5 Habits That Changed My Writing Life
Have you ever thought of being a 1-percenter?
Fellow writer,
I used to think of the 1-percenter as a motorcycle club thing (just goes to show you who I roll with 🤣 — in my experience, most are great people).
A 1-percenter in this case is someone who does what they say they’re going to do — like, ahem … write a book.
In my 20-something years of professional life and a decade in business, there's ONE clear marker for real success that I see in all my clients who finish their writing projects.
And no, it’s not:
An extraordinary idea…
4 am alarm clocks…
Logging more hours… 🫣 (please, God, no!)
The ONE thing is so simple that it's actually pretty boring.
It’s your habits.
Specifically, the small ones that you repeat day after day. They add up!
Habits are one of the ONLY things that can make your writing success more predictable.
Here are 5 habits that changed my writing life.
I’ve seen the most successful writers I know do these things, so I do them too. Maybe they'll change yours too?
HABIT #1 - They put in the reps.
You've gotta put in the reps — aka - WRITE! The daily gym sesh is the same. It's uncomfortable at first, but after a while you look down at your bicep and think "Damn, it's huge!" 💪
HABIT #2 - They put their body, mind, AND SOUL first
Sleeping enough, eating well, and having a regular spiritual practice. Writing isn't something that happens in a vacuum. You're co-creating with God. And your God-given body and brains. Look after the whole package, and the package will help with the prose.
Go to bed on time and get up when no one will bug you. Then, use that time to WRITE.
Eat plants and skip the processed crap. Use that energy to WRITE.
HABIT #3 - Take action. Think later.
Great idea? Start writing. They don't ask 897 of their friends or randos on the internet if their latest book topic is a smart idea. They start writing. The rest becomes clear ONLY when they start.
HABIT #4 - Read
Writers read. They read to learn, expand, and improve. Oh, and they read more books than Instagram captions 😉
HABIT #5 - Write without editing.
This one feels like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand at first (give that a whirl too!) When you write… WRITE. No editing. Treat editing a different task. Writing is like the dental floss, and editing is the brushing. 🦷 Lots of dental analogies today — I just got back from a visit with my daughter. She had some baby teeth that needed pulled. And I get queasy. The last time one of my kids had teeth pulled, the dentist had to walk me home (we lived in the city). Super embarrassing 🫣
I digress. If you’re reading this…
…You’re a unicorn.
You’re not here to blame the world for why you haven't written your book yet — you’re a writer.
You don’t waste time asking, “Why haven't I done it yet?”
You ask, “What can I do?”
You want to know what you can do right now? Focus on what you control:
Your energy
Your focus
Your habits
A book doesn't write itself overnight (though I have written some good shit while I sleep). Writing your book is the result of tiny, consistent actions compounded over time.
Write the book.
We’re built differently. We're the 1% who writes the books we say we're gonna write.
So let's act like it — every dang day.
If you haven't taken one action yet — sign up for my free masterclass happening on Thursday — How to Write Your Nonfiction Book in 2025 (even if you’re busy).
💜 Jacqueline
