Writing habits can mean a whole load of different things, from generating ideas, , discovering when you're a your most creative, unblocking, fact-checking, editing and polishing. That's a book's-worth of stuff to say, so today I'll focus on the things that are most important for getting on with writing, and leave fact-checking, editing etc for tomorrow.
I'm most productive first thing in the morning, and that's when the writing flows most easily. I try really hard not to use up that time for anything else (other than a weekly birdwatching excursion).
I always have a notebook with me to a) list things I've seen in the natural world, b) jot down ideas, and c) note contact details of the lovely people I meet out there when I'm naturalising.
When I'm finding it hard to started with a feature or book chapter, I sometimes warm up with a bit of freeform writing - perhaps a piece of 50-word thumbnail nature - drop in some interesting and related bits of research, and write down some questions, all in a scrapbook-like way. I find that once there's something on the laptop screen, it begins to take shape of its own. Then I find it easier to see what's missing, either in terms of experience (I really have to go and poke about on a river bank...) or information (I need to know why you don't find Rooks in cities...)
Coming up with a new topic every month for my Bird Watching Magazine column is both challenging and fun. Inspiration comes from following bird sightings in the British Isles, new bird research, press releases and the birds I see out and about in London.
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