The Bear is in one quadrant of these two dimensions: Frequent on how often you write, Consistent on when. Every writer sits somewhere on both measures, and these categorize you into this house.
You are a creature of routine in the most useful sense: same effort, same hours, most days of the week. Your output accumulates rather than spikes, and almost none of it depends on how you feel in a given moment. Over time you consistently outproduce those who wait for inspiration.
Strengths
- Effort that compounds instead of spiking
- Never waiting for the right mood to start
- Momentum keeps you going for the long haul
Drawbacks
- The rhythm can become the only way you know how to work
- A plan can become stale and inefficient, but you keep going anyways
- One missed session can feel like a bigger loss than it is
Famous writers in the House of Bear
By studying these writers habits and patterns we've determined their writer house. Their story could serve as inspiration for you, and the way they took on the habit of writing can inform you to improve on your own habit.
Anthony Trollope. Wrote from 5:30am with a watch on the desk, 250 words every quarter hour, before leaving for his day job at the post office. James Clear
Roald Dahl. Worked the same two fixed blocks every writing day in his garden hut, 10:30 to noon and 4 to 6pm, in a chair molded to his own shape and nowhere else. Lit Hub
Truman Capote. Wrote lying on a bed or couch for about four hours every afternoon, cigarette and coffee always in reach: "I am a completely horizontal author," he said. "I can't think unless I'm lying down." Paris Review, The Art of Fiction No. 17
If this is you
One thing to try: Your incredibly disciplined and loyal to your plan, so you have to make sure that your plan is still the right plan over time. Take some time to reflect, iterate, adjust. Continuing to work on something that isn't working for you could waste your time.
Watch for: The slot is a strength until it becomes the only way you can work. Travel, illness, or a sudden schedule change can cost you a whole week if your habit is so fixed. Try writing at a wrong time occasionally, on purpose, so a disrupted day stops being a lost one.
Relevant Authorlytica metrics
- 7-day average vs. 30-day average word count: Your streak is the last thing to go, but looking at how your current performance is doing versus what you're used to may indicate a decline in your own enthusiasm of the plan.