What do you think?
Rate this book
The 8-Minute Writing Habit: Create a Consistent Writing Habit That Works With Your Busy Lifestyle
Ready to establish a consistent writing habit, once and for all?
Monica Leonelle digs into the best literature on forming habits and shares the top strategies professional authors are using to make sure they write each and every day. Each tip is easy to implement and will get you writing more in the "in-betweens"—the inactive moments of your life where you are commuting, waiting in line, or otherwise physically stuck with your brain unoccupied!
If you've struggled to find time to write due to a day job, family, or an active, busy lifestyle, this book will help you clear your blocks around writing for good and get you writing more often, just a few words at a time.
For writers who still haven't found their rhythm and don't have time for long experiments, tracking spreadsheets, or full pomodoros—establish a writing habit that actually fits into your life!
This book includes the full 8x8 8 days to implement the very best shortcuts to writing more, 8 minutes at a time! Get access to the live version and do the challenge with Monica herself.
Monica Leonelle digs into the best literature on forming habits and shares the top strategies professional authors are using to make sure they write each and every day. Each tip is easy to implement and will get you writing more in the "in-betweens"—the inactive moments of your life where you are commuting, waiting in line, or otherwise physically stuck with your brain unoccupied!
If you've struggled to find time to write due to a day job, family, or an active, busy lifestyle, this book will help you clear your blocks around writing for good and get you writing more often, just a few words at a time.
For writers who still haven't found their rhythm and don't have time for long experiments, tracking spreadsheets, or full pomodoros—establish a writing habit that actually fits into your life!
This book includes the full 8x8 8 days to implement the very best shortcuts to writing more, 8 minutes at a time! Get access to the live version and do the challenge with Monica herself.
116 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2015
127 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 23, 2019
Super short, a bit repetitive, but it made me re-think how I write. I always think I need to set aside a large chunk of time to get any writing done and then I never do it because I don't "have the time." This book made me realize I do have the time. A few minutes here, a few minutes there.... it adds up.
September 28, 2018
Periodically I read these kick-in-the-pants writing books. They aren't necessarily telling me anything new, but they offer the half-time locker room pep talk I need to keep writing. From this I gleaned: write every day, even for 8 minutes. Imperfect writing that is consistent is better than perfect writing that is sporadic. And my writing will only improve from frequent practice. That said, I don't subscribe to the philosophy that to be a working, successful writer you should churn out multiple books per year. Quantity does not equal quality. Art takes time, craft, thought, space. At least, that's the kind of thoughtful, artful writing I aspire to create. And the reason I'll always need a day job!
May 25, 2016
This is a short ebook for writing motivation. Definitely, there's a lot of helpful information, not the least of which was the suggestion to write for at least eight minutes each day. This makes perfect sense since the hardest part of writing is getting started. Monica Leonelle did some research to back up her suggestions and presented the information in a well-organized way. The book is an easy read and the suggestions are easy to implement.
After getting a comment about this, I am editing to add - the book is very short and in my opinion, overpriced. That's why I can give it only three stars. At only 78 pages, it is more like an article, not a full book.
After getting a comment about this, I am editing to add - the book is very short and in my opinion, overpriced. That's why I can give it only three stars. At only 78 pages, it is more like an article, not a full book.
February 12, 2016
4.5!
I recommended this book to a friend because I was enjoying another book by Leonelle and thought this one sounded right up her alley. Then, having recommended it, I thought I should read it -- and I'm really glad I did. While I currently have a really good writing habit, this is not always the case, and I actually wish I'd had this book in January.
That said, the first chapter which examined all the fears and stresses that might make it hard for a writer to write and set out plans for dealing with them and thus combating writer's block, is invaluable and I think useful reading for any author, no matter what their style or their location in their writing journey.
I recommended this book to a friend because I was enjoying another book by Leonelle and thought this one sounded right up her alley. Then, having recommended it, I thought I should read it -- and I'm really glad I did. While I currently have a really good writing habit, this is not always the case, and I actually wish I'd had this book in January.
That said, the first chapter which examined all the fears and stresses that might make it hard for a writer to write and set out plans for dealing with them and thus combating writer's block, is invaluable and I think useful reading for any author, no matter what their style or their location in their writing journey.
December 27, 2015
I liked the title and the premise of the book. This is my first book by this author and I will read more of her work. I felt inspired to start writing today regardless of the fact that I'm working 16 hour days and don't have a lot of time to dedicate. Thinking of writing 2k a day for me is unrealistic at this time but I think I can spare 8 minutes.
