Utilizing the 9th-12th Grades. College Admissions Prep Throughout High School

Hi students, parents, readers, and writerly friends!

The last two times we spoke in Freelancing, we talked about college admissions essays and what YA Fiction gets wrong about college. This week, we’re continuing the discussion about college prep and when exactly you should be doing what to ensure you do the very best to get into the college of your dreams and stand a chance against the competition. This blog post does not go into detail about the college admissions essay, but I did write a post that deep dives into that, so click here to check it out.

Instead, this blog post will discuss what all you can do to prepare for college in high school so that you don’t end up in you senior year without a clue and application deadlines around the corner. I will go over how you can start preparing all the way in ninth grade and keep working towards college through to your senior year. This blog post is great for both parents who want their children to succeed and students with enough drive to take their education into their own hands. If you want to learn more about how to prepare for college throughout high school, keep reading!

Before we begin, you should know that colleges aren’t looking for superheroes; they’re looking for real, genuine, fantastic human beings. Honors, awards, and AP classes aren’t everything, but they certainly look great on your college application for sure. Colleges know that students can’t do everything, but that’s not the point. The college application is not a list of boxes to check and is not expecting perfection. Colleges want to know what you’re good at, what you like, what kind of great experiences you’ve had and what makes you, well, you. Of course you want to try and make the most of your high school experience but don’t burn yourself out and don’t strive for perfection. Instead look at it like this: you college application is a polished, positive representation of your academic career, your extracurricular activities and interests, and your notable experiences as a teenager. It’s as close to perfect as a snapshot into your life can get without being a full-blown resume.

Freshman and Sophomores will have a lot of foundational work, but Junior and Senior high school students will find they have the most work over all to do to prepare. The last two years of high school are the most intense by far—with classes wrapping up, final grades being posted, GPA’s being calculated, and deadlines approaching with each week, it can be hard to know when and where to start. First of all, there are three key things to remember: 1) it is never to early to start, 2) it is always a bad idea to wait until the last second, and 3) it is too early to worry. While college prep is important and academics should be taken seriously, don’t overstress yourself about the future. Remember, you are still a kid/teenager and you should get to experience high school while you can. By following these steps outlined in this post, you can effectively prepare over time instead of cramming everything into your senior year.

Freshman Year

What should you be doing to prepare for college in the ninth grade?  This is actually quite simple. Have fun, experience high school, make memories, and get involved. Don’t start stressing just yet, because you’re likely in your early teens, you’re still figuring life out and there’s no reason you need to have your future all planned out just yet. So, deep breath—you’ve got nothing to worry about. Instead, join or start clubs at your high school. Get involved with group activities like sports, choir, band, or drama. Join the student council or National Junior Honor’s Society. Consider how school clubs and extracurricular activities can give back to the community and start working on knocking out some community service hours early.

Highschool students heading to school. Photo by Stanley Morales.

But make sure no matter how you get involved, to have fun. Likewise, if you’ve done activities in middle school that you enjoyed, then consider doing them in high school as well. If you decide you’re ready for something new, set aside those shoulderpads or that old dusty trombone and pick up something new.  Life is all about experiences and colleges want to accept well-rounded individuals. Ninth grade is a great transition period and an opportunity to try things out, experiment with different hobbies, and to have fun all while learning more about yourself. Additionally, if you decide to try out an activity or club but decide it’s not for you, there’s no need to stick with it if its not a good fit.

On the other hand though, never let the activities get in the way of a stellar report card. I totally understand that eighth graders transitioning into ninth graders are put under a lot of stress. Most students are expected to carry a full course load, participate in all kinds of activites, take up a part-time job, learn to drive, all against the backdrop of the tumultuous experience of being a teenager. I get it. Years 12-18 can be a rough time even without all of the added stresses from school and work. Again, just take a deep breath and remember that good grades must always come first.

Of course you don’t have to do everything ever, but see what activities you can/would like to get involved with that you can also work around your schedule and workload that also leaves time for free time and self-care. Don’t just goof-off in your early high school years. One lesson I had to learn the hard was is that classes get increasingly more difficult as you progress through each grade. If you ace the easy, early classes, your GPA will fare far better in the long run. Start making your grades a priority now. Likewise, don’t wait until the last minute to remedy your struggling grades. If you’re having a tough time in any of your classes, seek help as soon as possible. The first place to get help with your studies is always your teacher. They are there to help you and will likely work with you one-on-one to help you get the material down. Ultimately, the success of your academic career is on you, and not your teachers. Show them you care and make an obvious effort they will help you succeed.

Students in class. Photo by Javier Trueba.

Sophomore Year

By your second year, you should have hit your stride in high school. Sophomores usually feel like they’ve got a pretty good grasp on the structure of high school, how to balance academics with activities, and many have a general idea of what is necessary to be successful in high school moving forward. Remember to drop any activities you find aren’t working for you and join any that you might like to get involved with. And of course, don’t forget to keep your grades on track. If you had a rough freshman year, then the stakes are higher for you in your sophomore year. But don’t panic, you still have time to turn your grades around and keep going on an upward trajectory.

With that being said, keep up the good work and continue making grades your number one priority. Now would even be a good time to ask if you are able to re-take any courses you received poor grades on, to try and correct your GPA early on, while there’s still time to do so. Additionally, consider enrolling for AP courses in your sophomore year. If freshman year was all about the newness of high school, experimenting, and transitioning, then sophomore year is about layering on the things you enjoy and giving yourself a bit of a challenge. It will vary student by student, but if your school offers AP classes, enrolling in a couple during your sophomore year is generally a good idea. Don’t go overboard with your first few AP classes. I’d say only take at maximum two AP classes if you’ve never taken an advanced class before. Consider meeting with a counselor and even with the AP professors to discuss what the workload will be like moving up from a regular to an Advanced Placement course.

Now, let’s talk about Sophomore-Junior Summer. You know, that sweet spot between the early years and the later years of high school, were you can start doing the heavy lifting and laying the foundation for successful junior and senior years. If you haven’t already, start getting involved with your community. Consider joining a debate team. Pick up a summer job. (If you can continue working though the school year then great, but look for something seasonal that can give you some great work/life experience.) Likewise, you can also apply to summer programs, internships and join summer camps for similar experience. And most importantly, start studying and practicing for the SAT’s and ACT’s. Students who find they are poor test-takers or even overachievers will find calm in getting a look at these standardized tests well in advance. Students begin taking these types of tests in their junior years, so preparing for them over the summer helps alleviate stress and will make their junior year go by much smoother.

Junior Year

Students, I hope you’re feeling a fire under your feet because things are really starting to heat up now. Junior year is one of, if not the most academically critical for your high school career and ultimately your college admission. During this year you will need to buckle down and do the most. While freshman and sophomore years were more about finding your groove and getting acquainted with high school, junior year is where the real magic happens. Junior year is where students start lining up all the dominos they’ll be knocking down come the college admission essay season during senior year. This year, you will want to be striving for the best possible grades in the most challenging classes. The majority of your course load should be AP courses and honors.

Additionally, you want to be strategic about the types of classes you take for AP or honors. Students who have even a tiny sliver of an idea of what they might want to do in or after college should consider taking AP classes that align with their strengths and interests. Typically subjects split between Science/Math and Art/Humanities and students will find themselves on either side of that split depending on where their strengths and interests lie. Don’t sign up for AP Chemistry just because everyone is taking that class or because it seems cool. AP Chemistry is hard, and there’s no reason to enroll in a blatantly rigorous class if it won’t make sense in the long run. However, if you think you might want to study Humanities in college, it might not hurt to take an AP World History course, because this will help you build some foundational knowledge that could come in handy later.

