Months 5&6: Developing the Habit of Writing

This is a task I didn’t have in the original framework of One Year of Writing and Healing, but as I’ve been working on revision I’ve come to think it’s important—finding ways to grow the habit of writing and make it part of one’s practice. Thus, I’ve given this its own room—and not just one month but two months in the scheme of the year.

There are 3-4 books in particular that have been enormously helpful to me in growing my own habit of writing:

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Writing without Teachers and Writing with Power by Peter Elbow

You may also find it useful to use writing prompts to grow the habit.

You can find all the writing prompts from this site here.

And you can find the new writing prompts I’m posting at Twitter here.

I’ve also included here below what is perhaps the easiest writing prompt with which to begin.

Writing and Healing Idea #4: The Easiest Writing and Healing Exercise Ever

Take a moment before going to bed. One minute or three minutes—five at the most. Make a cup of tea if you like. Then open a notebook. And write a single word that describes the day. Just one word. An adjective perhaps: LOUSY. SWEET. DIFFICULT. A noun that could describe a moment from the day: PURPLE CROCUS. PANCAKES. NEW SHOES. A verb: SWIMMING. HURTING. RUNNING. Any word at all. Or, if you are too tired to write that word, write down, simply, I am too tired to write tonight....