My high school writing teacher taught me a habit that changed my life. It's dead simple: free write every morning for five minutes. It's done more for me than almost any other writing advice. It helped me become a professional writer.

Creative writing is a habit as much as it is a skill. If you're thinking and thinking, but not writing, that's no good. Daily free writes also help you keep the creative flow up. Chip away at writer's block every day for five minutes, and see what happens.

I freewrite even when I have 4k word days on the docket at work. Free writing is MY time, to do whatever I want. Prompt, no prompt, poetry, prophecy, laments. It's just become such an important and grounding ritual to me. AND, many great ideas are born out of it!

So if this is not a part of your practice, I highly suggest it. Most likely you have five mintues to spare, yes?