No one can deny that Ernest Hemingway was one of America’s most iconic authors of the 20th century. He was as renowned for his writing habits as he was for his literary genius. His works, such as For Whom the Bells Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises are marked by their concise, powerful prose. But what were his writing habits and what can we take away from them to help improve our own habits?

A Strict Routine
Hemingway believed in the power of routine. He usually began his writing day around 6 a.m. Getting an early start allowed him to work in the quietest part of the day, free from distractions. He often wrote until noon, or sometimes earlier if he felt he had accomplished enough. This rigorous schedule helped him maintain a consistent output without burning out.
In his own words, Hemingway emphasized the importance of stopping when the writing was going well. This strategy, he believed, made it easier to pick up where he left off the next day. "The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day...you will never be stuck."

Setting Word Count Goals
Hemingway set himself a daily word count goal, typically aiming for 500 to 1,000 words. This target was ambitious yet achievable, ensuring steady progress on his manuscripts. He recorded his daily word counts on a chart to keep himself accountable and motivated.

The Importance of Editing
Known for his often described economical style, Hemingway was a relentless editor of his own work. He famously declared, "The first draft of anything is shit," reflecting his belief in the necessity of thorough revision. Hemingway's editing process often involved multiple rewrites, with each draft being pared down to its essential elements. His goal was to achieve clarity and precision, stripping away any superfluous language.

Writing Standing Up
Hemingway preferred to write standing up, a habit he developed due to a knee injury. He arranged his writing space to accommodate this preference, with a typewriter positioned on a high shelf. This setup not only alleviated physical discomfort but also kept him alert and focused.

Control Your Environment
Hemingway’s writing environment was carefully curated to minimize distractions. He often wrote in isolation, whether in his homes in Key West, Cuba, or Idaho, or during his travels. He believed in the importance of a quiet, dedicated workspace, where he could immerse himself fully in his writing.
His experiences and surroundings deeply influenced his work. Hemingway drew extensively from his own life, infusing his fiction with his adventures as a journalist, soldier, and sportsman. The authenticity of his settings and characters often stemmed from his firsthand experiences, whether it was the bullfights in Spain, the fishing expeditions in Cuba, or the battlefields of World War I and II.

Mental Preparation and Discipline
Hemingway insisted on putting great emphasis on mental preparation. He approached writing with the discipline of an athlete, believing that mental readiness was crucial for creative work. He often spent the last moments before falling asleep thinking about his work in progress, allowing his subconscious mind to work on the story overnight. This practice helped him wake up ready to write, with ideas and scenes already formed in his mind.

His Unique Minimalist Style
Central to Hemingway’s writing habits was his commitment to a minimalist style. Influenced by his background in journalism, he favored short sentences and direct language. This “iceberg theory” of writing, where the deeper meaning is implied rather than overtly stated, became a hallmark of his work. You can see it throughout all of his work. Hemingway’s focus on brevity and subtext required meticulous attention to each word and sentence. Every element of his writing served a purpose.

*Ernest Hemingway’s writing habits were characterized by a disciplined routine, clear goals, and a relentless pursuit of simplicity and precision. His methods, from his early morning writing sessions to his editing process, shaped his literary style and contributed to his success. By studying Hemingway’s approach to the craft, writers can understand valuable lessons on the importance of routine, discipline, and the art of revision.

​Think about your current work in progress, or your last book or story if you’re in between projects. What was the setting of your story? Your book or story might have several settings. To be clear, by setting let’s consider the standard definition. Setting is the time and place where your story happens. The setting you choose for your story is a vital element. You might be writing across more than one time or place but you can’t tell a story without a setting.

There are different ways to lay out the setting of your story. You can write it in a descriptive form or you can let the characters unveil the setting through their dialogue. With dialogue you don’t have to be too descriptive or detailed. You can let a conversation flow between characters exposing just enough to let the reader use their powerful imagination.

For example, you don’t have to give the exact time, weather report, or location when you use dialogue. “It’s a hot one out tonight, isn’t it Margaret? How about a cold beer for me and my friend?” Maybe something simple like this paints the picture better than a long description: Sweat began to moisten the collar of her t-shirt. She ducked into the Red Pony Saloon for a quick meal and stiff drink. It beat sitting at home tonight. At least their air conditioning worked!

Some writers prefer the long description of setting to supplement the dialogue. Stephen King is well known for his long descriptions. Precise description is found in some of the greatest poetry. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a perfect example. The great thing about the element of setting is that in great fiction it can actually take a deeper meaning. If you watch some classic movies you’ll find that setting can also be a metaphor for the times in which they lived. In literature you’ll see a perfect example of that in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row.