July 25, 2016
It is always hard for me to write a review when I did not care for a book I read. I feel that I still need to give my honest opinion. The idea of writing for eight minutes a day is a good idea and a great way to get into the habit of writing. But this book to me almost a bunch of repetation. At the end of each of the eight days of writing challange the last paragraph is exactly the same. I am glad that I did not have to pay for this book and that it was free book. I truly hoped this book has helped others as I really wanted to get some ideas from it but unfortunately did not.
March 5, 2023
Audiobook
November 15, 2017
The 8-Minute Writing Habit
This is a quick read. It's an honest, roll up your sleeves and get to work book for writers. The concept of taking your writing habits to a more productive and consistent level. Fun.
This is a quick read. It's an honest, roll up your sleeves and get to work book for writers. The concept of taking your writing habits to a more productive and consistent level. Fun.
August 16, 2021
Good book who wants to be consistent on writing, lot of useful tips. More than habbit, what are the blockers and how to handle is it well outlined. Good for some one procrastinating writing
September 20, 2021
This book was nothing I thought it would be.
It helped me find time to write… find the muse to write.
After the death of my father years ago, it was hard for me to concentrate. It still is in most cases but regarding writing, even if only a short article or letter, this helped me to at least trying to find the time. I always had excuses because I was too scared of clearing my mind and just doing something.
It helped me find time to write… find the muse to write.
After the death of my father years ago, it was hard for me to concentrate. It still is in most cases but regarding writing, even if only a short article or letter, this helped me to at least trying to find the time. I always had excuses because I was too scared of clearing my mind and just doing something.
February 10, 2025
Great for regular people who add writing to their life. This book gives great tips in how to keep writing from being the first thing dropped when life commitments press into your time allotted to writing.
The author references her book, Write Better Faster. She states WBF helps us increase speed through experimenting and tracking. There lies the problem with most writing books. They assume their audience spends all day writing. This book, 8-Minute Writing Habit is for people with other responsibilities who want to add writing to their day.
First section deals with writers block.
Second section is the nine strategies the professional authors use to write consistently.
Third section is the 8x8 challenge.
This is authentic and practical. Tried and true. And it works!
I really enjoyed the audio version. Highly recommended!
The author references her book, Write Better Faster. She states WBF helps us increase speed through experimenting and tracking. There lies the problem with most writing books. They assume their audience spends all day writing. This book, 8-Minute Writing Habit is for people with other responsibilities who want to add writing to their day.
First section deals with writers block.
Second section is the nine strategies the professional authors use to write consistently.
Third section is the 8x8 challenge.
This is authentic and practical. Tried and true. And it works!
I really enjoyed the audio version. Highly recommended!
November 2, 2015
Insanely helpful
This book was a quick and helpful read. I was intrigued by the 8 minute writing challenge but was pleasantly surprised by tons more helpful information in the beginning of the book. I'm talking about the section on author blocks. These tips were eye-opening for me and will be for other writers as well. I think this is a great book for writers trying to squeeze writing in throughout a hectic day and who might not be sure why writing is not so easy for some reason. Recommended writing resource!
This book was a quick and helpful read. I was intrigued by the 8 minute writing challenge but was pleasantly surprised by tons more helpful information in the beginning of the book. I'm talking about the section on author blocks. These tips were eye-opening for me and will be for other writers as well. I think this is a great book for writers trying to squeeze writing in throughout a hectic day and who might not be sure why writing is not so easy for some reason. Recommended writing resource!
March 11, 2016
Short & sweet - perfect for the writer who wants to write but life (jobs, family... whatever) keeping interfering. I just started the 8-minute exercise (write for a timed 8 minutes, first thing in the morning) and am already hooked! I average about 286 words in 8 minutes x 7 days a week = 2,002 words a week, which will work itself out as 8,008 a month and 96,096 after a year. Great examples given and explaining the 'why' to her points. If you've got 8 minutes a day, you've got your first draft after the year! Good luck!!
February 13, 2016
เกร็ดความรู้เพื่อเพิ่มความเร็วในการเขียนของนักเขียน ส่วนหนึ่งกล่าวถึงการทลายกำแพงจิตใจที่ทำให้เราเขียนไม่ได้อย่างที่ตั้งใจไว้ อีกส่วนหนึ่งแนะนำเทคนิคการเขียนให้ได้มากแเละเร็ว โดยปรับการเขียนแต่ละครั้งให้สั้นลงเหลือแค่ 8 นาที แต่สร้างนิสัยในการเขียนทุกที่และสม่ำเสมอ รวมถึงการฝึกตัวเองให้คุ้นกับเครื่องมือใหม่ ๆ เป็นต้น
อ่านง่ายและบางเทคนิคก็นำมาใช้เห็นผลได้ทันที บางอย่างก็คิดว่าน่าจะต้องใช้เวลาปรับถึงจะรู้ว่าเห็นผลจริงหรือไม่
อ่านง่ายและบางเทคนิคก็นำมาใช้เห็นผลได้ทันที บางอย่างก็คิดว่าน่าจะต้องใช้เวลาปรับถึงจะรู้ว่าเห็นผลจริงหรือไม่
February 16, 2022
While this book is primarily for writers just getting started rather than full time writers who publish regularly, I did find helpful tidbits within. It is a brief book and doesn't take long to read. One tip I plan to incorporate is doing an 8-minute writing stint the very first thing in the morning, before anything else. This makes great sense to me.