Now that the experimenting phases of freshman and sophomore year are over its time to start ramping up your extracurriculars to the next level. You know that saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Well the same idea goes for hobbies and extracurricular activities as well. Trying new things is great, but now is the time to stop being a beginner and start adding more challenging, advanced activities to your plate. If you really enjoyed Drama I and Drama II in your freshman and sophomore years, consider continuing with Advanced Drama, Musical or Debate. Widen your skills and experiences but continue moving vertically rather than laterally. Consider getting involved with leadership opportunities. Sign up for bigger projects and roles within your school clubs. Continue getting involved with the community and building up your community service experience. Start clubs that might be missing (and needed) at your school. Likewise, now is the time to show off your abilities. If there are any competitions or contents, junior year is the grade to do so. Sign up and participate in art competitions or a mathalon.

Next, during your junior year, you are going to want to form close bonds with key teachers, counsellors, and mentors. Consider what you’d like to do in and after college and see which teachers fit into that picture. If you’re wanting to get into the publishing industry after college, consider talking to your creative writing teacher about any opportunities they might know of that you haven’t yet taken advantage of. Mentors in high school can be invaluable and you should not take their time, attention and expertise for granted. Likewise, forming strong bonds with teachers and mentors who know you, like you and have a good sense of your character can be critical when it comes time to collect letters of recommendation.

While these letters alone won’t guarantee acceptance into any school, they are amazing for giving colleges a second opinion on you and shedding more light on your character outside of your own admission essay and application. It is true that these letters can be the determining factor that pushes a school to accept you as opposed to another student with similar academic merit. As for the letters themselves, consider asking teachers and mentors to write them during the spring of Junior year. This way, they have time to dedicate adequate attention and energy to writing a glorious recommendation letter over the summer, instead of stressing about getting that done on top of finals and a whole litany of end-of-the-year tasks.

Additionally, during the spring of your junior year, you will want to take the SAT or the ACT for the first time. By now, you’ve have many classes under your belt and this first experience of these intense standardized tests will prepare you for what is to come in your senior year. Which one you decide to take will be up to you. Most colleges accept both, but the SAT is more widely used. However, once again, consider your strengths and weaknesses. The SAT is more English/Writing and Math skills, whereas the ACT focuses more on Science. The key to these types of tests is always studying and practice. Taking these tests way ahead of time, such as in the early spring of junior year, rather than waiting until the spring of senior year, allows you to have a baseline. A baseline is the first scores you get from these tests and will help you determine where your strongest and weakest subjects lie. It will help you get a feel for what you need to study more of and where you can work to improve your score.

Lastly—and this is completely optional—but if your schedule and financial situation permits, consider visiting the campuses of the schools you think you might like to attend. Sign up for campus tours, schedule meetings with advisors and check out the clubs and activities available to students at your potential universities.

During you’re the summer between your junior and senior years, you are going to need to start actually preparing for the transition from high school to college. You will want to start putting together college lists, doing your research on prospective schools, practicing, and preparing your Common App college application and essay and preparing for one of the single most stressful years of your academic life. But again, don’t panic. With a little (okay, maybe a lot) of preparation and planning, you can certainly pull this off.

Senior Year

It’s no secret that everyone’s senior year is an absolute whirlwind of activity, stress and college prep. Not to mention, students often start feeling burnout, or senioritis as many like to call it. However, it doesn’t have to be that way at all. Senior year should be exciting, fun, memorable and you shouldn’t let stress rob you of those wonderful experiences that come with your final year of high school.  

Of course, you’ll have a lot going on this year, but make sure to keep your grades up. Being the last year of high school, you are likely facing your heaviest, most challenging workload and there’s no turning back and no time for slipups. Stay on your grades, get help early, keep everything on track. This is the most important task of your senior year. Your twelfth-year grades do matter. Schools will look at your final year grades and can base their decisions on whether or not you kept an upward trajectory or instead let your grades take a nosedive once senioritis started creeping in. Collect your letters of recommendation from your teachers and prepare everything you need for the applications.

The second most important task of your senior year is taking the SAT/ACT early and with enough times to get as close to your desired score as possible. If you took these tests in your junior year, then great! You already know what you’re in for and hopefully it will be easier this time around. If not, then absolutely take your tests on the first available test date in September. Don’t cut things any closer by waiting until November or December to get your baseline score. Study often and rigorously, take the tests early and at every opportunity you have, and strive for the best possible score. 

The third most important task of your senior year is putting together everything you need for your college applications and admission essay. As mentioned previously, don’t wait until senior year to start planning your admission essay. I suggested working on it late in your junior year and during the summer between junior and senior year, but if you have the time and the drive to start working on it a bit earlier, that is fine too. Just make sure you’re following the correct prompt from the Common App or your desired school(s)’ essay prompt(s). As mentioned, at the start of this blog post, I won’t be going into the college admission essay process, but you can read all about it here. What you need to know for now, and within the context of this blog post, is that at the start of your senior year, you should start brainstorming and planning your admission essay so come application time, you will already have a fabulous piece of writing ready to submit with your applications.

Piggybacking of that idea, consider what schools, programs, and scholarships you will want to apply for. Scholarships have a surprisingly limited application window and they will creep up on you in October, September and even August of your senior year without so much as a whisper. Get the jump on these scholarships so you can at least make every effort possible to take advantage of these opportunities as early as you can.

Man pulling money out of his wallet. Photo by Karolina Grabowska.

On a slightly different and arguable more awkward topic, your senior year is the time to finally sit down and have the “Finances” chat with your parents. Some students will be privileged enough to have parents and family members willing and able to pay their way through college. Others will be expected to work for college or take out federal student loans to cover their studies. Students who fall below a certain income threshold may be able to receive financial aid from their academic institution via the FAFSA. Have a realistic conversation with your parents and outline a plan of action for covering all potential college expenses. Narrowing down which schools fall within your family’s budget will help you determine which schools you might want to apply for. On the same note, discuss with your family how you will pay for application fees in December.

There is so much to do in your senior year, you want to try and get everything lined up during the summer. You want to know what schools you want to apply for early, so you can know when their application deadlines are, how much the applications cost, and devise a strategy with your parents. Many students face the stress of waiting until their senior year to do everything all at once. This results in missed deadlines, failing grades, sloppy workmanship, and ultimately burnout during one of the most memorable years of students’ lives. Plan ahead of time and put in the effort. Most of the work that goes into being as prepared as possible for college is doing research and planning ahead.

And that’s it for my 9th-12th grade college prep guide. What do you think about preparing for college throughout high school? Were you an early bird or a procrastinator? What would you do different about your college prep experience? Let me know in the comments below!

Further reading:

• College Admissions Essay Basics

• Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers

Thumbnail photo by Jeshoots.

—Payton

College Admissions Essay Basics

Hi students, readers and writerly friends!

Student taking notes. Photo by Green Chameleon.

While it’s not exactly freelancing advice, I thought with the craziness of the pandemic and school right around the corner, many graduating high-school students could benefit from some help with writing their college admissions essays. This blog post is dedicated to giving you all of the basics for writing an amazing college admission essay that will help you demonstrate your skills in communication and offer up a unique perspective on a little slice of your life that just doesn’t show up in your academic records.

What Is An Admissions Essay?

A college admissions essay is well—yes, it’s an essay, but it’s so much more than that. It’s an opportunity to give the college a glimpse into your life and your character. It’s a chance for you to expand upon your abilities both as a student, colleague, and ultimately a contributing member of society. If college is your extended education—the toolbox that contains everything you need to be successful as a professional adult (of course without the guarantee that you’ll get a job right out of the gate, but I digress) then your admissions letter is the big, bright red sticker on your shirt that says “Hello my name is—PICK ME!”

