5 Healthy Habits For Every Writer
It goes without saying that performance in any creative arena can benefit from healthy habits like getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, and eating healthy, but what many people don’t know is that there are healthy habits for the mind as well! It’s important to practice self-care but it’s kind of hard to tell what information is useful and what isn’t with the rise of Twitter Self-Care posts. It seems like a buzzword that’s flippantly tossed around along with hustle, grind, and burnout. I wonder why. (Not really.) Below are some healthy habits that are known to increase productivity positivity by helping you to establish boundaries and build a healthy relationship with your creative self. These tips and tricks will help you be more productive both in your writing and other aspects of life.
Establish boundaries. Really. Set certain times for working creatively. This not only helps with consistency, but it helps you know you don’t have to procrastinate working on passion projects until creativity strikes. Likewise, make a space for yourself to create, freely. Don’t just work on the bed, and if you already work from home, use a different space. If you have a laptop, go to a local coffee shop or library to change the space, mood, and environment so that creativity can flow. Click here to read more about the Pomodoro Technique and how you can use it to improve your daily writing habits.
Get involved with the writing community. Follow other writers who inspire you. Follow writing prompt pages on Instagram. Join Facebook groups for writers, readers, and editors. Join or put together a local critique group for writers in your area. Being involved in the writing community is incredibly useful since it grants you access to a wider array of resources, feedback, and people who will act as sounding boards. You will find there are tons of people from all different walks of life in the writing community, and there is something to learn from each of them.
Set up creative free time such as leisure reading or journaling. These two are almost passive activities that benefit you immensely as a writer. To specialize in one genre, you must read extensively in that genre to be come familiar with what is out there. To ease the fear of writing and the misguided need for perfection, set special time aside for journaling. Just a few minutes will do—but give yourself permission to write absolute garbage and be okay with it. Click here to read more about how writing everyday helps cure writer’s block!
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” -Stephen King
Participate in monthly writing challenges. Writing challenges are fun, engaging, and inspiring. Instagram has plenty of daily creative writing prompts for each day of the month and NaNoWriMo is a great kickstart program for writing novels. There are tons of other writing challenges out there so see what you can find and challenge yourself to write in ways you never thought of before!
Set up a rewards system that doesn’t get you in trouble in other areas of your life. When we hear the words “reward system” we often think, oh great, now the writing blogger is contradicting my dietician by saying I should have brownies as a reward for writing… no? Then it’s just me, I guess. But it’s always the same—rewards that are counterproductive for our other goals. Two things can coexist, people! I suggest you set up a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly reward system so that each time you meet your goal you get points which you can put towards something such as spending time watching your favorite series or playing games. See how these three items are all leisure activities. However, if you take time from your Netflix binge, you’re not losing out in other areas of your life. My dad always tells me “What do writers do? They write,” and he’s totally right about that. If you’re a serious writer, you absolutely must make time for it, even if that means sacrificing other leisure activities., because if it’s your passion, it’s worth it. Save the bigger rewards such as the occasional sweet or a night out on the town or even that new handbag, for the bigger milestones in your writing, like the first 50,000 words, your completed rough draft, and the revised, final draft, et cetera.
And there you go! Those are my 5 Healthy Habits for Every Writer. Of course, these tips can be applies to any creative outlet such as film-making or drawing, but the important takeaways are that you’ve got to set boundaries and commit to them, challenge yourself, get involved, make time for leisure activities, and set up a sustainable rewards system.
Comment below if you’ve heard of any of these before and which ones were new to you! Also, if you try this guide out, comment below! I’d love to know how it helped you and what creative outlet you used it for!
Thumbnail photo by Pineapple Supply Co.
—Payton
Spring Break For Writers: 10 Rules For Writing Your Book On The Beach
With Spring break right around the corner, I think it’s high time we start planning out our travel writing goals and getting together a list of things we’ll need to make the most of our writing vacation! Have you ever traveled to write? Or perhaps you’ve written while travelling? No matter the reason you’re on the road, you’ve got an incredible opportunity to get out of your usual writing environment—one of the leading cures to writer’s block, so make use of your time away from home write with your newfound inspiration and motivation!
I spent an entire month one summer (June-July 2016) in Port Aransas, Texas and it was amazing for my creativity. I wasn’t working on a book at the time, but I was writing multiple poems a day and designing my website, the latter of which required charismatic copywriting. Getting out of my usual writing space was monumental for my writing following that summer because it kickstarted my creativity in a way that prepared me for when I got back home and began writing the first draft of my fantasy novel.
Even though I was on vacation, it wasn’t all fun and games. I did have to do some writing to make sure I made the most of my time there. To keep you on track with writing while travelling, I’ve made a list of 10 rules for writing on the beach!
Beachy patio view. Photo by Sabel Blanco.
Secure a stellar view
I’m not kidding. If you don’t have a gorgeous view from your balcony, what’s the point of writing on the beach? Ocean-front lodging is a must if you’re a travelling writer. Not only is the view beautiful and awe-inspiring, but you’ll have plenty of photo opportunities. This is a must-have for any content creator, really.
Set up goals for the trip
Just like any other writing challenge, you should outline your goals. Establish a word count and a daily expected word count and outline your novel. It’s like preparing for NaNoWriMo—in order to make every moment of this creative trip count, you should do as much planning as possible, beforehand. That way, you can focus on writing and enjoying the sun while you’re there. Scrivener is a great tool for story outlining and even has a word count tracker that allows you to set a projected word count and keep track of your daily writing goals.
Soak up the sun and solitude
It’s not everyday you can wake -up feet from the sand and sun—that is unless you actually already live on the beach, which if that’s the case, I a) envy you and b) don’t know why you’re reading this blog post and not enjoying the sun!
Take writing breaks by walking in the sand, sunbathing, and swimming. Enjoy everything the beach has to offer and be sure to really absorb the experience. When you’re writing, enjoy the solitude away from home. No sound, no interruptions, and no distractions. It sounds like a writer’s haven to me!
Make sure to pack all the essentials
There’s nothing worse than getting to your destination and realizing you’ve forgotten something you knew you needed to pack. I’ve made a little mini list for writers to ensure they’ve got all the right tools in their toolkit for writing on the beach.
Don’t forget to bring these essential travel writing items with you on your trip to the beach:
your favorite pair of sunglasses
your Laptop—and the charger!
your Story Binder with all your writing notes
a notebook to jot down random ideas and inspiration
a novel in another genre for leisure reading
sunscreen. Don’t forget the sunscreen.
you might bring aloe vera too, just in case…
Limit your exposure
Vacation means “an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling” and not “checking my phone every two minutes when I should be writing.” Yes, I am talking to you, dear reader. Don’t waste your valuable vacation time reading emails, hanging out on social media platforms, or checking your text messages. Limit your phone use and spend your time writing, reading, and enjoying the beach.
Of course, you do want to make use of that photo opportunity I mentioned earlier. Photos of the beach for Instagram are permitted. Bonus points if you take a selfie of you writing on the beach!
Catalogue the coffee shops
When you arrive, find the best coffee shops for writing and befriend the baristas. You don’t have to do all of your writing in the beach house or in the sand. I’d like to think you’re researching in the coffee shop, reading on the beach, and writing at the beach house/condo. Keep your activities compartmentalized for optimum focus and consume copious amounts of coffee for maximum productivity. Okay, maybe maximum jitteriness is more accurate, but this is my excuse and I’m sticking with it.
Talk to strangers
Yes, I know—your parents told you not to talk to strangers and while in most cases that is decent advice, don’t heed it while travelling. New places + new people = new conversations and new experiences! Chat it up with the locals and try to research your novel. Maybe your YA contemporary has a surfer guy in it? See if you can find a surfing instructor or rando on the beach that can lend their experience to your craft.
Make time for margaritas!
This is especially true if you’re travelling to any of the beaches in Texas. Make time to let lose and enjoy the free time. If you’re on vacation with friends, spend a night out and see the sights your destination has to offer. Grab drinks go dancing with the locals! If it’s just you, pop open a bottle of wine and read under the stars. Even though this trip is an amazing opportunity for writing, don’t forget to do the vacation-y activities as well.
Write, rest, repeat.
In addition to budgeting fun time into your travel schedule, you should also include time off from writing. You don’t have to write the entire trip and you should include some downtime for self-care that doesn’t include partying. Hit the spa, meditate, or strangely appropriate, take a long, walk down the beach and collect seashells at sunset.
Don’t get stuck rewriting.
It’s probably the hardest piece of advice in this entire blog post, but seriously, don’t get stuck rewriting. Work on writing only while you’re travelling and safe the editing for later, once you’re home and once you’ve completed the first draft. I know it can be so hard to quiet our editor brains, but we have to if we want to write effectively. Remember, the edits can wait, but the writing can’t. Stay focused and happy writing.
That’s it for my 10 rules for writing on the beach. This was my spin on another post from Shayla Raquel, so check out her post here! Comment below what you thought and if you’ve ever done any of these or if you have any tips of your own!
Thumbnail photo by Rodnae Productions.
—Payton
5 Actionable New Year's Resolutions For Writers in 2020
1.Share your writing with others more often.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It can be hard as a writer to be vulnerable and open to criticism, but it is crucial to our growth and improvement to feel comfortable putting our work out into the world, despite what others say. Always use your best judgment when dealing with criticism to determine if it was constructive or just negativity. But by opening up and letting the world into our stories, we grow and gradually become used to having other eyes on our work. Coming to terms with this is essential for aspiring writers desiring professional writing work.
2. Try a new writing style or medium for telling stories.
Do you usually write in a certain POV or tense? Do your stories typically take on a humorous or satirical tone? What voice do you normally write in? Is your target audience the same every time? Change it up by writing new stories in different ways.
Another way to freshen up the writing process is to work with different methods of storytelling. Of course, audio-visual mediums can be used for storytelling and often are, but I’m specifically referring to the written word—poems, plays, short stories, novelettes, novels, articles, blog posts, and reviews. Consider writing in a different medium to explore and learn new techniques, styles, and practices.
3. Watch, read, and write stories in genres you’re unfamiliar with.
This one likely requires some research but by branching out into a new genre, you learn all kinds of different storytelling techniques and styles that were gated by your own genre. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you open up your craft to new growth. Diving into new genres can seem unappealing at first, but you’ll find all kinds of hidden gems in other genres and the challenge will breed new creativity.
4. Make creativity part of your everyday routine.
I written extensively on consistency and building in time for writing but the gist is this: writing every day makes you a better writer because a) practice does make perfect and b) it acts like exposure therapy by bringing you face-to-face with the fear associated with the writing process (fears of inadequacy or imperfection) often enough that you get used to it and overcome this obstacle.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
As someone who was incredibly busy and believed in the idea that creativity strikes only at certain time, I used to think this was impossible, but I can assure you it is achievable. Consider one of the previous options such as writing in a new medium. By writing new blog posts for this blog, all the time, I am exposing myself to the writing process and therefore making it increasingly easier to write in my passion projects.
The blog takes off the looming pressure of trying to achieve constant perfection and allows me to just write freely. Then, when I sit down to write fantasy, it’s easier every day, and since I’m all warmed up from writing blog posts, I can produce better quality work.
5. Learn to enjoy the writing process and not just the end result.
How does that quote go? It’s all about the journey, not the destination? Writing is EXACTLY like that. Our novels and stories are for others to enjoy and the process itself is for us to enjoy. It’s the intimate, scared process of bleeding onto the page, of pouring out our souls, and manufacturing stardust into the written word, and therefore it should be enjoyed.
Writers should completely and fully feel the fear, pain, sadness, confusion, satisfaction, happiness, excitement, and fulfillment, as well as all the other emotions that come with writing. They should wholeheartedly appreciate and understand the process of taking a fleeting thought and sculpting it into a living, breathing idea that takes root in the mind of others. They should value and hold dear the writing process because it is as integral to their being as air to the human lungs.
Photo by Ivan Samkov.
It’s never about the destination, the end product—because it’s not meant for us—it’s meant for our readers. It is however, about the process, the journey, the steps we take to get there and everything we experience along the way—the learning, the reckoning, the weaving of words to form a story. Most writers have a love hate relationship with the writing process and this is as it should be. However, we should also recognize the value and the wild, seemingly untamable beauty in the process.
Alright, let’s liven things up a bit, shall we? Sorry to get all mushy about writing on you there for a second. It’s something I hold dear to my heart so any chance I get, I am going to take the time to discuss the writing process.
