Good Writing Habits?

by Mike Hornyak

            A simple Google search will give you a tidy, manicured list of fantastic sounding writing habits, as well as tips to help establish and nurture them. If possible, you should:

• Create a dedicated writing space — comfortable and free of distractions.
• Set daily or weekly goals for word counts, page counts, or time spent.
• Apply discipline — write regularly, regardless of whether or not you feel inspired.
• Read frequently and diversely to experience different writing styles from different genres. 

Or, do what I do, and do absolutely none of those things.
    Having been asked to write a piece about good writing habits, I realized very quickly that I don’t actually have any. This fact is well illustrated as I sit here, TV on, the day before I said I would have this essay ready, just now beginning to write… about good writing habits.

            To be honest, I tend to write sporadically and go for long periods of time with neither the will nor the interest to create. Inspiration comes in fits and starts, and I don’t even want to talk about discipline.

            As I furiously type away on my lunch break, I’m reminded of my journey from when I was given the deadline to finish my first book until it was actually finished. I can laugh about it now.

            It involved a lot of procrastination, hurried revisions, and a complete and utter lack of inspiration — all during quarantine, so I didn’t even have the excuse of limited free time. I did, however, meet the deadline. Just.

            My second book was a different experience, though I can’t claim it was due to any particular growth on my part. A move to a city closer to work resulted in an interesting change. I found myself in a place that was much closer to an old friend (and fellow writer), and at the same time, another old friend (and fellow writer) moved back into the area.

            Suddenly, we were able to get together and form a little writing group, of sorts — the same little writing group, as it happens, we were part of 20 years ago in high school. Once a week, we could share what we were working on, offer inspiration, and generally support each other. Suddenly, I had accountability.

            As it turns out, that’s what I was missing. While working on that book, the excitement of presenting new writing or even just new ideas to friends who were not only waiting but delighted to help, made all the difference. I’ve always heard that being part of a writing group can be a tremendous benefit, especially to writers who are struggling. I’ve been in a few over the years, and I have to agree, but I found that the real focus should be on the importance of finding the right writing group.

            That being said, I’m a 39 year old man with a full time job and a healthy dose of anxiety, on the heels of living in an age of social isolation. Realistically, even under the best of circumstances, the likelihood of regularly getting together with a group of people physically, even virtually, is a bit thin. I’ve been lucky.

            Not every path to writing wellness looks the same. Not everyone struggling to write has the same resources, much less the same needs. Some people aren’t comfortable in groups, or don’t have a lot of people they trust. Some people lack extra space for a dedicated writing spot, and if you have time to do life and still fit in copious and diversified reading, I am extremely envious.

            Long story short, it’s okay to struggle, just like it’s okay if the recommended list of “good habits”  doesn’t work for you or fit your lifestyle. It’s okay not to be good at being good, or at least I hope so.

            If you have gotten anything about how to establish better writing habits from this, I applaud you. I also hope that you would be so kind as to share them with me, because I have no idea what they are. Possibly, by way of cautionary tale, you may be inspired to create better habits than I have cultivated thus far. Either way, I wish you happy and successful writing.

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Mike is a native of Northwest Ohio, and has been included in several local literary journals. He has published two books of poetry & short fiction – The Dictionary Game: Stare Down the Moon (2020, The Henlo Press) and These Old Familiar Rooms (2025, The Henlo Press). He is also a musician with a focus on piano, voice, and music production. After attending Bowling Green State University, where he majored in Sociology and vocal jazz performance, he moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he currently lives.