4 Bad Writing Habits That You Should Break
By: Flynn Hannan
Tags: Writer, Writers On Medium, Writing, Writing Life, Writers Life

4 Bad Writing Habits That You Should Break Flynn Hannan Follow Sep 6 · 4 min read

When it comes to being a productive writer, it is important that you stay busy and work as hard as possible. However, in the course of the writing process, there is a chance that you’ll develop habits that will prevent you from achieving your true potential as a writer. As a precaution, you should identify these bad habits and break them as early as possible. Here are some bad writing habits, and how to break them.

1. Not doing enough research

If you are going to do any kind of writing project, it is important that you do as much research as possible. Remember that your content will be under the constant scrutiny of your readers. If your content lacks references or has various mistakes, then your readers might call you out on it.

The answer to this bad habit is very straightforward. All you really need to do, is to conduct as much research on the topic you are writing about. Double check every lead, and reference. It is also a good idea to use various sources for your writing. This might seem like a lot of work, but it is better to put in the work now, than to redo an entire book, because one of your sources are wrong.

2. Being too picky with writing conditions

When it comes to writing, you should be as flexible as possible. Scheduling your writing sessions could be difficult because you have other responsibilities. This is a pitfall that many authors fall for. They are too picky with the writing conditions, and won’t write until the conditions are perfect. However, if you follow this philosophy, there is a chance that you won’t be able to start writing at all. You might end up putting off your writing sessions, and lose interest in the long run.

If you want to break this habit, you should accept that there will never be truly perfect writing conditions. There will always be an outside factor that you can’t control. What’s important is that you adapt to these conditions, and get started on your work.

3. Rushing into the writing process

Although you should not be too picky with your writing conditions, this does not mean that you should rush the writing process either. Remember that writing a book, an article, a thesis, or any type of writing project takes time. If you just rush into the process without any preparation, you will find yourself floundering.

Breaking this habit is fairly easy. While it is a good thing to be enthusiastic about the writing process, it won’t do you any good if you rush the process. This will have you committing a lot of mistakes, and it will slow down the whole process. Before you start on the writing process, it is important that you create an outline for your work. Plan out every aspect of it, and follow it to the letter. By doing so, you will have a set game plan throughout the writing process.

4. Doing too many writing projects

While it is tempting to be as multifaceted a writer as possible, it is not a good idea to take up to many writing projects. If you do too many writing projects, you might stretch yourself too thin. This is a bad habit that many writers fall for. They feel that they could do it all. Write a novel? Sure! Write a thousand word essay? No problem. Write an article for a blog? It is as good as done. Little do they know the strain that taking these many projects could do to them.

If you want to break this habit, it is important that you prioritize what really matters. Take a mental note of your projects. Which ones do you really consider important, and which ones are just there to add to your body of work? Focus on the ones that matter, and let go of the projects that are not as important to you. When it comes to being a truly effective writer, it is better to focus on just one project, than to half-heartedly work on multiple ones. By doing so, you will be able to fully focus on your work.

Conclusion

If you want to be a productive writer, it is important that you make writing a habit. However, there will be times where you will develop habits that will slow down your writing progress. With this article, you’ll identify bad writing habits, and how to break them.

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