Are you a new writer looking for some great writing advice? Here are some of my favorite writing tips from great writers who are successful at their craft.

1. Create a Writing Routine

Jessica Brody, author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, is a big proponent of writing routines. She actually has an entire course devoted to it on LinkedIn Learning that I absolutely love called Productivity Hacks for Writers.

In it, she talks about creating sacred writing rituals. A routine helps you snap your brain into the state you want it to be in. Some of Brody's rituals include eating the same thing for breakfast each day, always drinking coffee while she writes, always getting dressed in 'real' clothes (a.k.a not her pajamas) before she writes, and having a specific workspace for writing.

Brody states that when she doesn't follow her routine, she notices the difference and her brain struggles to get into the writing zone. But when she does follow her rituals and routine, it's like magic, and her words flow more effortlessly.

A routine for you might be that you write in the same place or at the same time each day. Or perhaps you could start a ritual, like always having your favorite beverage by your side when you start to tap out a story on your keyboard. Experiment with different things to find what works best for you.

2. Prioritize Your Best Hours of the Day

I heard Elizabeth Gilbert talk about this piece of advice on a podcast once. She said something like this:

What are your best hours of the day? These are the hours where you feel the most energetic, the most productive, and the most motivated to get things done.

Now answer this question: What are you currently filling those hours with?

Is it with writing? Or do you fill it with something else? Is there a way you can arrange your schedule so that you are filling your best hours of the day with the thing you want to do most? If so, do it.

My best hours of the day are definitely between 9 am to noon, and I'm very lucky in that I can devote those hours to writing. But for many with full-time 9 to 5 jobs, that may not be possible. I think fitting in writing whenever you can is better than not writing at all, but if you can manage to use your best hours of the day to write, even better!

3. Stay Inspired

By now, most of you are probably aware of Julia Cameron and her best-selling book, The Artist's Way. One of her most well-known practices is The Morning Pages — three pages of handwritten, stream-of-consciousness journaling that clears your mind, gets you ready for the day and helps you get out of a creative funk.

But I want to highlight another lesser-known practice from the book — The Artist's Date. According to Cameron, an artist's date is a once-a-week solo expedition to explore something that interests you. You could go for a walk in the park, go to an art opening, go shopping, hang out at a coffee shop, or do literally anything you want! The most important thing is that you go alone so you have time to witness, observe, think, and be by yourself. It's a way to fill your writing cup, so to speak, and get inspired with new ideas.

I like to take this idea a step further and say that an artist's date could also be any time you devote to learning something new. You might pick up a new book to read, listen to an interesting podcast, watch a documentary, or take an online class. All of these are great ways to learn new things, stay inspired, and get new ideas for something to write about. Continuously reading and learning is a must for all writers!

4. Write Everyday

Ray Bradbury said: " Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed."

I think most writers and authors will give you the same kind of advice: if you want to be a writer, you must write. And you need to be consistent.

While that doesn't necessarily mean you need to publish something every day, you should at least show up to your notebook or laptop and write something every single day. This is how you strengthen your writing muscle, how you build momentum, and how you gain confidence.

We're all likely to have some bad pieces in the beginning, but that's ok. If you continue to show up, practice and work at it, you're bound to get better.

5. Make an Outline

When you have an idea for an article, draft an outline of the main points you want to discuss first. This will not only help you stay organized and focused, but it also prevents you from staring at a blank page and falling prey to writer's block.

Zulie Rane, the queen of Medium, published an article a few days ago about how to write a blog post in an hour. In it, she gives some valuable advice on how to outline and structure your idea before you dive in and start drafting.

Do you have any other great writing tips or advice you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!