice over rote habit.
What can you do to give you instant gratification for your writing time? Writing is a long-term goal. Most of us can’t write a novel overnight, so it can feel like it’s never-ending, so find a way to build some satisfaction into the daily routine. One example is the way the dentist gives out prizes to kids after a cleaning. It gives something pleasant—a toy that will annoy your parents—as a pleasant way to end the ritual cleaning and scraping of teeth. Even as adults, we need a prize of sorts, something that makes writing satisfying.
Now, I will admit that writing is a reward in and of itself. I love writing, but the day-to-day can be a bit less… Satisfying. For some of us, a reward might be as simple as a gold star in the calendar denoting that it was writing day. Pre-pandemic, when I met with friends to write, it was pleasant because I was with friends in a coffee shop, enjoying the stuff I love, like good coffee with free refills and time with people I enjoy. That was my reward for doing the work. The same can be done over Zoom or Facetime. What can you build into your writing time that acts as a motivator or makes it feel gratifying? What will give you a dopamine hit?
BTW, that question I posted earlier, how much can you write in two minutes, acts as a dopamine hit. If I write a 5-word sentence or a 50-word paragraph in just two minutes, I earned a dopamine hit.
Homework
The homework is easy. Write for 2 minutes a day this week. I’ll do the same. No matter how much you write or how much you have on your plate or even if that’s the only two minutes of your day dedicated to writing, commit to it. Tie it to something you already do. For me, I’ll tie it to going to bed. No one has to tell me to go to bed. I need my sleep, so I do it automatically (hopefully we all do). Before I grab my nighttime reading book, I’ll write for two minutes.
In the comments or chat, let me know how that works for you.
Writing prompt
Once you’ve set your intention, planned and built your habits, and rewarded yourself, it’s time to repeat that process enough times that it becomes rote. Next time, we’ll talk about ways to track habits and avoid taking writing for granted. For now, I leave you with this writing prompt:
For the following, set a timer for fifteen minutes. Do not stop writing, even if you have to write, “I don’t know what to write.” Do not judge or correct what you’re writing. Just write as much as you can. Choose a scene from a current project. Write as much information as you can visualize about the space where the scene takes place. If you don’t have a current scene or setting to brainstorm, use the following image as your setting.
What time of day is it? What do the immediate surroundings look like? What does the character see, hear, or smell in the environment? What do they feel? Is it cold or hot or humid and freezing? What do the sounds remind them of? What are they remembering? What is it that only your character will see or know?
If you’re feeling bold, share the resulting scene or images in the comments.
Cindy Skaggs is a writer, book coach, public speaker, and military veteran who holds an MFA from Pacific Lutheran University and an MA in Creative Writing from Regis University. She is an advocate for military and veteran issues, mom to two humans, and an avid traveler. In 2022, she moved to Ireland to study Irish Literature. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
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