Colleges want to see you succeed, but just as much as your time and money is an investment in you, their time and money is an investment in you, even if they’re making a profit. By accepting you, the college is making a bet and taking a risk that you’ll be worth it. And an admission essay is the opportunity to show them all the benefits of their investment—all of the wonderful parts of your character that will come together to make you an ideal student.

What Makes A Good Admissions Essay?

I always say a good admissions essay is like a good memoir—it has just the right amount of self-pride, self-awareness, and a captivating narrative to tie it all together. Bold as it was, my admission essay was about writing. (I know, how meta.) Like I said, it was a bold move, because I knew the colleges I applied for (and got accepted to) were going to be keenly aware of my writing and communication abilities while comparing it to the subject matter of the essay itself. It was a risky move, but I came up with a formula that really worked for me and I’m going to share it with you.

Open Versus Closed Prompts

Given that the essay is a free-write or open prompt, you can really write about anything. Many schools offer this as an option now, in case you’d prefer not to write using one of their offered prompts. However, even if the college you’re applying to has a specific prompt, such as “Write about a time when you were challenged to do the right thing, even if it wasn’t the popular thing” you can still take it in a multitude of different directions.  Do your research and determine whether or not your school(s) require you to write using a specific prompt.

Word Count and Formatting Requirements.

Similar to the prompt idea, you want to know what the word minimum and maximum for your school(s) admissions essay so you can get a better understanding of how much writing you will need to do and have a goal in mind to shoot for while you’re outlining your essay. Typically, an average college admissions essay will require no less than 650 words, but schools can vary, so it is always important to double-check the requirements for your school’s essay. Don’t worry about the word count during the drafting phase, though. Just write your heart out until you’re finished and then edit after.

Additionally, you want to make sure your essay is formatted properly according to your school(s)’ requirements. Most schools require their essays to follow MLA format, unless they have their own instructions or allow you to paste your essay into a text box on the application. Just make sure you understand what your school is asking of you before you go to submit your paper.

I linked a helpful webpage from Purdue University on how to properly format an APA/MLA style essay at the end of this post.

Write With Intention. Every Word Counts.

Of course, regardless of the word count minimum or maximum, you want to use your time and space to write wisely. You want to be intentional about every word, every sentence, and every thought present in your paper. The idea is to avoid coming across as an incoherent, rambling mess, because you didn’t take the time to ensure your writing was elegant, succinct, and carefully thought out.

Brainstorming Your Prompt.

Touching again on the prompt section, if you’re writing with an open prompt, you will need to do some brainstorming to figure out what you want to write about in your essay. We will talk more about this later, but essentially, you’re going to need to come up with some broad ideas of what you want to include in your essay. This will help you narrow down ideas for your narrative later on.  The biggest piece of advice to remember about your essay is that you want it to reflect positively on you and your character.

Don’t Misinterpret The Prompt or Portray Yourself Negatively.

Some prompts are trick questions, plain and simple. As mentioned above, you want to come across in the best way possible, so the idea is not to highlight your failures and mistakes. Even when some prompts ask you to do just that. One example of a trick prompt is the “Failure” prompt. This prompt might present itself like this:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

This prompt is not asking you to write about failure—well, they are, but they’re asking you to explain how you interpret your failure and turn it into success.  This is a fantastic prompt for showcasing your character and demonstrating how you’ve overcome obstacles. Think back to a positive outcome you’ve had as a result of making good choices in a tough situation.

Entertain Your Admissions Officer.

This is easier said than done, I get that. Of course, you want to avoid cliché topics such as why you want to be a doctor because you want to make the world a better place, but they’ve probably heard this story a million times. Consider how you can personalize your story and make it unique and interesting to you. 

Prepare Well Ahead of Time.

Don’t wait until the last minute to write, edit, re-write, peer-review, and mail/email your admissions essay. This will haunt you. Start working on your essay way in advance so you have plenty of time to make it the best version it can be prior to turning in. Highschool students:  it’s not a bad idea to get a head start on your essay a grade or two in advance. Likewise, prepare your applications in advance. Students always have so much going on during their senior year that its hard to find time to prepare their essays with time to spare. And admissions officers can tell when you’ve waited until a month before applications and essays are due. Typically the work seems rushed, incoherent, incohesive, and generally is poorly thrown together due to ridiculous, procrastination-born, self-imposed time constraints. Starting the process early will save you a lot of headache and take off the pressure. Don’t let these important academic tasks get away from you.

People discussing ideas in a workspace. Photo by Headway.

Get Feedback.

Share your essay with a wide variety of people—from those who know you well, to fellow students and colleagues, to teachers, to strangers. People who really know you well will be the best to get feedback from that reflects your character. Close friends and family will be able to tell you whether or not your essay accurately and positively reflects you as a person. However, they will likely tell you your writing is great and that is not constructive. For constructive criticism on the quality of the writing and the ability to keep the reader entertained, consider asking a stranger to review your essay for you and give you their honest opinions. For formatting, aesthetic, and technical help, as your teachers, advisors, and school counselors for help. If you really want to ensure you’ve got a great essay on your hands, consider hiring an editor to help you polish your writing. Remember to get many opinion on your essay and never take any one person’s opinion as the end-all-be-all. Additionally, most schools offer essay workshops to help you prepare for the daunting college admission essay. (Be wary sharing your essay with your peers who might be applying to the same school(s) as you. Competition in college admissions is a very real concern.)

Writing The Essay

Step 1. Establish your narrative.

First of all, why do you want to go to college? What will you be studying? What kind of experiences do you hope to get out of your time in college? Consider these questions because they will be useful in figuring our what kind of narrative you will want to use as a vehicle to drive your essay forward in a consistent, cohesive manner. However, your essay doesn’t need a thesis. Many English teachers will try to get you to follow MLA essay format, when that might not always make sense for your essay and your voice. What your essay does need, is structure.

For example, if I wanted to be a professional basketball player, I might want to think back to a time in my life when I first discovered my love of basketball. I might consider using a story of getting picked to play on the basket ball in kindergarten or when my dad lifted me up on to his shoulders to I could make the slam dunk as a 6 year old and how it changed my life. Really dig deep here. Find a story represents your hopes and dreams while also embodying what you’re hoping to get out of college. This might seem like a big ask, and that’s because it is. Maybe you don’t quite have a story that checks all the boxes. That’s okay. You can manufacture some details here and there. Just find a story that feels true to you and go with it.

Next, figure out how you’re going to string the essay together. Like I mentioned before, the key to  a great essay is the right amount of self-awareness, self-pride, and the narrative. The narrative acts as the glue for your story. It would be really hard to make a cohesive, entertaining, and compelling essay about yourself without something to connect all of the subject matter together.

Step 2. Identify your self-pride.

Of course you don’t want to come off full-of yourself or disconnected from reality, so only include what is necessary here, and do it in the most objective way possible. If you’ve ever written a resume, then you might know that its useful to include a list of skills or tasks you are proficient at, so long as they are relevant to the job you’re applying for. The same goes for a college admissions essay. You wouldn’t talk about your trendy fashion sense if doesn’t somehow fit into your dream of being a pro basketball player, unless the two worlds overlapped in a way that made sense and fits within the scope of the essay—such as, if your love of basketball heavily influenced your fashion sense so much that you like to wear basketball shorts and heels to school. (Okay, maybe the example is getting away from me, but you get what I’m saying) It doesn’t exactly have to fit neatly within the narrative, but your self-pride has to make sense.

Step 3. Identify your self-awareness.

Similar to the self-pride element mentioned above—you should highlight your strengths. However, for this step, you want to be aware of your weaknesses. Consider any times that your weaknesses, both physically, mentally, or emotionally may have made things difficult for you in a way that fits into the narrative. Is there a time when your weaknesses challenged you to grow or revert back to your comfort zone? How did you react? How did you feel in that moment? How did it change you and teach you after you came out on the other side? How would you do things differently?

