by Ruth Belena

Created on: July 21, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

The main requirement for being an effective writer is to develop a habit of writing regularly, every day if possible. Many writers employ this habit from an early age, or start from the day they decide to be a writer. Writers who employ the best writing habits should avoid bad habits that could have an adverse affect, and focus on good habits employed by effective writers.

* The habit of reading

Reading what other people write is an essential habit for any writer. Regular reading is really valuable for increasing vocabulary and for becoming better informed.

Reading helps writers to improve their own work. When a writer reads something of poor quality, that writer can learn to avoid making similar errors.

Writers are often inspired to write by reading the works of great authors.

* The habit of listening

Listening to conversation can be a great source of inspiration and making a habit of listening can help a fiction writer to compose more natural and realistic dialogue.

Hearing how people communicate verbally can help an attentive writer to be more effective in reproducing accents and to write dialogue that emulates the way different types of people express themselves.

Listening to what people are talking about is valuable to writers of non-fiction. They can identify popular topics and attitudes. This allows them to write articles with popular appeal, or to gain attention by being deliberately controversial.

* The habit of observing

Social observation helps writers to notice mannerisms and watch how people behave. Writing effective fiction requires an ability to create believable characters, who will react and interact realistically. Observing people is highly rewarding for writers who want to write effectively about human psychology and social interaction.

The habit of observation is valuable to any writer. Fiction involves writing good narrative depictions of people and detailed descriptions of places, real or imaginary. Non-fiction writers can effectively use observational details to illustrate a point, or when writing reviews.

* Bad writing habits to be avoided

Some people only dream of being a writer, but effective writers are too busy writing, and the habit of dreaming is not for them.

Effective writers accept constructive criticism and are not offended by rejection. They do not have the habit of thinking everything they write is perfect. Revising and reworking allows writers to improve their skills, and makes their writing more acceptable to publishers.

An aspiring writer should employ the habits of reading, listening, observing, being a busy writer and striving for improvement. Taking a positive approach to effective writing is the basis of developing good habits. Writing daily, or writing at every opportunity, is the best habit employed by effective writers.

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