Although routines and habits are effective, do not limit your writing to one certain place, time, or atmosphere. Everyday during your customary activities, there will always be “down time,” moments when you have nothing else to do and no important matters to which you must attend. You can take this down time as an opportunity to jot down ideas in your project bible. You can write a few lines or notes to your rough draft if you use the time thinking. It doesn’t necessarily have to happen in a specific place or time. An audio recorder is also an indispensable tool for writers because you can instantly record your ideas in the absence of a table, pen and paper. Furthermore, people’s minds often run faster than they can type.

Dead time could be while you are waiting in a doctor’s office, on a bus, or walking home. There are endless opportunities to write. Then, you can add these ideas to your finished text when you have reached your main writing place.

These are important general habits that each writer should develop to become an efficient novelist. But knowing these time-saving, novel writing tips are not enough. It is also important that you understand the stages of novel-writing to adapt other kinds of effective writing habits.