How to build a writing habit that sticks

An insight into my writing routines

Hello, I’m Molly and I write about my slow and simple life in the Scottish Highlands. Subscribe for free to enjoy occasional posts from me. Or, better yet, join our slow community of kindred spirits to unlock ALL my content, including exclusive writing, videos and resources, to help you live the life you REALLY crave. We’d love you to join us for a cuppa…

Writing is something I’ve wanted to do all my life. Yet, for years, I couldn’t make this habit stick.

I had all the usual excuses. I didn’t have time. I had nothing to write about. I wasn’t talented enough.

I’d started countless diaries, set up aesthetic journals or fancy blogs that I’d abandon after a few weeks.

The turning point came in April 2020, when lock down had the country in its grasp. This was when I shared my first blog and my business Hippy Highland Living was born.

Although I’ve had some ups and downs, since this point I’ve managed to build a habit that has made writing far more accessible and enjoyable.

This habit has also meant I’ve been able to build an audience here on Substack and, since launching my membership in January, this has become one of my primary income streams for my business.

Whether you want to write as a hobby or as part of your career, I thought I’d share my learning today to help you get those words flowing.

Set your goals

Its important to know why you want to write. Is this a personal project? Somewhere you can practise creativity or improve self-awareness? Or do you want to share your writing and have specific career goals? Perhaps its a mix of all these goals and these reasons may change over time, which is totally ok!

Remember, habits are much more likely to stick if you understand your motivation.

Organise your ideas

Once you know why you are writing, its time to figure out what you want to write about.

If you are a newbie, or are struggling with writer’s block, then I’ve previously shared tips on how to generate ideas HERE that can help you get some inspiration.

You want to make your writing as simple as possible, so I recommend finding an organisational system that works for you so you can easily pluck and run with an idea, rather than getting stuck on what to write about.

If you are planning to share your work, then a content calendar can work well. I use Notion to create mine, as it allows me to set up a publishing schedule and visualise all my content in one place.

I sell a writing planner Notion template on my Etsy store, which I’ve designed with bloggers in mind, that means you can create your own content calendar (and much more besides) even if you’ve never used Notion before.

Its what I use myself and you can check it out HERE.

Example screenshots from my blogger Notion planner template

When it comes to deciding on a publishing schedule, I’d always suggest starting small and being realistic. If you can only really commit to one or two articles a month, that’s totally fine. You can always build up from there, but avoid putting undue pressure on yourself that can put you off writing entirely!

Establish routines

Prioritise your practise

The fact is, if you don’t take your writing seriously, no one else will.

That’s why its important to schedule in time to write regularly and stick to it.

Ideally, this would be the same time each day, as its easier to build a habit this way. However, in my experience, the most important thing is to remain flexible.

Allow yourself to respond to whatever life throws at you. This might mean you have to write at a different time, on a different medium (e.g., journal rather than digital) or for less time. That’s all part of it.

Its also useful to consider when you feel most creative. I’ve found that, especially as lots of my writing centres around nature, I feel most inspired after my morning walk with Skye. This is part of my nature diary practise, which you can learn more about HERE.

Create a writing nook

Finding the right space to work can make a world of difference when it comes to motivating yourself to write.

This doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds. Your nook doesn’t have to be Insta-worthy aesthetic. It just has to be functional and allows you some quiet time to focus.

You can also have more than one nook. Although I live in a Tiny Home, I have various places I like to write depending on my mood. This can include my desk, the sofa, out in the garden or, probably my favourite spot, in bed snuggled in my favourite cosy blanket.

Make writing fun

Your practise shouldn’t feel like something else to check off your to-do list. It should be enjoyable. Something that is just for you.

This doesn’t mean you have to love every second of writing, but you can put a few things in place to ramp up the enjoyment if you find yourself in a slump.

This can include treating yourself to a new writing pen or scented candle to put in your writing nook. Or getting out of the house to write in your favourite café. Maybe changing into clothes that make you feel motivated, even if that is your most comfortable sweats!

I’m a big fan of romanticising my life wherever possible and my writing practise is no exception!

Prompt your creativity

Sometimes, even though I’ve set aside time specifically to write, and know exactly what I’m going to write about, I just can’t seem to get in the right headspace and lack focus or motivation.

When this happens, there are a few rituals that I like to complete to get the words flowing.

I always keep a scented candle on my desk that I like to light to set the perfect cosy mood. My current favourite is Vintage Books from a local Highland maker. Book candles are ideal!

Another essential for me is music. I’ve found that the key to this is choosing music that makes me feel inspired but doesn’t distract or overwhelm e.g., I can’t listen to Taylor Swift without singing along! I generally listen to classical music, with dark academia inspired playlists on YouTube being a go to for me e.g., I love The Dreamer’s playlists, especially this one.

Reading other words can help unlock my own, so I often read a couple of pages from a book, a poem, or short story, which is especially useful if they are covering similar themes e.g., I find reading nature memoirs very inspiring. I just have to make sure its something I can put down so I don’t get too distracted!

Finally, I’m a big fan of writing prompts. Even if these aren’t related to what I’m intending to write about, I find scribbling a few sentences with no pressure gets over the hurdle of writing and reminds me how much I love it.

My final tip, like any new habit or venture, is to be kind to yourself.

I have a history of being hard on myself. My inner perfectionist cannot tolerate ‘failure’. But I’ve learnt that, rather than punishing myself for having a few days, or weeks, off from writing, its far more productive to just let it be, and know that I will always come back to it eventually.

More resources

If you are interested in learning more about building a writing habit, I highly recommend the Skillshare class - The writer’s toolkit: 6 steps to a successful writing habit taught by the author Simon Van Booy. You can get a 30 day free trial of Skillshare by using this link.

Other posts by me

How to write a blog people will read

How I became a Substack bestseller in under a month

What I’ve learnt from my first year on Substack

Thank you so much for reading and please do share your own writing tips in the comments!

Molly xx