During my writer's block, I spent many hours writing rubbish. But I still sat down and wrote.
On most days, once the children are off to school, I turn the computer on, put on some good music that will set the mood for what I'm supposed to be writing, review my notes from the day before, and start writing.
It's not always the actual stories: I'm quite fond of developing my worlds in details - much of that does not appear in the final story. So I could be writing character sheets, location descriptions, settings, and more story information files that it strictly necessary. If I find I haven't progressed much, I usually stop after 1 hour and read some research material, edit what I've written before, or work on a picture.
The couple of hours I have after lunch are always devoted to writing. Even if I turn out rubbish, I force myself to write. My evenings usually involve more writing, some editing and making a few notes of what I should work on in the morning.

Over the years, I have heard quite a few pieces of advice about good writing habits. Not all of them work for every writers, but I think they are all worth a good try.



Just write!
The most important thing is to actually sit down and write. It doesn't really matter if it's 30 minutes or 5 hours, 500 words or 10 pages worth. Write. And even if you don't feel like it on a particularly bad day, sit down at the appointed time and write - even if it's about why you don't want to write today!

Keep organised
Whether you are working on several pieces at once or just one, keep everything you need together. Research, notes, ideas that were jotted down quickly... If it's written down, keep them in one file on your desk. If it's on your computer, keep them in one folder on your desktop.

Keep a notebook with you at all times
Inspiration can strike at any time. For this reason, it's a good idea to have a small notebook with you at all times. A reporter's notebook can do the trick but if you have space in your bag, an A5 wiro-bound pad with a hard cover is really perfection I think: it's not too big or too small, and the cover will provide support when you write.

Set your goals wisely and keep them
Make a small list of things you will do for the day, or the week, and you can tick off each one of them with satisfaction. Don't decide to 'write more'. Decide to write 100 words each day. Or 500 if you know you can do it. Plan to write two scenes out of your novel during your writing sessions for the week. If you keep your goals small and achievable, you will soon see you can achieve more than you thought.

Keep a writing diary
At the end of the day, go through what you have written and note your word count and what the piece was. This little habit will help you to keep going as you see the number of words you have written grow each day.

Don't procrastinate
Reading emails, surfing the web, watching TV, catching up on reading your favourite blogs... All this should not be done during your writing time. Do it later!

Don't isolate yourself
Most of us writers are naturally solitary beasts. But you don't write in total isolation from the others in your craft. Join in the forums, or find a writing group local to you. You will be with like-minded people and probably will receive invaluable feedback.

Find editing time
Forget what you think. Although somewhat related, editing is different from writing. As such, editing should have its own time allotment in your schedule. You don't need to worry about it too much at first. But once you reach a certain milestone, revising your work becomes necessary. Never edit when you should be writing. And never edit at the same time as you're writing. This is a bad habit that might never leave you.

Reward yourself
You've achieve all your goals for the day or the week? Get yourself something nice. A new book, a few hours on your computer doing nothing but playing, a new fountain pen, a big piece of chocolate cake, a new pair of shoes... Anything that will say: I've worked hard, now enjoy!