One of my goals for 2023 is to research the writing habits of other authors. I find this immensely interesting! So many authors adopt specific routines and ideals to make their space, time, or mind ready for writing. Some of these habits bring comfort, while others are used to flip a “readiness” switch in their brain. Hopefully, there are a few helpful techniques I can use.

I am beginning with an easy one for me. I read a lot of Stephen King books growing up, so it seemed natural to turn to his book On Writing when I started researching the craft of writing. A few years ago, I made a post about this that was full of personal revelations. King’s book held so many great writing tips and his journey of becoming the writer he is today.

Here are a few interesting things I picked up from Stephen King’s book:

• Writes 2,000 words per day
• Edits as he goes along
• Always writes at his desk, in his office
• Uses a strict schedule and routine to prepare his mind for writing
• He is a morning writer – while he can write any time of the day, morning seems to be best

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft