1. Find a way make writing fiction feel like a treat. Maybe you write in your favorite coffee shop; maybe you go to a favorite place in your home; even something silly like lighting a scented candle in your workspace can help. Whatever you do, make fiction writing feel like something fun and pleasant, not just another job you have to show up for.
  2. … but make fiction a job you have to show up for. By that I mean, show up. You don't have to write every day, but make time to write when you can, and try to take that time even if you're not feeling inspired. Even sitting in front of your computer staring into space counts; you have to get ideas sometime.
  3. Consider a physical notebook. I love writing in a notebook because it feels different from the daily journalistic work I do at a computer. My notebook is just for fiction and creative essays, and I feel myself shift into a different frame of mind when I open it.
  4. Use what you've learned on the job. As a journalist, you've probably gotten good at understanding people, learning what questions to ask them so that they give the most useful and interesting answers. You can use this skill to understand your characters better, and to imagine how they might react in a variety of situations.
  5. Turn your Internet off. This is good advice for all writers, but especially for journalists, who ordinarily have to be plugged in all the time. Work somewhere without WiFi, leave your computer behind, unplug your router. Figure out a way to get outside the swirl of news that you're normally a part of.
  6. Your attention to detail will stand you in good stead. The kind of meticulousness you need to keep your facts straight at work will help you remember which character walks with a limp and how far the heroine's house is from her lover's.
  7. Find great readers. At work, you know the importance of a great editor. Now you need people who can apply the same discernment and intelligence to your fiction. Seek them out. They might not be the same people who give you good advice about journalism.
  8. Don't burn yourself out. Having two writing jobs is difficult. Make sure you take breaks. Go for a walk, or spend time with friends or family. Your writing will be better once you've recharged.
  9. Read. And make sure you're reading fiction as well as nonfiction. You can draw inspiration from the news - I certainly have. But reading fiction helps you get into the rhythms of writing it. And reading a great novel will remind you how important beautiful sentences are, and help you learn how to write them.
  10. Have fun. When you write fiction, you get to create an entire world that's all yours, and decide everything that happens. You don't get to do this in journalism or really any other area of life - enjoy it!