Learn from the Greats: 7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
By Leo Babauta
Finding the ideal working habits that will allow me to write as consistently as possible is always something I’m exploring as a writer.
As I’ve said before, I try to make it a habit to write first thing in the morning. It helps me to focus and ensure that I’m getting my writing done.
I love reading about my favorite writers and what writing habits led to their success. Below, I share with you some of my favorite writers’ work habits … and it’s obvious that there’s no single way to success. Some like to write a certain number of words or pages every day, others were happy to write a page or a sentence. Some liked to write long-hand, others did it on index cards. Some wrote standing up, others lying down.
There’s no one way that works. Do what works for you (and share it in the comments!). But maybe you’ll get some inspiration from these greats, as I have.
1. Stephen King. In his book On Writing, King says that he writes 10 pages a day without fail, even on holidays. That’s a lot of writing each day, and it has led to some incredible results: King is one of the most prolific writers of our time.
2. Ernest Hemingway. By contrast with King, “Papa” Hemingway wrote 500 words a day. That’s not bad, though. Hemingway, like me, woke early to write to avoid the heat and to write in peace and quiet. Interestingly, though Hemingway is famous for his alcoholism, he said he never wrote while drunk.
3. Vladimir Nabokov. The author of such great novels as Lolita, Pale Fire and Ada did his writing standing up, and all on index cards. This allowed him to write scenes non-sequentially, as he could re-arrange the cards as he wished. His novel Ada took up more than 2,000 cards.
4. Truman Capote. The author of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In Cold Blood” claimed to be a “completely horizontal author.” He said he had to write lying down, in bed or on a couch, with a cigarette and coffee. The coffee would switch to tea, then sherry, then martinis, as the day wore on. He wrote his first and second drafts in longhand, in pencil. And even his third draft, done on a typewriter, would be done in bed — with the typewriter balanced on his knees.
5. Philip Roth. One of the greatest living American writers, Roth works standing up, pacing around as he thinks. He claimed to walk half a mile for every page he writes. He separates his work life from personal life, and doesn’t write where he lives — he has a studio built away from his house. He works at a lectern that doesn’t face the view of his studio window, to avoid distraction.
6. James Joyce. In the pantheon of great writers of the last century, Joyce looms large. And while more prolific writers set themselves a word or page limit, Joyce prided himself in taking his time with each sentence. A famous story has a friend asking Joyce in the street if he’d had a good day writing. Yes, Joyce replied happily. How much had he written? Three sentences, Joyce told him.
7. Joyce Carol Oates. This extremely prolific writer (see her bibliography on her Wikipedia page!) has won numerous awards, including the National Book Award. She writes in longhand, and while she doesn’t have a formal schedule, she says she prefers to write in the morning, before breakfast. She’s a creative writing professor, and on the days she teaches, she says she writes for an hour or 45 minutes before leaving for her first class. On other days, when the writing is going well, she can work for hours without a break — and has breakfast at 2 or 3 in the afternoon!
What are your writing habits? Share in the comments!
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119 Responses to “Learn from the Greats: 7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers”
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I tend to think for weeks at a time, then write furiously over the course of a week or two, often producing 5000 or even 10,000 words in a week once I get going. It seems my subconscious organizes my ideas and adds to them during the extended period of non-writing, then opens the floodgates all at once when ready.
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My favourite writing advice comes from Elmore Leonard: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite.
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Interesting to read, y’all. As for me, I’m still struggling to get into the habit of writing. Lately I’ve started just writing something in my diary every day, even if it’s just some keywords on what I did that day.
I wrote a few times while being drunk and it struck me how honest and uncomplicated I write in that state of consciousness.
@ Stormy Weather: I’ve tried writing on marijuana too, but most of the time while writing the second half of a sentence I already forgot the first half. In that state of mind inspiration flows in so fast that I can’t stick to one line of thought!
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I only write in a bath tub full of pink jelly.
The tub is attached (with chewing gum and nails clipped from an elephant’s toes) to a coconut.
The act of balancing on this coconut, while typing in a bath full of pink jelly is crucial as it stops me from being required to get a job, ensures my mentally-ill status and thus my disability pension, and, frankly, isn’t bad publicity either (as I do it all balanced on top of a very tall, slightly bent pole which sticks five meters out of my chimney).
