If you’re an avid reader, you likely know the health benefits of a daily reading habit: reduced stress, improved sleep quality, and endorphin boosts, just to name a few.1 Reading fiction, in particular, is an effective way to relax and escape reality, even if just for 20 minutes a day.
What you may not realize is that writing fiction is another positive way to improve your health and overall well-being. While reading fiction provides an escape, writing fiction provides an escape into a world of your own creation.
THE HEALING POWER OF WRITING
Many people turn to journal writing as a form of stress relief. Journal therapy is a recognized form of therapy, like art or music therapy.2 Writing in a journal can be an effective way to calm the mind and body. However, writing fiction can be therapeutic as well. In 2024, a systematic review and meta-analysis published by PubMed revealed that creative writing can significantly improve depressive symptoms.3 Writing fiction provides an opportunity for creativity and escapism but also introspection and empathy. By writing fiction, you have the power to invent characters and worlds, either heavily or loosely inspired by your experiences. That’s the beauty of writing fiction. You control the narrative.
Lawyers can especially benefit from writing fiction, as it can help alleviate depression, anxiety, and stress. Empirical studies show that practicing attorneys have high rates of all three.4
WHY LAWYERS MAKE EXCELLENT FICTION WRITERS
In addition to the health benefits, there are many reasons lawyers make excellent authors. To illustrate, let’s examine just a handful of skills and traits needed to write fiction, particularly a novel.
Creative thinking. This skill is obvious, but it is essential to crafting a novel. An author needs to use their imagination to develop compelling characters with full story arcs.
Problem-solving skills. Writing a novel is challenging. It requires designing a logical story with a cause-and-effect trajectory.
Attention to detail. Writing a novel involves tracking characters, plots, subplots, and settings, ensuring the details and descriptions don’t contradict or confuse readers.
Empathy. Writing a novel that resonates with readers means tapping into the emotional resonance of characters, creating situations that ring true.
Time Management. Writing a novel takes time, and time spent wisely. Without an effective plan for writing, revising, and learning the craft, the novel will never get finished.
Perseverance. Writing a novel is akin to running a marathon; it takes commitment and perseverance. Authors need to expect setbacks and have a plan to push past them.
As a lawyer, you hone these skills every day in your profession, and they translate seamlessly into fiction writing. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to write a legal thriller because you’re a lawyer. Jane Pek is a practicing lawyer who writes literary mysteries.5 Jasmine Guillory, a Stanford law grad, writes romance,6 while Pam Jenoff teaches law and writes historical fiction.7
The point? Write what you love. Write what you feel moved to write. If you love reading romantasy and think to yourself, “I could write this,” then do it! Giving time and space for your dreams to flourish will improve your mental health and keep those endorphins flowing.
Deciding to write a novel does not mean you’re making a career shift. In fact, there are very few people who write novels for their career. A survey by the Authors Guild revealed that only about 21% of published authors make enough to write books as a sole career.8 The vast majority work at least part time or full time to make a livable wage. What does this mean? Writing a novel is about the joy of writing, not making money. Most authors write in their spare time, prioritizing their passion for creative, written expression.
HOW TO START CULTIVATING A FICTION WRITING HABIT
Start small. If writing a novel sounds too overwhelming, start with flash fiction. It’s a relatively new form of writing that involves writing a story under 1,000 words. Microfiction, a subset of flash, consists of stories that are 300 words or less. These can be very satisfying to write because you can write an entire story in a relatively short period of time. There are also many opportunities to publish in literary journals and anthologies.9
Write in 15-minute stretches. Feeling too busy is a common complaint among writers. For this reason, writing in short bursts can be really productive, as it leads to big gains over time. Once you build the habit, it becomes routine, and you’ll find ways to fit your 15 minutes of writing into your day. As you develop the muscle to write in short sprints, try longer stretches when opportunity strikes.
Explore your “why” and your point. If you find yourself with an idea for a novel, spend some time writing about why you must write this book. What compels you to write it? This leads naturally to your point; what will readers glean from reading your novel? Once you land on your “why” and your point, keep revisiting them. They will keep you focused.
Find a fellow writer, writing group, or book coach. Writing a novel can be a lonely process. Having someone to confide in, learn from, and commiserate with can be invaluable because it provides accountability, helping ensure you’ll finish your novel.
Enjoy the process. You don’t have to become the next John Grisham or Scott Turow. Just write. Write with an eye for curiosity and playfulness, and see where it takes you, whether it’s short pieces of prose, full-length novels, or an entire series. The most important part of writing fiction is loving and embracing the process. Getting published can be a goal, but it doesn’t have to be the goal. The act of writing is where the health benefits kick in.
The next time you pick up a book to read and feel the urge to pick up a pen as well, do it! By writing fiction, you open your heart and your mind to creativity and imagination. Let your ideas flow, and then bring them to life on the page.