By Kariss Lynch, @kariss_lynch

I get emails and questions all the time about how to write a book. But I am often shocked that most of the questions revolve around getting published instead of the actual writing process. I love that these aspiring writers have the long game in mind! However, in order to achieve the results we want in the long run, we have to build some healthy habits and strategies for our daily and weekly routines. We have to develop a little discipline.

Over the years, one trend has become clear to me in the lives of pre-published and multi-published authors alike: Those who want it bad enough have the discipline to finish.

Unfortunately, finishing doesn’t immediately equal a contract. Some pre-published authors have multiple completed manuscripts stuffed in drawers just waiting to be read. To you, I say, “Keep writing and keep pursuing publication!”

To those working on the first book and struggling to finish, life happens. It happens to those with deadlines. It happens to those with contracts.

It happens.

Believe me, I get it, and I want to help!

My creativity is officially angled towards my fifth book now, and as I work to finish in the next ten weeks, I can confidently share with you what it took to finish the first four and what it will take to finish the fifth.

• Turn off your inner editor and write. I’m not a scientist, but I feel the tug of war in my brain when I try to think technically while thinking creatively. Write. Be creative. Edit later.
• Pick your favorite caffeinated beverage and keep it handy. I became a coffee drinker about a month after I signed my first contract.
• Select a time of day, place, and schedule that works for you! I’ve tried to become a morning person, but my best writing happens at night. Why fight my body clock? I love to sit in my room or in my office in the quiet of the night with a candle burning and my creativity racing full speed ahead.
• Alert your cheerleading squad. I have a handful of ladies who consistently ask me about my writing schedule. They know when I have a deadline. They help me process. They are my test subjects when I need a reader’s perspective. They see the tears, laughter, creative passion, and the frustration. They know and they encourage me. Find your team.
• Set healthy boundaries. I work full time, write on the side, volunteer in a young adults ministry, have Bible study, and time with friends and family. BALANCE is key.
• Take care of yourself! Meal prep ahead of time and package it in your fridge to grab, warm up, and go. Take thirty minutes a day to go for a walk, do a short YouTube workout, or stretch. I promise you will feel more energized to tackle that word count or difficult scene.
• Have fun! My friends have to remind me all the time that life is more than my to-do list and that my best writing happens when I am planning activities that give me energy.

Trust the Lord. He knows your journey. When you feel like nothing is happening, trust that He is working behind the scenes. Just do it! Finish strong! You will go from pre-published to publication. But it takes discipline. And chocolate and caffeine. But mostly discipline. And prayer. Tons of that. I’m in this with you, and I’m powering through.

And now it’s your turn. What else would you add to this list?

Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and writes contemporary romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, she hangs out with her family and friends, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.