In 1989 the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey was published. I am using the idea to apply it to writers. Hence the title, “7 Habits of Effective Writers.”
The best place to start is at the beginning.
Habit One
Start. You have to put your behind in a seat and begin to write.
Habit Two
Be consistent. I am not saying do it every day. I am saying write on a regular basis.
Habit Three
Have a positive outlook. Walt Disney was credited with saying, “Think you can think you can’t, either way, you are right.” You need to believe you can and do the work.
Habit Four
Be committed for the long haul. It takes some time to write a story. One book wonders are the exception, not the rule. You can make a living as a writer, but it takes time and hard work.
Habit Five
Be willing to pay the price. You pay the price in time, money and effort you spend investing in yourself.
Habit Six
Never stop learning. You learn by attending conferences. You learn by reading books on the craft of writing. You learn by listening to podcasts and reading blogs. You learn by writing. You learn from your editor. You learn by reading books in the genre you write. An editor you ask. Yes, if traditionally published your encounter editors. If self-published you need to invest in professional editing.
Habit Seven
Have perspective. You attitude is a key as I mentioned earlier. It’s okay to begin where you are and improve over time. If you are like me you write because you must write. You may need to do an attitude check if you want to have written, just sign autographs, and be adored by fans. I’m not saying that won’t happen. I am saying it is unlikely.
Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories, Beyond Imagination, Poetry & Prose Magazine, and vox poetica. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. He is a former Captain in the US Army. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. You can learn more about him at Kepler’s Coffee House.