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I like to talk and sometimes read about writing rather than actually writing. I don’t really produce much. At all. Kinda a bummer.
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I think King’s more important habit is writing in his living room. If you don’t write full time, it can eat up your family time. He solves this problem by writing in the family room. (Don’t know how he does it, though.)
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Interesting to see how the “famous” authors did it.
I think it is all about habits. Develop habits that put you in the “writing” space.
Jim
http://www.jimestill.com
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I love lessons from masters.
A lesson from Steven Pressfield in the War of Art is … “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”
A common theme among successful writers is they make the time to write.
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Gunter Bubleit Reply:
April 15th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Entirely true! And the best way to sit and stay seated to write is to feel passionately about the reason that you’re doing it. It helps if the reason is more than money.
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Inshar Khan Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:44 am
Dear Mr. Bubleit,
My name is Inshar Khan i was your student in Hillside Senior Public School for the year 2006 – 2007. I was looking for you all over the place. You may not remember me because a teacher like you meets 100 people in a day. But I remember you very clearly sir. You have changed my life and the way i look at music. I was a noisy kid in your class who didn’t care. Now wherever I go I tell your story. Like Tupac Shakur would say “you are the rose that grew from the concrete”. Its because of you I learned the true meaning of hip-hop. The love you have for art was passed on to me and it was growing into a dream or an ambition. Your life experiences have educated me. Your stories about Beat Trader, different occupations, and the rap opera. I truly miss you sir. I still remember the time when you had made a “how to rap group” i was in it. Though it didn’t last long, it still remains in my memories. I need some guidance sir. I told my mother how you were the best teacher I had in my life. You aren’t a teacher…you are a father figure in my life. Hope all is well with you. You might think im crazy, but the day i moved to Ottawa I felt that i should tell you my feelings for you and hip-hop. You are a moving force in my life. I can relate to you in every way. Please add me on Facebook, i sent you a friend request. I need some guidance in my raps/poetry. I know you are a busy man so Im sorry. I just wanted to let you know how you saved my life and inspired me. No other teacher has cried for me. You see the inner potential in people. You are a great man sir. Take care…
Sincerely,
Inshar Khan
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Since the majority of my writing is in script form, it all depends on what sort of deadline I’m working on. Typically though, I will rise early, browse my google reader account over breakfast, shower (must cleanse!) and then away we go. Typically I try to reach a mile marker before I quit for the day.
If I am writing a draft, I will not stop until I reach, say, the end of a particular story beat or act break. If I am rewriting, I will go into the day’s editing with specific goals in mind and will typically not stop until all of the issues have been addressed with at least some degree of fortitude.
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I’ve taken to waking up early as well and writing every morning before the world steals me away from myself. Additionally I scripted up a program that automatically downloads mail for me and indexes the contents based on tags starting with @. This means I can write where I ever I am on my BlackBerry, email it to myself, and everything is ready and easily available next time I’m at my computer.
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I maintain a blog. http://ravimanoram.blogspoot.com
I prefer writing whenever I feel I am in sync with my innner self and something is coming out. No fixed routine, when something wants to come out, it does come out, on its own. Read mu blog and do tell me how u liked it.
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osrry the blog adress didn’t come out correctly.
Its http://ravimanoram.blogspot.com
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Mystery writer P.D. James, once explained that to make room for writing amidst all of her other overwhelming responsibilities at the time (full time job, 2 young children and a husband who returned from the war disabled) she began writing by getting up shortly before 5:00AM to sit at the kitchen table and write for one hour between 5-6:00AM. With this formual, she wrote and published 1 novel every 3-4 years. I find her story inspiring.
Carolyn
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Man, I wish I could write a set number of words/pages a day. I just don’t have the self discipline. I play a lot of solitaire, drink too much coffee, and generally do everything I can to avoid writing until finally it just explodes out of me and I write 10k words in one (exceedingly long) day.
Maybe I should try horizontal writing…
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I write during my lunch break, after I eat. My mind is always going, and I’m usually happy (I mean, it’s lunch time!) so writing is easier for me.
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Nice article here.
But if I were to describe my writing habit it would be nigh time just simply facing the computer.