The thing about college admissions essays is that the college isn’t looking for someone who is perfect. Many essays come across as disconnected, narcissistic, and unrealistic because students write themselves into a perfect person when perfection just doesn’t exist. Colleges are looking for someone who is open-minded, willing to learn, has a thirst for knowledge, and will chase their dreams. So demonstrate these positive character traits and show how you’ve grown from your mistakes. The object here is not to highlight your mistakes but rather how they’ve shaped you into the amazing person you are today—the one deserving of an acceptance letter from your preferred college or university.

Women working on a laptop. Photo by Surface.

You don’t need a professional to help with your essay.

I would say most students don’t need to seek out the aid of a professional essay consultant to achieve the essay of their dreams. If you follow these tips and put in the work, there’s no reason your essay can’t come out amazing. The only students I would advise to seek professional help are the ones who a) can afford to pay a professional and b) are just really struggling with the essay process.

Helpful Links

I didn’t want to spend too much time on these, but I’ve included a list of helpful links. These can be great communities for bouncing ideas off of, getting feedback, and understanding the admission process a bit more. However, I encourage you to take the information you find on these websites with a grain of salt.

• Common App Website

• Common App 1st Year Essay Prompts (2020-2021)

• College Confidential Website

• Applying To College Reddit Discussion

• “How to Apply to College” The Best Schools’ Article

• Khan Academy’s College Application Checklist

• Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (Guide for MLA/APA Style Essay Formatting)

Of course, these are all just my personal tips and tricks from my own admission essay experience, from my friends and family, and from seeing students online who have both aced and tanked their admissions essays. I hope you found this blog post helpful! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below.  

Thumbnail photo by Keira Burton.

—Payton

Everything YA Gets Wrong About College

Hi readers, students, and writerly friends!

Payton here, back again with another installment of my college series. This week in Freelancing we’re covering a topic that overlaps between the bookish world and the college world—everything that young adult fiction gets wrong about college. This is going to cover every one of my biggest YA/college pet peeves from privilege, to unrealistic expectations, to overdone tropes and more so stay tuned!

Messy, unrealistic timelines

Okay, this might be the single most important issue I have with YA fiction that involves the college experience, so that’s why I made sure to cover it first. Students listen up! One thing YA gets very, VERY wrong is the college application/admission timeline and what happens when. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read about a student getting accepted into Harvard in like February. It just doesn’t happen and it makes no sense. Writers who have characters in their novels that are in their senior year should do as much research as possible about the school(s) their fictional students are applying to so they can get a very clear and accurate picture of what that process looks like. Regardless of if all the details actually make it into the story, writers should make a timeline to keep everything organized and make sure their fictional events surrounding college take place within an accurate time frame. This is critical for fiction to stop perpetuating inaccurate stereotypes and setting unrealistic expectations for students.

Typically, early decision and early action happen in October and November and of course, those deadlines vary from school to school, which is why research is key. Not to mention, early decision and early action are two different things. Early decision is binding and basically means the student applying agrees to attend that school, should they get in and that’s why students are only allowed to apply early decision to one school. Early decision is also pretty much limited to very wealthy, upper class families, as it is a big gamble for applying students and be messy to navigate exiting these agreements when the school’s perception of your financial situation does not line up with your reality. Early action on the other had, is a far more accessible option because it is not legally binding. This is a great avenue for students who are interested in applying and receiving their application results early who might also want to apply to a few other colleges as regular decision.

 Students who apply early decision/early action will receive admissions decisions typically in December, but some will hear back in January at the latest. Students who are passed up for the early decision/early action pools, may be deferred or moved to the regular decision pools which means their applications will be looked at along with all of the other non-early applying students. Regular decision students who apply to private universities will hear application results between December and Mid-January, though again, writers should double check these guidelines against the school about which they are writing.

Likewise, students who want/need merit-aid, many schools that offer this will send rejection/acceptance letters in November-Early December, but once again, writers should fact check deadlines for the school they are writing about to avoid perpetuating these harmful stereotypes in their writing.

Piggybank with coins. Photo by Skitterphoto.

Unrealistic expectations for scholarships, financial aid, and acceptance rates

Building on my first issue with college depictions in YA fiction, most young adult writers include inaccurate/unrealistic financial situations in their stories. Here’s an example: the poor, lower-class, yet brilliant student applies on a whim to Harvard and gets a full-ride. For one, Harvard hardly ever gives out full-ride scholarships. For two, if they did somehow get a generous scholarship, the remaining funds the student and their family are expected to pay are typically way out of the question for most lower/middle class families. And this goes for any ivy league or competitive private institution out there. For three, due to the competitive, elite nature of these types of schools, it is highly unlikely students can just apply and get in, no matter how brilliant they may be. And this unrealistic expectation is harmful because it pops up ALL. THE. TIME. And thus gives students the idea that they have a shot in hell at getting into one of these schools. It’s just a big set up for failure, crushed dreams, and a waste in application fees.

Additionally, most YA writers (due to the age bracket most YA writers fall into) don’t have a very good grasp on how much college really costs nowadays. I would argue that most YA writers are in their 30’s or older (with exceptions of course) and it’s been a little while since they last attended college for themselves. It’s amazing how much things can change in ten years.

In a 2019 CNBC article, Abigail Hess explains how the cost of college has increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years:

During the 1978 - 1979 school year, it cost the modern equivalent of $17,680 per year to attend a private college and $8,250 per year to attend a public college. By the 2008 - 2009 school year those costs had grown to $38,720 at private colleges and $16,460 at public colleges.

Today, those costs are closer to $48,510 and $21,370, respectively. That means costs increased by roughly 25.3% at private colleges and about 29.8% at public colleges. -Abigail Hess

Read more from Abigail’s article “The cost of college increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years—here’s why” here.

That’s an insane jump and truthfully, most writers don’t take these facts into account when writing YA fiction that involves the college experience. There’s a bigger issue here and it’s that YA fiction rarely takes into account the intersection of financial aid and class privilege and that’s because most YA writers are upper-middle class and never had to struggle to pay for college as a lower or middle class student. Class privilege is a huge reason why the college experience is not accurately portrayed in YA fiction and honestly, financial aid/scholarships are irresponsibly depicted as well.

What would be really great, is to see more portrayals of students applying and getting into state universities and community colleges. As a graduate from a local community college myself, it feels severely understated in YA fiction, especially since this is close to the reality most college students face. The acceptance rates at state universities and community colleges are much higher (mine had a 100% acceptance rate and a 90% completion rate) due to the dramatic difference in tuition, boarding an other costs per student, as opposed to the kinds of private schools we see more often portrayed in young adult fiction. Even though many state universities are still quite competitive, it would be really refreshing and great to see more YA fiction depict students attending state universities and community colleges, especially when the acceptance rate is far more realistic than the ludicrous 1% some of the ivy league schools are infamous for.

Student feeling stressed. Photo by Energepic.com.

Touching on the unrealistic timelines point, I’d like to include that many YA novels include depictions of students who apply to and get into a school and then start applying for scholarships. Unfortunately, by the time students should be hearing back from their desire schools, applying for scholarships is simply too late. Again, it’s important that writers do their research on their schools and make sure the realistically portray them in their writing. And on a similar note, many universities do not offer financial aid to out of state students so writers should keep this in mind when writing about college students crossing state lines for schooling.

Another financial discrepancy often found in YA fiction is the image of students going to any of the top 50 schools in the US and magically getting awarded merit-based scholarships. These schools are based on academic ability and therefore merit-based scholarships simply do not exist for students attending these schools. Instead, need-based scholarships are a possibility instead because the financial aid awards are divided out to applicants on a as-needed basis. Again, research is required here, because for the need-based awards, the school is the authority that determines the applicants’ need and every school has their own formula for determining what constitutes need. Likewise there is need-aware and need-blind schools where the former takes financial background into account while the later does not.