October 28, 2015
This book took a lot of stress off my shoulders --- just for that, it's probably a better book than most of my collection of writing books put together. Because at the end of the day, only writing makes you a better writer, and anything that encourages you to just WRITE is gold.
May 23, 2016
A detailed approach to getting a writing habit started.
March 24, 2020
This was fine, but not much more than that. The title really says it all and much of the other contents is filler.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2018
Full Title: The 8-Minute Writing Habit: Create a Consistent Writing Habit That Works With Your Busy Lifestyle by Monica Leonelle.
This is an excellent resource for someone who wants to write but is just too busy. For someone in full-time work or being a full-time mom (or both), who at the end of the day just wants to collapse into a comfy chair. Yet, they’ve still got characters in their head and stories which need to be told.
If this describes you - you want to write but you just can’t find the time - this is the book you need. Monica describes not one but a whole bunch of different techniques for carving small slices of time out of your day. Where a half-hour seems impossible, 8 minutes is a segment of time anyone can find. I’m a big advocate of using modern technologies to write on the go, from portable Bluetooth keyboards to dictation or sipe-typing apps, and Monica encourages that too. Find those 8 minutes while waiting for the kids to come out of school, or while you’re on a lunch break at work, or while you’re riding the bus or train, or even waiting in line at a store.
Towards the end of the book, Monica sets a series of challenges, starting off very simple, but encouraging you to find innovative ways to fit 8 minutes of writing into your daily routine. It really is surprising how many words you can get down in 8 minutes - even if you’re not the greatest typist, 250 words is an easily made target, and if you’re using dictation you could approach 1,000.
There are heaps of useful links and resources, including an accountability hashtag monitored by Monica herself, at the end of the book. It’s not a long book - but then, if you’re someone who needs this help, you probably don’t have time to read a long book anyway! Take this on board, implement some of Monica’s strategies, and your daily word count will definitely go up.
Five stars for a resource which could prove invaluable to someone struggling to fit writing time into a busy life.
This is an excellent resource for someone who wants to write but is just too busy. For someone in full-time work or being a full-time mom (or both), who at the end of the day just wants to collapse into a comfy chair. Yet, they’ve still got characters in their head and stories which need to be told.
If this describes you - you want to write but you just can’t find the time - this is the book you need. Monica describes not one but a whole bunch of different techniques for carving small slices of time out of your day. Where a half-hour seems impossible, 8 minutes is a segment of time anyone can find. I’m a big advocate of using modern technologies to write on the go, from portable Bluetooth keyboards to dictation or sipe-typing apps, and Monica encourages that too. Find those 8 minutes while waiting for the kids to come out of school, or while you’re on a lunch break at work, or while you’re riding the bus or train, or even waiting in line at a store.
Towards the end of the book, Monica sets a series of challenges, starting off very simple, but encouraging you to find innovative ways to fit 8 minutes of writing into your daily routine. It really is surprising how many words you can get down in 8 minutes - even if you’re not the greatest typist, 250 words is an easily made target, and if you’re using dictation you could approach 1,000.
There are heaps of useful links and resources, including an accountability hashtag monitored by Monica herself, at the end of the book. It’s not a long book - but then, if you’re someone who needs this help, you probably don’t have time to read a long book anyway! Take this on board, implement some of Monica’s strategies, and your daily word count will definitely go up.
Five stars for a resource which could prove invaluable to someone struggling to fit writing time into a busy life.
July 12, 2020
Ya parte de un título engañoso: te habla de ocho minutos de escritura diarios y luego en el texto aclara que es el primer paso para construir un hábito; como si un profesor de gimnasia nos prometiera estar en forma ejercitando ocho minutos al día y luego nos dijera al pasar que sería mejor una rutina de al menos una hora diaria.
Tiene una liviandad en el estilo que se entiende cuando nos enteramos que lo escribió siguiendo uno de sus consejos: dictándolo. De esta manera lo impreciso y poco eficiente de lo hablado se vuelca directo en lo escrito. Más rápido (una de sus principales preocupaciones) seguro, pero a costa de uno de los pilares de la palabra escrita que es la elaboración (vocabulario, estructura, sintaxis, tempo, etc.).
Hay libros mucho mejores para desarrollar hábitos y otros mucho mejores para mejorar la escritura. Éste intenta ambas cosas y falla.