And take ten to fifteen minutes break after an hour of writing by roaming around the house looking for some sweets or junk foods to eat.
Eric
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The best thing for me is to find a long stretch of time, ie a whole day, because the further into the zone I get, the faster it comes.
Fran
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Well, that tears it. I cannot write until the sun goes down. At all. The first few hours of my day I am practically immobile with lethargy, useless. As the day progresses I flow into a sort of manic creative state and do my best work between 10pm and 11pm, when the night has fully taken over and my writing is not yet “purple”. What is the matter with me? Why must I always be the outcast? Nooooooooooooo.
But seriously, anyone come across writers who are like me in this respect. The aforementioned Bradbury is one who wrote through the evening. Anyone else?
Georges Simenon had a truly brutal schedule of one chapter a day no matter what. And if he got sick for more than a day, he had to throw the novel away. You can read about that in his interview w/ The Paris Review. I am slightly amused that no one will have read this far into my comment, it is simply too long. I should say something horrible or racist or cruel. Maybe another time :)
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Madame Maisonette Reply:
August 8th, 2010 at 6:51 am
George Sand also found her most creative time at night. Despite the drama(s) in her life (Chopin and de Musset had a duel at her property in Nohants, where Delacroix was Chopin’s second, etc.) she always retired to her study at 12 am sharp and didn’t emerge until she was exhausted.
I love to write at night, except that it screws up my entire sleep schedule and in the long run that doesn’t help. I sometimes pick a day or two a week where I’ll allow myself to stay up late if inspiraton strikes. This way I can work during the day the rest of the time without sleeping away my whole day.
Don’t be fooled that having more time will automatically give you more time to write. I’ve taken semi-retirement for two years without any real work and haven’t written more than notes and a few starter chapters. So don’t lose hope. If you want it badly enough, you’ll keep at it.
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That’s funny, I have a very similar writing technique to Philip Roth. I don’t leave my house to write, but I do compose pretty much all my writing while pacing. Half a mile per page probably isn’t far off.
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Who could write while they’re drunk???? Hemingway liked to get shitfaced, that’s why he wrote early in the morning!
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Writing is a habit, and it takes time to develop the habit. I’m a full time writer, so I feel weird when I don’t write – I need my writing fix each day. :-)
Favorite writing tips:
* Focus – learn to develop concentration, without stress. Meditation helps with this;
* Write junk – just give yourself permission to WRITE. Accept whatever comes. You can always fix it, but you can’t fix what you don’t write.
* Blog – blogging will turn writing into a habit. It helps to make writing something that you just do, without thinking about it.
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I write daily, the am is my most fluent, yet on a roll I can lose an entire day captured in something I am trying to develop – evening is great for drafts, a change in environment will sharpen the focus – often i blurb it all out and revisit
I liked reading the different habits of famous writers
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Great site — loads of fabulous information!
My writing habits include writing all day and every day, but of course the time spent in my office is not devoted purely to writing, sometimes it is just the paperwork, like editing and/or sending my work out, which many writers know is very time-consuming.
I am currently updating my high-risk pregnancy book first published in the 1980s so focus is important. I like writing first thing in the morning with 2 shots of espresso and my dog at my side. If I begin my day with a solid two hours of work, I know it will be a good day. This is usually the only time of day I can forgo the computer and sit in my chair and write long-hand drafts in my journal.
Happy words to you and your readers!
Diana
blog: http://www.dianaraab.wordpress.com
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I read with great interest about the ‘learning from the greats’ as someone already pointed out, one thing these greats have in common is that they all just got on with it and did what was required i.e. Write, write and write some more.
From all the books and advice I have read recently the overwhelming message that comes through to me, is that there is no one style which is better, you just have to get writing and through default you will find your own writing style and what ‘habits’ work best for you. : ) The best advice I could give is switch off the TV!! or find an area away from it, if there are other family members and treat your writing seriously and with respect. A book I have just read which give nuggets of good advice with many Author contributions is ‘Wannabe a writer’ by Jane Wendham-Jones. Kind regards Andreabird
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The quip about James Joyce isn’t surprising. In Ulysses, there are two sentences, one 11,281 words long and one 12,931 words long.