Student signing up for student loan debt to make college possible. Photo by Andrea Picquadio.

Loans and parent dependency

Since students aren’t technically considered (academically) adults until age 24, students are dependent on their parents and their finances will certainly play a roll in what kinds of awards, scholarships, waivers, and loans students can make use of during their college career. Due to this, unfortunately many students from middle-class families are unable to attend school simply because 1) the student’s parents make too much money for them to qualify for financial aid and 2) without the financial aid, the student’s parents simply do not make enough to pay for college while supporting the household. Likewise, this is an issue for students who have divorced, separated, or estranged parents, or parents who are unwilling to pay for college.  

Unfortunately, because students are considered dependents of their parents until 24 years old, obtaining substantial loans may prove difficult or impossible due to the students need for a cosigner. Students are able to independently sign for a federal loan that is roughly $4500 max as a freshman and roughly $7500 max as a senior, which isn’t nearly enough to cover even one year for almost any college in the United States. Another federal loan option is the parent plus loan which has a much higher cap, but is contingent upon the parent’s credit and their willingness to take out such a loan.

The trend with all of these issues is that it all comes down to a lack of research, unrealistic expectations, and a failure on the writer’s part do their due diligence in preparing the background information needed to accurately depict the college experience. Writers who are covering the college experience in even the slightest degree, should do as much research as possible to prepare their writing. Writers can reach out to academic professionals to get more information as well. YA writers covering college in their novels should do their research so they can figure out which schools, under which conditions are actually attainable for their fictional characters.

And that’s it for my post on everything that YA gets wrong about college. What did you think of this post? Do you think YA could benefit from more research beforehand? Is there anything I left out? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Pixabay.

—Payton

5 MORE Ways to Stay Organized as a Writer or Freelancer

It’s hard enough keeping organized as a person in general, but add being a freelancer and/or business owner into the mix—of course we’re going to feel a little in over our heads sometimes. Not to worry, though—I’ve put together a list of five ways to stay organized as a freelancer! Not a freelancer just yet? You can still use all of these tips to your advantage and hopefully they will help you move closer to your goal of being your own boss!

If you haven’t read the first blog post I wrote on this topic, click here!

Get organized digitally

You may have heard the words “spring cleaning” at some point in your life, but as an online content creator and freelance editor, I am here to tell you that this phrase doesn’t just refer to de-cluttering objects in your real life—it also means keeping organized virtually. As a Virgo (I think Jenna Marbles can relate!) there is nothing worse than a chaotic, cluttered room when I sit down to work. This is no different in my digital spaces. I try to keep everything just as organized on my computer as I do in my home.

Folders are labeled and sometimes colored, projects are divided up into parts, and everything has a place. I even have a method for planning and preparing my blog posts that go out every Friday. Monday mornings, I will start brainstorming, outlining, and designing my blog posts. I typically get them completed way ahead of time, but it’s nice to know that if I get stumped, I have until Friday at 12 PM CST to finish everything up.

I like to color-code my folders according to the four following categories: not ready, some parts completed, time-sensitive, and ready to post. I typically schedule three blog posts to go out at a time, but this system allows me to write posts ahead of time (or when I am feeling particularly inspired) and save them for later. I do this by using the free windows app, Folder Colorizer. To further organize, I break each project down into three parts: photos, thumbnail image/cover image, and the blog post text. It takes time to complete each of these tasks so by breaking them down, I can effectively time-batch similar tasks. (Keep reading!)

Calendar blocking

Calendar block like there’s no tomorrow.

This may look different for each person—Amy Landino practically blocks out every waking (and sleeping) second on her calendar. I personally, prefer to only block out things that aren’t part of my current routine or items that have changed in the routine, and once they become part of my everyday life, they get taken off the calendar. No matter how intense you go with your own calendar blocking, make sure that it is sustainable for you. You don’t want to just start throwing events and appointments up on the calendar without rhyme or reason! You might consider only blocking a few things to start with so you don’t get overwhelmed.

I prefer to use Google calendar. I have never enjoyed physically writing events out on a paper calendar or planner—maybe that’s just my inner perfectionist talking, but I truly do live for flexibility a digital calendar offers me. In addition to that, I can pretty much connect anything to my Google calendar—yoga classes, dentist appointments, and even bills! Also, Google calendar works seamlessly among your other Google accounts and can be connected to Trello if you use that, but it’s definitely not the only calendar to go with! You can even try out a few different calendars to see which works best for you. Like I said before, Google calendar is my go-to and that’s what you’ll see in the pictures below!

As you can see above, this is what my calendar looks like on a month-by-month basis. Of course some events change, I end up with different editing clients, and the occasional dentist appointment will arise. I like to block out only the items that are not routine/temporary routines such as an event that may be a week or month long. However, it doesn’t hurt to get into the details. You can always include your morning routine, nightly pre-sleep rituals, and gym days as well.

Of course, the next two pictures show you what my weekly and daily views for my calendar look like. You can see the different calendars I am subscribed to on Google calendar (with exception to a few for my own privacy/editing client’s privacy.) I like to include Out of Office appointments, so when several of them pop up in the same day/week I can save time by time-batching similar tasks! (I promise, it’s the next item in this list!) I further filter my tasks into calendars such as bills, writing/prep for this blog, designing merchandise and preparing for my next two poetry books, and work for my freelance editing business, to name a few.

Pro tip: Ditch the to-do list! Yes, they can help you get an idea of what you need to do in a day, week, month, or even a year. However, to-do lists are more of a brain-dump instead of color-coded, sorted tasks. When you start looking at a calendar more like a timed to-do list, it helps you prioritized the events in your life. Instead of just looking at an arbitrary list of wants and needs, filter tasks out into events and appointments in your calendar. If you have a hard time separating tasks that you need to get done versus tasks you would like to get done, then consider using a prioritization matrix.

Time-batch similar tasks

Time-batching is the art of grouping similar activities together to save time. For instance, if you are a YouTuber and you need to film a talking-head video, use the opportunity to film several in one day! (Just make sure to change your clothes and accessories so your subscribers don’t catch on!) If you know you have an interview or business meeting, why not take this opportunity (when you have made yourself presentable) to schedule a coffee date with an old friend to catch up? This not only makes great use of your time (and finely styled hair and makeup) but it allows you to build connections with the people in your life—whether they’re your lifelong friends or just a newly made acquaintance.

In addition to time-batching out of office appointments, you can time-batch project tasks as well! Like I mentioned above, I like to break down my projects into three smaller parts: photos, thumbnails, and text. However, instead of trying to crank out all three parts of the project in one sitting, I know I can more effectively complete projects by time-batching their similar tasks. If I am editing photos for one project, and I know I will need to edit photos for another, it just makes sense that I get all of my editing out of the way in one session. When I get on a role with writing, it is much easier to start working out the details of the next blog post after I’ve been typing for a bit and already have my writer-brain warmed up. If you’re a creative, you know how hard it is to break away from what you’re doing and is much easier to simply push on until the project is complete. I pair this almost unhealthy ability to stubbornly get things done with time-batching so that I can both achieve the highest level of productivity whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Only check your email once a day

I’ll be honest, I don’t always follow this tip, but when I do, I notice that I am so much more productive and less distracted. Sometimes, it just makes sense to answer all your emails at a set time instead of compulsively checking your inboxes to ensure they’re at 0. Set an alarm just after lunch or whenever you feel is best for answering email and only respond at that set time. This way, you can be in touch without having others think you have nothing better to do with you time.

Turn off your notifications

On a very similar note to the one mentioned above, turning off your notifications can be a huge boost to your productivity. Even if you’re not looking to increase your productivity, perhaps you want to be more focused or more mindful in the moment—and turning off your notifications will help you do just that! I personally only have notifications on for text and Snapchat and even then, my phone is typically on do-not-disturb. There is nothing groundbreaking that I absolutely must see the moment a piece of content goes live. I don’t NEED to be notified every time this influencer tweets that or a YouTuber posts a new video. It’s just another distraction that I don’t need while I am working. Additionally, if someone really needs to get my attention—my loved ones specifically—can break through my do-not-disturb.

As you can see, I don’t have many notifications turned on. Also, don’t be worried for me—that’s the most screen time I’ve had all week and I was editing photos today. 😉

So what do you think about these tips for staying organized as a freelancer? Do you think they’ll help you stay organized? Did I forget any tips that you love? Sound off in the comments below!

Thumbnail photos by Karolina Grabowska.

—Payton

Know The Rules So You Can Break The Rules

“Know the rules well, so you can break them, effectively.” -Dalai Lama XIV

“Know the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist” -Pablo Picasso

These are just two quotes that touch on the subject and since they’re from world renowned individuals, I think they must hold some weight. I think this notion of knowing the rules so you can break them holds especially true for the art of writing. Good writers who break the rules well are like the little blades of grass that peek up through the cracks in concrete—they shouldn’t be able to grow, they shouldn’t have the strength on their own to push through concrete—but they do, and sometimes, those weeds become flowers.

Whenever one of my writer friends says “You shouldn’t use adjectives” or “You shouldn’t waste too much time on mundane activities” what always comes to mind are two of the greatest fantasy writers of all time—J.R.R Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. They constantly break these two rules and many more in their work and not only do they get away with it, the are celebrated for it, which makes most writing advice out there, somewhat invalid. If they can do it and become world-class writers despite these common writing mistakes, why can’t I?

This is where knowing the rules comes in. If you know the rule, why it’s a rule, and why so many people tell you to steer clear of it, you then know how to use it to your advantage. The reason is, by knowing the rule inside and out, and knowing your writing is good, simultaneously, you know that you’re breaking the rule effectively.

Tweet from @PageTurner on Twitter.

If you break the rule in a bad way, like opening a scene with someone waking up and the following scene being predictable, then knowing the rule is pointless. But if you know the way you’re breaking it is interesting, unique, effective, and enhances or enriches the story, then not only are you breaking it well, you doing it in a way that will make other writers wonder how you got away with such a writing crime.

James Patterson opened up his bestselling novel, Maximum Ride with the main protagonist waking up, but he jumped right into the action in a fast-paced, and tense scene immediately after that kept readers engaged, enthralled, and made other writers wonder how he managed it.

Likewise, Tolkien went on for several chapters in the Lord of the Rings before the adventure ever began. One whole chapter even describe the dealings between the Bag-End Baggins hobbits and the Sackville Baggins hobbits, and spent another chapter describing a wordy, convoluted scene where Frodo and his friends enjoyed tea from and spent time with Farmer Maggot. Many writing coaches would say to avoid these lengthy scenes and cut them out since they didn’t drive the story or add to the plot in any way.

 However, they’ve remained in every edition since publication and the novels are still celebrated today. It just goes to show if you know the rule like the back of your hand, you know you can break the rule and not only get away with it but be recognized for your writing when it’s done effectively.

For further reading on this topic, check out Steven Jame’s “Story Trumps Structure: “How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking The Rules” to:

• Ditch your outline and learn to write organically.

• Set up promises for readers—and deliver on them.

• Discover how to craft a satisfying climax.

• Master the subtleties of characterization.

• Add mind-blowing twists to your fiction.

And that’s it for my hot take on how you can break the writerly rules by knowing them inside and out! What do you think about breaking the best-known rules in the writing world? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Payton Hayes.

—Payton

How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer

When it comes to writing, something we don’t always keep in mind is how necessary it is to keep our materials/notes organized and our writing space clutter-free. If you’ve been around the blog for a moment, then you know I am a huge proponent of Gretchen Rubin’s Outer Order Inner Calm and I practically preach that book at any opportunity I get.

But it’s not just the “outer” organization that matters. In fact, as writers, we have several writing spaces that all need to be kept tidy in order for us to write stress-free. We have our digital space which encompasses the cloud, your PC or Mac’s hard drive, and your email inbox. Then, we have our physical space which encompasses our actual writing area such as our desks and the room in which we do the actual writing. Lastly, our most important writing space is our notebooks, binders, and folders that hold anything related to our books and their contents. By keeping all of these things organized, you set yourself up for success in your writing.

Keeping the Cloud Organized

This is probably one of the easiest elements of our writing space to keep organized. If you use Google Drive, One Drive, or Dropbox, then you know your content is safe and secure in the cloud so you can write freely without the worry of corrupted files or the loss of unsaved work. However, it can be quite easy to clutter up your cloud storage pretty quickly. One way to keep cloud storage organized is to routinely remove unnecessary documents and keep only the essentials in the cloud. The second way to keep your cloud storage organized is to create a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate.

Pro Tip: While we’re on the subject of external storage, I have to take a moment to say how important it is to have a backup storage system in case of a power outage, file corruption, or anything else that can cause you to lose you work. The worst thing to happen to a writer is to lose all the progress you’ve made and have to start over due to poor storage practices. I keep a current back up of all my content both in the cloud and on an external hard drive.

Keeping Your Hard Drive Organized

Borrowing some advice from the first item in this list, you can keep your hard drive organized by creating a file system that makes sense and is easy to navigate. My favorite way to organize my folders for both writing, editing, and work on my website, is to colorize them with this handy little tool called Folder Colorizer. (Not affiliated with them, I just really love this application!)

In the screenshots below you can see how I colorize my folders for my website. The color-coding helps me know at a glance which of my projects need to be started, have been started and have some progress, and which projects are completed and ready to be posted. For a traditional book writer, this might look a little different, such as red for “to-do’s” yellow for “works in progress” and green for “completed” elements of your novel. By picking the novel process apart, it makes the project seem a little less daunting.

Color-coding folders with Folder Colorizer.

You can color-code folders with Google Drive (for free) as well, but color options are limited.

Keeping Your Email Inbox Organized

Inbox 0 is one of the most satisfying things ever. Maybe that’s saying something about how boring my life is but seriously, if you’ve never cleaned your inbox out completely, then you’ve got to do it! Unsubscribe from email lists that aren’t helping you grow as a writer or freelancer, delete old conversations, and organize that inbox! I have a “delete later” folder that houses all of my important but not that important emails that I want to hang onto for a little while. After a few months, this folder gets emptied, but it saves my inbox from getting cluttered.

Other folder ideas for email organization include:

• 5-year folder or 7-year folder for all business documentation —Read this post from Nolo that explains what types of documentation you should keep on record for your business.

• Clients folder for emails between yourself and clients or your other site users and clients

• B2B folder for emails from your business to other businesses

• Legal folder for any important legal documents you may need to access easily

*Make sure to back up any super important documents in a secondary backup location.

Keeping Your Physical Space Organized

Rodrigo Cazanova’s Post-It Board keeps his writing organized. He says the purple notes are for the character’s travels, the pink notes are character interactions, the blue ones are info notes, and the green sticky notes are scenes.

This is probably one of the least fun of the organization methods I am suggesting but its completely necessary to creating a space that is conducive to writing. I won’t go on another rant about Gretchen Rubin, but I will show you a few ways to keep your physical writing space organized.

• Create a file system or caddy for all your notes, notebooks, binders, etc.

• Set up a clean and organized desk area to write (your bed doesn’t count!)

