Writing Tips
Your Writers’ Hour Starts Now and How to Keep It Going
The key drivers for improving at any skill, forming a strong habit, and the place to find them all
I always wanted to start writing.
Now that I am on Medium for almost a year I think it was time to start getting serious.
But how do you start with something new, without having any routine or workflow?
Well… I‘ve got a pretty awesome thing for you:
— from the London Writers’ Salon
What is The Writers’ Hour?
It is a virtual meeting of like-minded people that want to focus on one thing for, you can probably guess, one hour. There are four Zoom sessions each day. You log in to the call and get greeted by hundreds of friendly faces that are there to get their work done.
You can write, code, read or do anything really, as long as you try to stay focused for 50 minutes.
In the beginning, the wonderful moderators do a little introduction and read an inspiring quote. Then you set your intention and start working on it in silence.
In the end, everyone has the opportunity to share how the hour has been for them.
And don’t be scared you can check it out without talking or video on.
I am writing this article during one of the sessions. I started with the London Session at 8 am BST and enjoyed it so much that I also joined the New York and the Los Angeles sessions.
Immediately, I could experience the positive effect it had on my writing and I will tell you why it works next.
Why it will improve your skill
1. We are Social Creatures
At Writers’ Hour, you are joined by like-minded people with the same interests. This kind of environment is what boosts creativity and feeling comfortable in what you're doing.
Seeing other’s work also helps with holding yourself accountable.
And it is just lovely to not feel alone in these times. Especially if you don’t have friends that are into writing or whatever skill you want to practice.
Check out my short article on this subject:
2. The Power of Habits
Simply put if you start to join a session each day this thing will soon become a habit, which makes progressing in your skill a lot faster.
Today I felt like writing for an hour and started up the Zoom call for the Writers’ Hour. Only after a few minutes, I realized that it was a Saturday. (psst… afterward I found out that there is also a call for the weekends: https://weekendmorningwriters.wordpress.com/)
This is the power of combining accountability and a fixed time frame when learning a new skill. You start to incorporate it into your day, and soon you can’t go without it.
3. Challenge and Motivation
For me, it is both challenging and motivating writing during the Writers’ Hour.
As I am just starting out, it is often a struggle to do it for a whole hour. But hearing about the projects of the others helps me stay motivated.
Another point is that humans sadly always compare themselves. And it can get hard when you read a lot of good work from writers here on Medium or other sites.
The difference with the Writers’ Hour is that everyone stays real and also shares if the day wasn’t very productive. This is very comforting especially at the start of a new hobby.
Lastly, you can learn from experienced writers when they share some of their tips and tricks.
Conclusion:
All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
There really are no shortcuts! To improve at something you have to start doing it and you have to put in the work! And believe me…getting started is always the hardest part. Finding answers for these points: Social Environment, Challenge, Motivation, and Habit will help you to get the ball rolling and to keep it rolling.
One answer for me is The Writers’ Hour. I really recommend checking it out, so you can experience the benefits yourself.
Thanks for reading, follow me for more interesting articles and I wish you happy writing!
Actions to take from this article:
1. Join the next Session of The Writers’ Hour!
2. Do step 1
