Six Unique Habits that You Will Develop as a Writer

If you are an aspiring writer, you already know what a unique breed you are. Now, this is also the perfect reason why writers stick together – they have a union for this very reason. They know that they are different from the rest.

Now, before you jump into the list of unique habits that sets writers apart from the rest, you should know that there might be a few things that you disagree with – especially when you are new to the craft and haven’t been down the rabbit hole yet.

But – at least you will know where you are headed to.

Mediocre Hygiene

Yes – you read this right. Now,  mediocre hygiene doesn’t mean that you don’t shower for days – but – you might forget to shower when you start the self-editing process, which is one of the most frightening and gruesome parts of writing and publishing a book.

We know what you are thinking – you are probably thinking that you don’t need to self-edit your book because you can hire the best book editors who will be glad you asked them to do the needful. We have a not-so-good surprise for you – all writers – no matter whether they are just starting or best-sellers – all writers self-edit their drafts before sending them to editors.

If you send out your rough draft to an editor without self-editing, you will only be wasting your money and time.

Speaking of hygiene, when it comes to hygiene maintenance, and you are working in the middle of your draft, hygiene sort of becomes optional, including showering, applying deodorant, etc.

Starvation is the Norm

Once you are thick in the woods of writing – starvation might become the new norm for you. Starvation can become an intentional part of your life. Believe us when we tell you that it can happen to the best of us. Maybe this is why you should take some time on the weekends and prepare some healthy snacks that you can munch on when you feel a rumble in your stomach while in the middle of the writing process.

This is what will typically happen to you: you will get into a state of flow where you will get consumed with writing. Only when you have completed the chapter do you look up to find that it is already six o’clock in the evening. And what have you eaten, meanwhile? Nothing at all.

The outcome is that you might binge on whatever you can find in the kitchen because if you don’t eat something instantly – you will probably die.

Nocturnal Lifestyle

Somewhere along the writing process, especially if this is the first book that you are working on – you might develop a nocturnal lifestyle –without you noticing at first. And until you realize what has happened – it might be too late to mend your ways and maintain better habits.

You might realize after a few weeks have passed how you have gone to bed at four in the morning. Of course, your first instinct will be to get back into a normal pattern where you sleep early and wake up early – but – it isn’t worth trying. The reason is that, like most writers, you get all of your best writing mojos at night.

Why, you might ask? You might ask any other writer but even they won’t know a sure answer to this. However, there is a whole lot of scientific research that suggests that more intelligent and creative people go to bed later than less intelligent and creative people. So, there is a great chance that your creative juices flow the best at night.

Coffee is Your Go-To Drink

At the start of your writing project, you might not have formed a strong relationship with coffee – but – as soon as you sink further into the world of writing, you can expect to develop an unhealthy relationship with coffee.

Believe us when we tell you that if you were not a coffee-lover before, sooner or later, coffee will turn into your go-to drink. In fact, you will start viewing it as an elixir or the beverage of Gods because it will be the only thing that will help you finish that book.

You might not even be a huge fan of coffee – but you will still depend on it. Coffee will become that type of friend whom you don’t like much, but you still keep them around as they serve you a purpose that no other friend does. You might want to think about coffee in a similar context.

Hyper Sensitivity

Now, another unique habit that you are more likely to develop as a writer is the habit of being hyper-emotional about fictional situations that you created yourself. You might be laughing at this point – if you are a newbie writer. But – believe us when we tell you that sooner or later – your mood will fully depend on the plot story that you are crafting.

You will feel the pain and ordeals of your characters. Also, once you are in a state of flow and life happens and you miss out on your writing days, your mood will be affected by missed writing days, too. And when you are writing, your story will have a direct effect on your mood.

Perhaps you just killed dozens of your characters because the villain went on a killing spree. Despite the fact that you are writing fiction, it can still send your mind into depression. You can be super agitated by the fictional murders.

You Don’t Have Time

Lastly, once you are in the zone and in the perfect flow where you are taking your writing more seriously than anything else – you can expect to feel genuinely upset when people ask you to spend time with them. Any social gathering that is getting in the way of your planned writing will be a source of emotional pain to you.

However, it is important to mention here that staying connected with your loved ones is incredibly important. The same goes for leaving your house, which is why you should try to schedule some quality time with your loved ones – every now and then.