5 Habits of a Successful Writer

by DiAnn Mills, @diannmills

Emulating those whose writing careers have soared into bestseller status provides us with amazing role models. We look for a roadmap with precise steps and no detours. But every writer is different, and the destination isn’t always reached the same way.

We can accomplish the same goals as those writers who inspire us. It’s a matter of determining the practices that most fit our personalities. The following is what I feel makes a notable difference in a writer’s career.

5 Habits of a Successful Writer

1. Begin every day with God.
   He knows where we’re supposed to be and how to get there. Fuel your heart and mind with God before engaging in the writing life.


2. Write five days a week.
   Commit to write on a regular basis. Find the time and stick to it. Establish a word count that is attainable. Sometimes a writer needs an accountability partner. If this is you, enlist the help of someone you respect.


3. Read. Read. Read.
   Read the craft books.
   Read a marketing book.
   Read the bestsellers.
   Read in your genre.
   Repeat. 


4. Stay active on social media.
   The appropriate platform is a writer’s main source of marketing, promotion, and branding. Research and develop your social media skills.


5. Be aware of the outside world.
   It’s impossible to write to heartfelt needs if we have no idea what is going on in our community, state, country, and world. Choose awareness. Take a daily detour to the media.

Five simple tasks can make the difference between a ho-hum writer who dabbles and dreams about writing success and a writer who practices the traits of bestselling writers.

Are you fueled up and ready to take the scenic route to publication?

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DEEP EXTRACTIONS
A SUSPICIOUS DEATH, A SECRET PLOT, A BUDDING ROMANCE. A pacemaker should have saved oil and gas magnate Nathan Moore’s life. Instead, it provided his killer with a perfect means of execution. Special Agent Tori Templeton teams up with US Marshall Cole Jeffers to investigate Nathan’s murder and whether it’s connected to a recent bombing at one of Nathan’s oil rigs. The closer they get to finding the killer, and to each other, the more intent someone is in silencing them for good.

DiAnn Mills is an award winning writer who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She currently has more than fifty-five books published. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won placements through the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Carol Awards and Inspirational Reader’s Choice awards. DiAnn won the Christy Award in 2010 and 2011. DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a Craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Find her on the web at www.diannmills.com.