That’s it for my 5 Actionable Writing New Year’s Resolutions for 2020! I really love all of these goals because they’re practical, actionable, and sustainable. I know those seem like buzzwords people just toss around, but I do really think these writing resolutions are ones that we all can stick to year-round!
What do you think of my writing resolutions? Do they overlap with your own writing resolutions? What would you add to this list? Comment below and let me know what you think!
Further Reading
—Payton
Writing Every Day: What Writing as A Journalist Taught Me
A photo of the newsroom, FA 115, Rose State College, 2018. Photo by Payton Hayes.
After working as both a social media coordinator and a features writer at a local newspaper, I learned the writing process isn’t as complex as some make it out to be. This job taught me that I don’t have to wait for the right moment for creativity to strike or for the creative muse to grace me with its presence. For years, I believed I could only write during ungodly late hours of the night, when I was in the writing mood, or when I was in the right headspace to do my best work. The truth is that I was a) just procrastinating writing and postponing the growth of my craft and b) was never going to create my best works on the first draft anyways.
The latter has to be one of the hardest concepts to grasp as a writer and I’ve made multiple blog posts addressing it because was probably the biggest hurdle for me to overcome as a creative mind. I don’t doubt that thousands of other writers out there, struggle with this same problem—that writer’s block will pass and when it does you will do your best writing. The thing is—perfection is overrated. Even established, best-selling authors can expect poor quality writing in their rough draft. Its just a fact of the craft that a writer cannot create a perfect draft in the same breath as their first draft. You can read more about this topic in my blog post about blank pages versus bad pages here.
Not only have I learned that I shouldn’t set such high expectations for first drafts and that I should just write instead of waiting for the right moment, but I have also learned that with enough diligence and patience, I can harness and master creativity in an everyday routine. Working at the newspaper required me to adhere to strict deadlines and write on a routine to ensure each step of the publishing process was completed in a timely manner so that the paper made it to the press on time. This was a demanding job, but it taught me a lot about the writing process, even if it was journalism. Journalistic writing often requires you to write way a head of schedule so multiple edits can be made, and fact checking can be done before print. Demystifying the creative process has helped me to overcome writer’s block and the fear that comes with writing. It is certainly possible to commit to creative deadlines and longer projects.
Being a successful, professional writer means you can and must write consistently. Publishers and agents are looking for writers who write because it’s what they do and not how they feel. If all the great American writers stopped writing when they felt writer’s block begin to set in, the list of the Top 100 Books Everyone Should Read would be much shorter than a hundred books.
Another thing is, that if you write every day, you will become a better writer. The more you write and edit your work, the more familiar you become with the writing process. This not only removes the fear that comes with writing, but it is exactly as they say—practice makes perfect. By consistently practicing writing, you are effectively honing your skill and making yourself a better writer.
Over the years, I've learned that writer's block takes two forms; it appears as the lack of motivation to write or the lack of inspiration. While these two forms sound incredibly similar, there's an important distinction—motivation is the reason someone feels compelled to do something while inspiration is the sudden, brilliant creative idea that person feel compelled to create or bring to life.
Lack of motivation typically comes from burnout, wavering between the writer and editor mindset, feelings of inadequacy, and procrastination. Lack of inspiration comes from stagnancy, lack of stimulation, and lack of challenge. The key difference between the two is this: a writer cannot be inspired and unmotivated simultaneously, because inspiration acts as an entity of motivation. When a writer feels inspired, they may push through these negative feelings in order to achieve their goal and see their creation to the end. A lack of feeling inspired might stem from an environment that isn't conducive to growth, lack of stimulation, and lack of challenge.
I was inspired to write the blog post because of the sheer number of comments I get from writers who claim they can only write when they feel inspired or in the right frame of mind, when that is simply not true. What any prolific writer will tell you is that they’ve achieved success because of consistency, patience and dedication. If you truly love your craft and the art of storytelling, you owe it to yourself and your writing to honor these values.
Want to read more about this topic? Boy, do I have great news for you! By signing up for my email newsletter, you instantly get access to my FREE Consistent Writer’s Checklist and tons of other freebies! Click the button below to sign up and DEFEAT WRITER’S BLOCK FOREVER!
Thumbnail photo by Payton Hayes.
—Payton
Freelancing Basics
Freelance editing can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as editing for a traditional publisher, but likewise, it can be just as difficult getting started. I’ve compiled a few lists to help you get started with your freelance editing business. (If you’re not into freelance editing, that’s okay! Many of these tips can be applied to other industries!)
Freelance editing can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as editing for a traditional publisher, but likewise, it can be just as difficult getting started. I’ve compiled a few lists to help you get started with your freelance editing business. (If you’re not into freelance editing, that’s okay! Many of these tips can be applied to other industries!)
Getting started as a freelance editor:
Apply to internships while still in school and even after, to build your real-world experience in the industry, as well as your experience working with industry-standard programs and editing techniques.
Take masterclasses specializing in the different degrees of manuscript editing, grammar, and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS.)
Aim for editing certifications to show your education and qualifications.
Join editorial associations to build connections with other editors in these networks and build your repertoire of resources in the editing industry.
Read all the books you can—on industry, writing, style and everything in between. Seriously. (And novels in your specific genre too, of course!) I have an ever-growing list of my favorite craft books. These are so helpful, not only for becoming more familiar with the editorial industry, but they will help you read and think more critically as an editor as well. Click here to view the list.
Notebook next to black eyeglasses and a cup of pens. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood
Finding work as a freelance editor:
Collaborate with other editors online and in-person to gain new perspectives, techniques and successful practices of others.
Connect with literary agents and other editors for their “reject” clients to build experience and make connections with artists who are just getting started. (reject clients may include clients the other editors and agents simply didn’t vibe with our didn’t have time to take on the projects of and does not necessarily;y refer to clients that are incompetent or lacking.)
Offer services both online and in your community to increase your experience.
Apply to any business or person with an online presence. Writing online copy is just as important as manuscript editing, especially in the digital age.
Specialize. Don’t try to do everything when you’re just starting out. Try a couple of different types of editing to see what you like and stick with that for a while. You’ll hone your skills and be more experienced in that niche.
Brown suede couch draped in leopard print throw blankets. Photo by Erik Mclean
Working from home as a freelance editor:
Time batch similar tasks. Freelance Editor, Mollie Turbeville, from Molliereads on YouTube, and bestselling author, award-winning speaker and entrepreneur, Amy Landino are both uber-successful boss ladies, living their best lives and managing their time with time-batching. The key to this is to schedule similar events and tasks on the same days, to eliminate wasted time. One way they use this practice is on days when they film for their channels, they will film several videos in one day while their “film-ready” or they’ll schedule several meetups in one day at the same coffee shop to cut down on time spent getting ready and travelling.
Keep looking for work. While your schedule may dance between being busy and slow work days, it’s important to keep multiple projects lined up. In this industry, its best to prepare for situations out of our control, such as when a writer backs out of a project.
Plan realistic hours for your work. It’s important to keep busy, but it is likewise important to create a meaningful and sustainable schedule for yourself. As an editor, burnout comes more often and destructive than for other occupations. Similarly, it is important to remember that when it is time to work, you must be responsible for yourself and your time. Editors cannot wait for motivation or creativity to strike because most projects are time-sensitive. Set realistic hours and stick to your schedule.
Create a workspace conducive to successful business practice. Environment is everything for freelance editors. For the same reason it is important that students don’t sleep where the study or study where they sleep, freelancers need a workspace that can be differentiated from their home environment. In the student example, it’s easy to see where the mental lines become blurred if one studies in their bed. This has been proven to decrease study effectiveness and degrade students ability to stay on task and alert in an area they associate with sleep. Similar to this example, freelances must be able to separate work life and home life to avoid burnout and to avoid blurring the lines between work and play. This may mean implementing a physical distinction, such as a divider or even setting up a home office separate from sources of entertainment. This distinction should make it so that when you’re in your workspace, you aren’t distracted or tempted to procrastinate and when you’re in your home, you don’t feel the pressure of work when it’s time to wind down.
Looking for more? Freelance editing workshops are projected to come out in 2020! Check out the classes planned for 2020, here!
Thumbnail photo by Kelly Sikkema