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That’s a nice collection. Thank you.
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Yes, writing should be done as oppossed to dreaming about it, talking endlessly how you’re aspiring to become one… write and write till you get it right is the secret notwithstinding that there is no set means of doing it: it indivitualistic at best.
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What are my writing habits?
Uhm.
I google. Then I pace around. Rubbing my nose, intensely. Then I feel.
Finally, I write.
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I am fairly new at the ‘craft’ and was inspired first by reading Kings On Writing. I continue to receive inspiration by other authors and blogs like this one. I too prefer the mornings, and with some discipline have been able to stay on course. thanks
Seize the Day!
Alain
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As for me, I need to write in pencil and paper. On a computer, my writing is just not the same. Now that I do copywriting, literature and journalism, it is quite important to be relaxed as well.
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Thanks for the great ideas. I enjoyed reading the different comments too.
My dad was a writer in India- Narayan Sanyal. He wrote 139 books in his life time . Won several awards and had some of his stories into movies too.
I saw him writing lying on his bed always. He wrote whenever he found time. Once I asked him -where do you find all this time? See my style is more like Charlie Brown’s one.
He replied – just do it…don’t waist time.
I like to write in the morning if my muse shows up. If it’s a good day I might keep going and have my morning tea and breakfast at 2 pm.
But I do have to pray for my muse, I say. Dita.
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Tamara, you should be proud of yourself! I didn’t start writing until my daughter was grown. I teach all day and struggle to write/or deal with writing at night, but do work on the weekends. Just keep at it and do it when you can. Obviously, from all the great writers you can see different approaches. Some only work a few hours a day, and it’s their only job. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? I also wonder when the great writers deal with the promotional aspects of writing, or if they have their agent deal with that. I’m finding that with my first book having been published this fall, I spend some of my writing time dealing with marketing. Interesting post! Thanks.
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Interesting habits. The one that impressed me the most was that Hemingway said he never wrote while he was drunk. Wonder if he was drunk when he died?
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I really enjoyed this post because it highlights one key point: consistency. The best writers all seem to have a daily output goal (more or less). Emphasis on daily. I’d read a few similar articles in the past, and borrowing from some other famous writers this is the plan I developed a few years ago:
(1) Consult my Roadmap from the day before.
(2) Get to the office early and crank out about 250 words before anybody else arrives.
(3) After work I go to a coffee shop and plug in the headphones. I begin the session by going over and editing what I wrote earlier that morning. Then I continue writing for no less than an hour. If I’m in the mood, I’ll shut down the coffee shop and skip my workout that day.
(4) Consult my master outline and draft the next day’s Roadmap. The Roadmap is a treatment of the scenes I plan to write from my master outline. That way I can pick up right where I left off the next day.
As an outline user, this system works for me. However, being an outline user, in between projects I must be adaptable to if and when the creativity comes. I take a month or so in between projects to plan the next. This can be at bars, on the subway, in the airport…
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Hemingway was a stand-up typer. In his preseved Cuban studio, the high table his typewriter sits on has two depressions on the floor in front– evidence how a great man’s steps can leave an impresson on this world.
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I write down whatever thought comes to my mind from anything through out the day.
Morning time is best i vote because dreams can sort reality..(?)
not sure.
thank you for sharing!
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Hemingway never said he didn’t write drunk. He said “Write drunk, Edit Sober.”
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I can’t imagine writing standing up or on note cards. I write best at my kitchen table, although it would be nice to have a shack by a lake when the kids are around. And, for me, morning is the best, since my ideas are flowing and energy is highest, yet it’s not practical for me as I’m home with kids. So, for now, I write when their energy is low and it’s movie time!
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I always have to go somewhere outside the home to write. I’ve tried it in coffee shops because I’ve seen others doing it there, looking fashionable and whatnot, but I always got too distracted by what these others were doing to produce anything substantial of my own, and so I’ve since settled on going to a library and finding a quiet table.
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One of the most valuable pieces of writing advice I was ever given relates to your last example. I was told to understand my own productivity at different times of the day and week and to work with it rather than try to change it. For some reason I write more fluidly in the middle to late afternoons and I’ve learned to try and block some of this time off when I can to allow me to ‘flow’ a bit better.
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