How do you best use the vital element of setting in your writing? Have you used it as a metaphor in your own work? It’s worth deep consideration in order to learn more and improve at the craft of writing. In great fiction, the setting can make all the difference. 

Photo via Pexels

 
A Writer's Guide to Building an Audience
 
If you're a writer, the key to your long-term success is finding your audience. The first step in finding your readers is getting your work out into the world. The good news is that modern technologies like the internet make it easier than ever to publicize your writing and nurture a following. Today, Josie Holfman of 4 Day Work Week outlines some steps for getting your work out there and for nurturing a connection with your readers once you find them.
 
Create a comfortable space where you can write in peace 
Before you can share your writing, you've got to get words down on the page. Having a quiet place where you can write at home will help your productivity. Invest in a good desk, ergonomic furniture, and add good lighting and a few houseplants. Make sure to keep a record of any structural updates you make, such as adding a skylight or changing the windows. These renovations increase home value, which is important to advertise if you later sell the property.
 
Save money on your promotional efforts by setting yourself up as a business 
When you take steps like renovating your house, you're going to spend some money. Ideally, you will be able to write off these expenses as tax deductions. One thing you can do to make this easier is to set yourself up as a business. Register a legal entity, like a limited liability company (LLC) to manage your writing work. Shopify explains that this model offers

ownership and management flexibility, and can also help streamline important paperwork, like your tax filing.
 
Set up a website to draw in readers 
A writer website is the easiest way to showcase your writing and credentials. IngramSpark has a guide to what you should include, such as your author bio, books, blog, and mailing list sign-up. You can gather email addresses to create your own newsletter and then email your followers whenever you have new work to publish. A blog is also a helpful addition, as it will help your website get found by search engines, increasing visibility.
 
Use social media to reach new people 
Once you have your website set up, create social media accounts that you can use to push people back to your website. Use eye-catching infographics to spruce up the look of both your social pages and your online platform. Instead of hiring an expensive graphic designer, make your own graphics with the help of an infographic maker. Take these free templates and customize the colors, background, text, and other design elements.
 
Check out online platforms and literary magazines to share your work 
There are many online communities that invite writers to share their work. This can be useful in a few ways. First, you can share works in progress and get feedback from other people.
Second, you can share completed works and use them to attract new readers. Writer's Digest offers a list of websites writers can use to share their writing, including Camp Nanowrimo, Critique Circle, Critters Workshop, Fictionaut, and Internet Writing Workshop.
 
Enter contests to promote yourself further 
Contests are another great way to raise your profile as an author. Plus, if you win a contest, this will be a fantastic addition to your resume. Some contests even award prize money— another great perk. Australian Writers’ Resource points out that there are many types of writing contests to accommodate all genres, from science fiction to memoirs. Examples include the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, the Drue Heinz Literature Prize, and the St. Francis College Literary Prize.
 
As a writer, your success depends on your readers. By taking steps like creating a website and social media and populating them with eye-catching infographics, you can promote your work easily. You can then build up a loyal following that will support you for years to come.

​Do you ever find yourself staring at the computer screen with no motivation to write? I’m not talking about writers block. There are ways to work through that. Sometimes the motivation to write just isn’t there. I guess that is the equivalent of a lazy person’s procrastination. It’s not uncommon to go days or even weeks and months where the motivation to write has abandoned you. It’s kind of like that old country song cliché where the girl left you and took the dog and your truck with her. Having no motivation to write leaves me feeling sad. I guess that analogy is kind of old school. I guess in a few years we’ll hear country songs about how the self driving truck left on its own free will. I suppose there’s no stopping technological advancement.
 
I’ll toss this out to our AAG members and hope to get some feedback in the comments below: How do you stay motivated as a writer? How do you keep writing when you’re uninspired?
 
If you’re going through something like this, one thing I have found helpful is to jot down my writing goals and keep that handy on my desk. I want to see it the entire time that I have blocked for writing on my current work in progress. During times of procrastination and lack of motivation, it has been helpful to have smaller writing goals. Having a goal of finishing a new novel in six months is daunting. Actually, it has discouraged me from writing when I’m already lacking in motivation. I might make a smaller goal of writing a six page short story instead.
 
If you want to get into shape and drop some pounds, you don’t start one day one jogging ten miles, do you? That would make no sense. I’d drop dead if I tried that! But if you start out walking a couple of miles and work up to jogging that distance a little bit at a time, that makes a lot more sense. Writing works the same way. Maybe start out with a writing prompt or two, spend ten or twenty minutes a day on those. Smaller writing tasks are much less daunting than trying to come up with the next great American novel. During that time it is also a good idea to revisit your old writing projects and reflect on why you starting writing in the first place.
 
What works for you?