• Use a dry-erase board, bulletin board, or post-it  note system to stay on track

• Design a vision board or playlist that reminds you of your novel, the setting, and the characters to help you stay focused when you sit down to write

Keeping Your Notebooks and Binders Organized

I prefer to use a binder, but some writers prefer notebooks. It’s all about what works for you and what is easier to keep organized. Kristen Martin prefers to use several different notebooks for different aspects of her writing and projects. A friend of mine from a writer group on Facebook prefers to use a bulletin board system for keeping his work organized. Another writerly friend I know uses a planner for her books. She outlines the book and sets a deadline, then uses the planner to help her stay on track throughout the writing process.

Since I prefer the single binder method, I have included a special kit for you guys! This printable set of binder pages will help you keep your writing notes organized and neat all in one place!

Click here to get your Story Binder Printables!

If you’d like to read a continuation of these tips, check out my blog post, 5 More Tips for Staying organized as a Freelancer!

And that’s it for my 5 tips for staying organized as a writer! What organization methods do you use? Are there any that I haven’t listed here that you just love? Comment below!

Thumbnail photo by Markus Spiske.

—Payton

How To Write Love Triangles - The Right Way

Hi writerly friends!

This week, in Freelancing, we’re talking about the dreaded love triangle. I know, I know, some of you are moaning and groaning about this, but what if I could tell you there is away to write the love triangle trope in such a way that won’t get you crucified by your readers? What if I told you not all love triangles are bad?

Okay, now you’re rolling your eyes.

But hear me out—the reason bad love triangles are bad is because they’re shallow and have no substance. The characters have no real connection with each other, the reader feels no real connection to the characters, and ever move they make is founded in shallow, superficial misbelief. With these kind of love triangles (most love triangles, if I’m being honest) is that everything is so painfully surface level.

Not only do the characters have no real connection to themselves or the reader, but they lack connection to their internal conflict as well. Everything is stagnant and predictable, and chances are, you’ve got it all figured out by page two. Who wants to read a book where they’ve got the love triangle figured out by page two? I certainly don’t, and I’m sure neither you nor your readers want to do so either. So, is there a way to actually make this plot device interesting? Is there a way to revolutionize the love triangle and breath fresh life into it? Yes. That’s why I’m going to show you the secret to a good love triangle (yes, it does exist). It all begins with know what NOT to do.

Don’t make your love triangle simple

Three friends enjoying an afternoon drink together. Photo by Helena Lopes.

Of course, usually, I would advise the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Sweetie) but this time I’m advising against it. The reason so many love triangles fall flat is because they’re too simple and predictable and the reader can figure it out by the end of the first page. This is old and well overplayed since most of the time we already know who the main character will end up with anyways. The reason it’s a love triangle and not a love line is because it’s supposed to be confusing, complicated, and challenging to the main character (remember the three C’s and you’ll be fine). And perhaps we should do away with love triangles altogether —a love web would probably be the better descriptor for what we’re shooting for, since a web is less linear and therefore lest predictable. Weave together plots and characters’ unique storylines, use suspense, character, pacing, rising and falling tension, and amp up the drama in your love story.

Allow the triangle to bring out the internal conflict

This pretty much applies to any genre or method of storytelling, but if something doesn’t challenge your characters, force them to fight for their desires, confront their fears and upend their entire life as they know it, then the reader will lose interest. Now, I don’t mean they have to go on some crazy big adventure, but whatever internal and external conflicts they are dealing with need to be meaningful, they need to matter, and they need to be able to shape your characters in a non-superficial way. Put your characters out of their comfort zone instead of simple asking “which one will she chose,” especially if by the end of page one, we already know which one she will choose.

Not only is this overdone and sooo predictable, but it’s devoid of the electricity that lights up a story—the internal conflict—when the protagonist is forced to confront their greatest fear, crush their misbelief about the world, and ultimately achieve their greatest desire all while developing as a character and delivering a powerful message to the reader. When it comes to story writing, everything happens for a reason, and therefore, the reader needs to know why something matters to the characters. If the reader doesn’t see why it matters to the characters, then they won’t see why it should matter to them.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: you can use any literary device in your story, no matter how cliché or overdone it is, so long as it directly engages with the main characters inner conflicts, brings them to a fear versus desire decision and forces them to reckon with despair before reaching their aha moment that will bring their character development full circle. That’s right, any device. You’re welcome.

If the external conflicts are continuously forcing your character closer to their internal conflict, then you’re doing it right. Additionally, if the other characters are doing the same thing—being forced to confront their internal conflict—then using a love triangle would make so much more sense not only are the external forces at play here, but everyone’s messy emotions and tangled inner conflicts should be at play as well. Consider how your love triangle can cause all of your characters to either confront their fears or run from them?

Make the love triangle a catch 22 for the protagonist

For the most part love triangles should really only be used to force your characters to make a decision they otherwise would shy away from and force your readers to feel for the characters in said sticky situation. Anyone who reads and enjoys the trope will tell you they aren’t reading it because it’s realistic—in fact I’ve venture to guess most of us never have and never will find ourselves in such a predicament but it’s the ability to put ourselves in another’s shoes and feel for them and the tough decisions they have to make that makes the love triangle work.

However, their decision really has to mean something to the character. It needs to be an ultimatum for them, and it needs to really holds weight for it to resonate with your readers. It cannot simply be “which person will I chose”.

no.

No.

NO.

Three college students standing on campus. Photo by Alexis Brown.

The stakes just aren’t high enough and pressure for the reader to stay invested isn’t painful enough in this case. It goes way deeper than that—it goes all the way to your protagonist’s deepest fear and greatest desire.

Ask yourself these questions before using the love triangle

There are a few questions to ask yourself before writing the love triangle. It might take you a while to come up with the answers for these but trust me, it will make writing convincing, compelling, and challenging situations for your character much easier and you will better understand how the love triangle is directly linked to the characters internal conflicts. Additionally, your readers will be so engrossed in your story, they won’t even notice that you’ve just revolutionized one of the most hated tropes of all time. 

Here are the questions:

• What is my protagonist’s inner conflict and how did it lead them into this love triangle?

• If they’re being honest with themselves, the real reason they’re stuck in this love triangle is because_________?

• How does this love triangle cause all three characters to face their fears?

• What would it take for the protagonist to overcome their fear and make the right choice?

• How high are the stakes and how hot is the fire beneath the protagonist’s feet to make a decision?

Answer those questions and you’ll know how to link the internal conflict and the love triangle in a meaningful way. Trust me when I say, as long are you’re drawing on the internal conflict, you can’t go wrong and the reader certainly will be invested. It’s all in the way you play with the protagonist’s greatest desire and deepest fears.

And that’s it for my guide on how to do love triangles the right way. I know, unpopular opinion, but I think they can be done, and well, I might add. I think the reason we’ve seen so many badly written love triangles, is because it’s a plot device (something used to drive the plot) and instead writers are using it as a surface-level element. Over the years, we’ve forgotten how to really use this device effectively and that’s why it had gotten to exhausting and boring to read over and over again.

Anyways, that’s it for this week’s post in Freelancing. I hope you enjoyed reading this and if the guide helped you better your love triangle game, let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to like and sign up for my email newsletter to get awesome, actionable writing advice straight to your inbox each month! As always writerly friends, thanks for reading!

Further reading:

• How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

• How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

—Payton

How to Write Hate-To-Love Romance

Photo by Rodnae Productions.

Hey writerly friends!

Today, we’re talking about my absolute favorite type of romance and that is hate-to-Love romance. This is the kind of romance that buds in Becca Fitzpatrick’s romantic thriller, Hush, Hush. It’s the kind of romance where the story starts out with the couple-to-be hating each other before they come to realize they actually love each other. These types of stories start out with disgust, resentment, and hatred and end with the characters realizing they’re in fact, perfect for each other.

