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Why habits are stronger than motivation with Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben has written 35 bestsellers in the past three decades, selling over 90 million novels and spawning some of the most popular miniseries on Netflix– including I Will Find You. He recently published his first nonfiction book, Plot Twist: a writing guide packaged inside a memoir. In this episode, Adam and Harlan take a closer look at the routines and habits that help Harlan stay so prolific with his writing, and Harlan emphasises the importance of being comfortable with boredom and treating writing like a job. Harlan also reflects on what he learned while collaborating with Reese Witherspoon on their novel Gone Before Goodbye, and the difference between equality and equity in relationships. Adam shares insights on the biggest mistakes people make while pursuing happiness, and why successful people aren’t free of doubts. Follow our podcasts! ReThinking with Adam Grant: https://link.mgln.ai/kdYcyx The TED Podcasts is a collection of podcasts for the curious. The TED Podcasts videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organiz...). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com.

Harlan CobenguestAdam Granthost
Sep 24, 202642mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Harlan Coben on writing habits, progress, and sustainable creative discipline

  1. Harlan Coben explains his long-running output as the result of habit and treating writing like a job rather than waiting for inspiration or motivation.
  2. He describes a flexible productivity approach—changing locations, tools, and routines—to break blocks and keep momentum when a setup stops working.
  3. Coben and Adam Grant explore how ideas emerge from real-life observations plus “what if” thinking, and how movement and boredom can both play roles in creativity.
  4. They argue that daily progress (producing pages) matters more than enjoying every moment of the process, aligning with research on small wins and fulfillment.
  5. The conversation expands into storytelling craft and collaboration: character/plot/setting as one system, and team projects working best when roles are intentionally designed and ego/scorekeeping is minimized.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Discipline outlasts motivation—create on schedule, not on mood.

Coben argues that inspiration and motivation come and go, so he focuses on showing up and producing pages anyway—treating writing like a job rather than a mystical event. Grant connects this to psychology research: habits and progress are more stable drivers than feelings.

If a routine stops producing, change the routine—don’t romanticize consistency.

Unlike writers with fixed rituals, Coben changes locations, tools, and routines when a setup stops working (“serial routinist”). The goal is to keep generating forward motion by adjusting the environment until productivity returns.

Creativity is fueled by fresh stimuli—and by the ability to endure boredom.

Coben’s ideas often begin with a real observation plus a “what if” twist (e.g., seeing a child alone while hiking sparked *The Boy From the Woods*). Fresh environments and movement can provide new inputs, but Coben cautions that writers must also tolerate boredom and the discomfort of the blank page.

The magic isn’t constant joy; it’s seeing progress at day’s end.

Both emphasize that the most reliable source of satisfaction is visible progress: blank pages turning into filled pages. This echoes the “progress principle”: small wins create momentum even when the process itself feels tedious.

Character, plot, and setting are intertwined—stop building them in silos.

Coben rejects the clean separation of character vs. plot, arguing that what happens to a character (plot) is how the character is revealed and formed; setting also shapes both. Treating them as separate checklists can make stories—and creative work—feel forced.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

"Amateurs wait for inspiration to arrive. The rest of us just get to work."

— Harlan Coben

"I don't like writing. I like having written."

— Harlan Coben

"My routine is not to have a routine. I, or to put it another way, I'm a serial routinist."

— Harlan Coben

"The most annoying thing that a writer sometimes will say is, 'Oh, I write only for myself. I don't care if anyone reads it.' That's not writing. That's therapy."

— Harlan Coben

"You have to be comfortable in boredom to be a writer. You have to embrace that it's going to be work."

— Harlan Coben

Habits vs. motivationTreating creative work like a jobChanging routines to beat blocksIdea generation through “what if” thinkingWalking, boredom, and creativityProgress principle and small winsCharacter–plot–setting integration in storytelling craft

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