The 6 Standout Habits Of 100 Legendary Writers That Guarantee Great Writing

I want to help you get rid of those pesky distractions stopping you from getting started with your writing.

And what better way to dive in than by studying the routines of legendary writers?

I spent hours studying Gary Halbert, Jerry Seinfeld, David Ogilvy, Ernest Hemingway, James Clear, Maya Angelou, and more. They all had their own quirks. But surprisingly, a few things kept showing up time and time again.

The most prolific writers of our time knew one essential thing.

The best writing is not a result, it’s a BYPRODUCT.

These authors didn’t sit down and go from blank page to the next “Great American Novel.”

Instead, they built their daily writing habit into their life. Writing every day was easy for them because of the way they did everything else. Turns out, these systems work.

Let’s dive into 6 habits.

Habit #1: Take long walks

Steve Jobs, Charles Darwin, and Mary Oliver — all “creative walkers.”

Daily walks were the staple of their creative process.

• Thinking
• Listening
• Outlining
• Observing

95% of their writing happened during long walks. They weren’t slaving over a keyboard for dozens of hours wondering if what they had to say would be worth reading. By the time they sat down to type, they knew exactly what to say.

Most of my writing happens when I go for walks. Because when I sit at my desk and try to crank my brain — nothing comes out. It doesn’t work. And if I get writer’s block or I’m just trying to think an article through, I go for a walk. I go for 2 or 3 of them in a day. That’s where all the “writing” happens.

-Morgan Housel, author of “The Psychology Of Money,”

Give it a try.

Stack your walk on the back of something you are already doing. It doesn’t matter when. It could be right after you wake up, just before lunch, or between meetings, just pick a time and go.