For some writers, writing feels like having homework every day for the rest of their lives. Writing becomes a drag when you feel that you have to and not because you want to, and this doesn’t have to be the case. Developing good writing habits can do more for the writer instead of just hunching over a desk and typing away his thoughts or writing them down on paper.

Writing as a craft presents the writer with challenges, and when the writer finds these challenges intimidating, he either steps back or does hack work. When you face the challenges of the writing craft, you develop a profound understanding of how to improve your writing skill and develop good style. This insight comes to you like an epiphany and you will consciously apply it whenever you sit down to write. This realization of improving yourself becomes an automatic part of your daily writing. You look at your work with a critical eye, and you focus on ways to improve areas that require attention. In the process, you will realize that the more you learn, the more you need to continuously improve, because you begin to believe that you are only as good as your previous work. You become a student of the craft for as long as you write.

Think of the good writing habit you develop as a body part—you know that it’s there, but you don’t think of it consciously when you use it. You don’t ask your feet to take you to a bookstore because you want to buy the latest installment of that YA series you are reading. You just walk to the bookstore. The only time that you think of using your feet for the task of walking is when you are suffering from a painful foot disease, had an accident, or physically-challenged. These are the times when you cannot walk or walking may be difficult.

Similarly, a writer becomes conscious of his writing skill when he knows that writing is becoming burdensome for him—when the techniques he uses no longer work. When the manner in which he expresses ideas on paper sounds inadequate because something is missing. Then he starts to question his competence. He doubts himself and considers taking a different career path.

A writer who is serious or one who has invested time in his writing craft will not ignore the pain that besets his writing. In most cases, the writer addresses the problem and finds a solution to alleviate the hurt, much like a person with gangrene would go to the doctor for medical attention. The writer will not allow ignorance of his craft to debilitate him.

The ability to leave an impact by using your words is a gift. This gift must be cultivated by dipping into that part of your craft that you need to bring to your attention. By cultivating good writing habits, you develop the love of learning more for the sake of continuous improvement.