Tiene una liviandad en el estilo que se entiende cuando nos enteramos que lo escribió siguiendo uno de sus consejos: dictándolo. De esta manera lo impreciso y poco eficiente de lo hablado se vuelca directo en lo escrito. Más rápido (una de sus principales preocupaciones) seguro, pero a costa de uno de los pilares de la palabra escrita que es la elaboración (vocabulario, estructura, sintaxis, tempo, etc.).
Hay libros mucho mejores para desarrollar hábitos y otros mucho mejores para mejorar la escritura. Éste intenta ambas cosas y falla.
March 25, 2019
Basically I want a system to automate my writing habit. My goal is to build a blog that has about 10-20 posts until May.
I deleted a lot of my old blogs because I cannot maintain it. I got lazy after a few days and failed to write afterwards. I think I have the perfectionist dilemma. And it's not healthy since it's hard to get started.
A lot of people accomplish things just having a routine. It reminds me of a guy who wrote his novel on train to work 30 minutes a day and he published his book in 2 years.
Writing blog is even easier. But the essential thing is how to make it a routine. So I think Monica did just that writing this guide. It's practical enough and I will try to implement her system.
I deleted a lot of my old blogs because I cannot maintain it. I got lazy after a few days and failed to write afterwards. I think I have the perfectionist dilemma. And it's not healthy since it's hard to get started.
A lot of people accomplish things just having a routine. It reminds me of a guy who wrote his novel on train to work 30 minutes a day and he published his book in 2 years.
Writing blog is even easier. But the essential thing is how to make it a routine. So I think Monica did just that writing this guide. It's practical enough and I will try to implement her system.
January 5, 2018
I very much liked this book about writing. It’s simple and explains its tips very well. I read the first chapter and was astonished. Monica Leonelle had described me as if she knew me personally. Which she doesn’t.
Monica Leonelle wants to help writers build up a habit that helps them in their career. This very educational book helps people like me to get started writing. Or so I hoped. What’s good is that there are tips and tricks in there.
Read the full review at my blog.
Monica Leonelle wants to help writers build up a habit that helps them in their career. This very educational book helps people like me to get started writing. Or so I hoped. What’s good is that there are tips and tricks in there.
Read the full review at my blog.
May 12, 2017
Excelente sacudida para fazer seu desejo de escrita sair do desejo e "pegar no tranco". Como toda boa autoajuda norte-americana, parte significativa do texto traz a autora contando suas experiências como ferramenta motivacional. Depois de terminar, dá pra destilar o texto numa tabela ou resumo em tópicos, e usar isso como guia para manter a prática no dia a dia. Investimento excelente para quem quer vencer as desculpas que usa para nunca escrever.
June 2, 2018
Nice, Compact book
This is a nice little book for implementing an easy plan to get into the writing habit. The first half of the book discusses all of the potential roadblocks that are keeping you from writing and some easy adjustments you can make to address them. The remainder of the book discusses the “8x8 Plan” (8-minutes of writing a day for eight days).
This is a nice little book for implementing an easy plan to get into the writing habit. The first half of the book discusses all of the potential roadblocks that are keeping you from writing and some easy adjustments you can make to address them. The remainder of the book discusses the “8x8 Plan” (8-minutes of writing a day for eight days).
May 24, 2020
A very quick read and incredibly helpful to me. I am trying to get back into a daily writing habit, which I used to have - before having a baby, and before the Coronavirus pandemic. Seems a huge hill to climb, but this book has inspired me to use the 8-minute technique to see if I can crack it again!
December 6, 2017
Useful, not life-changing book. I found the sections on taking your writing mobile, the method of descent to work around writer's block, and the specificity of the 8 day challenge all to be helpful and empowering. It also felt too strongly self-promoting.
March 4, 2018
The 8-Minute Writing Habit was a quick and easy read with plenty of helpful tips about how to approach writing in smaller chunks. I found the insights about emotional procrastination especially helpful, as well as the tips concerning checking your motivation for writing.
March 2, 2021
I LOVE the Author Blocks section at the beginning. Monica's mindset approach will be a big boon to most authors.
Short and sweet. Not much new for me (since my coaching work makes a lot of the mindset things less groundbreaking), but a really good inspiration to create a small daily habit again.
Short and sweet. Not much new for me (since my coaching work makes a lot of the mindset things less groundbreaking), but a really good inspiration to create a small daily habit again.
May 6, 2017
Quick read with excellent tips.
Title of review says it all. I highly recommend it if you are struggling with writer's block and finding the time to write.
Title of review says it all. I highly recommend it if you are struggling with writer's block and finding the time to write.
November 17, 2017
The gist is simple: Written little and often. A quick read with some practicalities.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews