Writers aren’t exactly known as the paragons of physical and mental health. Almost prerequisites for the craft, depression and alcoholism have haunted so many eminent writers, including Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, and Sylvia Plath. Although living a stable, healthy lifestyle might be alien to many successful authors, healthy writing habits are not.

Yes, writing is a creative process, but it is also work that demands discipline and routine. As Hemingway said, “Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.” Here are five habits that behoove any aspiring writer to follow.

Sally Franklin Christie is Moderating