As you might imagine, a lot of character development has to happen between the beginning and the ending of hate-to-love romances for this change of heart to seem believable to the reader. Is it tricky to write? Yeah. But is it totally worth it? Yeaaaah!

Looking back on my own writing, I’ve noticed I use this trope a loooot and I really enjoy reading it too. I’ve also noticed a ton of other people really enjoy this trope as well and unsurprisingly, a few great examples of hate-to-love romances are Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. There are of course tons more of examples, but for the sake of this blog post, we’re going to discuss these two classics.

Although it rarely happens in real life, hate-to-love romance is a pleasure to read and a pleasure to write because it makes your story a thousand times more dynamic and interesting due to the big change of heart and the extensive character development that must take place to pull this kind of romance off. When done well, these kinds of stories are incredibly addictive and are hard for readers to put down.

So with my experience of writing and nerding out about hate-to-love romance, today I am going to show you how to craft a realistic-feeling and brilliant story arc that will take your characters from enemies to more-than-friends.

Step 1: Establish the reason for all the hate

First off, we have to establish why our MC’s hate each other. Whether they’ve hated each other for a long time, or they’re only just now meeting for the first time and aren’t exactly hitting it off, no one hates without a reason. Hate is the flip opposite of love and as such can be an equally strong feeling, therefore we need the reason behind it to be just as strong. What “hate” boils down to in this context is a negative judgement one character makes about another based on their misbelief or perspective.

So, what negative judgments do your character make about each other?

Matthew Macfadyen as Mr.Darcy and Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Benet in Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Let take Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for example, where Elizabeth first meets Mr. Darcy and is immediately put off by his palpable pride and arrogance, not to mention his miserable expression and on the other hand, we have Mr. Darcy who can describes the laughing, and lighthearted Lizzie as “barely tolerable” and is repelled by her family and their lack of propriety. It’s definitely not a smooth start to one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Bad impressions are usually the root of all dislike. When we don’t know someone, we try decide whether or not we should trust them and when they display any sign of being unlikable in our eyes, our brains, and hearts are quick to judge.

Writing exercise: The First Meeting

If you’ve never written the first meeting of you MC’s into their backstory (even if it doesn’t show up in the actual story) I highly, highly recommend doing so. Write out the scene, feel the tension, and get to know the reason for their disliking each other like the back of your hand. I’m serious. Write out the scene start-to-finish and fully understand what their reason for hating each other is and trust me, once you do you will have a much easier time writing about them and their mutual dislike of one another.

Step 2: Who hates who?

Relationships, even ones hewn from hate are usually a lot more than just “we hate each other.” As you can imagine from the first step, there is so much more tension and conflict boiling under the surface. What if it’s much deeper than that—what if the bad feeling isn’t exactly mutual? What if person A hates person B but person B is in love with person A? That makes for a much more tense, more conflicting love story, especially if they end up together after all. Talk about drama! The plot thickens, my writerly friends, the plot thickens!

Although this is still hate-to-love romance, this kind of imbalance throws a monkey wrench into an otherwise simply romantic relationship and is one of my absolute favorite tropes to write because you can throw in all kinds of twists and turns that will throw off the reader while they’re concerned with the almost tangible tension of the main characters.

Megan Follows as Anne Shirley and Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (1985).

Let’s take Anne of Green Gables, for example. The two main characters, Anne and Gilbert get too pretty bad first impressions of each other when he teases her on her first day of school and she breaks a writing slate over his head. Yeah, not a good first impression, guys. Not good at all. However, what Anne doesn’t realize is that Gilbert actually likes her, despite his boyish teasing and their competitive relationship that follows that first encounter. He likes her fiery spirit and determination to better him and the reader quickly becomes swept up in their relationship because they want to know what kind of change of heart will happen to these two dynamic and opposing characters.  But you know what they say about opposites attracting, right ? What happens when they both change their minds about each other? Then, my friends, we have a wonderfully romantic mess on our hands.

Step 3: The Middle-Ground of Friendship

Thirdly, DO NOT forget the halfway point between love and hate, friendship. Nothing will make your hate-to-love romance seem unrealistic more so than leaving out this key story arc. You must, must, must have this to make a flawless and believable transition between your characters hating and loving each other. A change of heart never comes suddenly. It’s not an overnight thing; it happens over time. I like to think of it like the alphabet; between A and Z there are twenty-four other letters that act as steppingstones for the characters to bridge the gap and experience the change of heart needed for any good hate-to-love romance. Use these other letters, these other moments that take place in the middle-ground to make the hate-to-love transition believable to your readers. This time is great for building your character’s friendship or forcing them to make do with “we don’t know what this is and we’re getting along, but it’s weird.”

Step 4: Let the Change of Heart Go Unnoticed

This makes for an extremely effective hate-to-love transition, especially when the character’s themselves are unaware of it, even if the reader can tell what is going on.

For example, at the end of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth asks Mr. Darcy when he started to fall in love with her and he replies:

“I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Ugh, can I just??

See, even Mr. Darcy didn’t know the exact moment he’d fallen in love with Elizabeth.

Step 5: Let Your Characters Resist Love

Chances are your characters have been hating each other for a long time, whether in the backstory or over the course of your own novel, and anything new, unfamiliar, or different will likely scare them. They’ve been hating each other for all this time and now, romance and love are uncharted waters for these people. Chances are that when they first feel love after hating each other so long, they’re not going to admit they were wrong right away and start loving each other—no, they’ll probably experience some friction. They’ll likely be thinking, “Eww, is this what emotions are like? Get it off of me!” or something to that effect.

This adverse effect to the change in heart that occurs in hate-to-love romance is what makes this trope so enjoyable and often comical. The psychological side of it is that we often resist any type of change, especially changes in heart from enemies to friends and more. When our hard-won beliefs are challenged, our first instinct is to dig our heels in even deeper and resist the new emotions. What happens to the characters in these critical turning points is they are experiencing three key emotions that we absolutely must dive into and that’s a) vulnerability, b) fear, and c) desire for comfort. The characters, just like us, are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and into uncharted waters. They’re afraid to try new things, feel new emotions, and welcome change of any kind, and the character should display these feelings of resistance in your hate-to-love story as well.

Of course, their attempts to stay on the warpath are  futile and both you and your reader knows this. However, you have to at least let them try. Give them some time to wallow in these misguided, resisting emotions and allow them to grow from it. If your characters caved to the first shred of affection they felt from their nemesis, then your readers won’t be please, I can tell you that much.

Megan Follows as Anne Shirley and Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (1985).

Let’s go back to Anne of Green Gables, shall we? It takes Anne a lot of time and introspection to realize she does indeed have feelings for Gilbert. She has to swallow the hard pills of her pride and stubbornness and come to grips with the fact that she was wrong all this time—not an easy realization for anyone.

Of course, your characters’ hate-to-love story will be unique to them—but how they handle the transition and how it shapes them and effects them as the story progresses—that’s what the story is truly about.

That’s it for my 5 Tips for Creating Irresistible Hate-to-Love Romance. What do you think of these tips? Do you enjoy reading or writing hate-to-love, or both? What are some of your favorite hate-to-love novels or films? Let me know in the comments below!

Further reading:

• How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

• How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

—Payton

How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

Hi writerly friends!

I’m back this week with another romance writing guide. Next week we’ll be discussing how to write believable hate-to-love romance, so I thought it’d be a great warm-up to show you guys how to writer believe best-friend-to-lovers romance. This is obviously a steppingstone and acts as the middle ground between enemies and more-than-friends in hate-to-love romance, so as you might expect, you can’t have one without the other.

However, your characters don’t always have to start out hating each other, they can indeed go from friends to lovers in a single story. Funnily for us, and embarrassingly for your characters and readers, it’s not exactly a straight shot, no—it’s a pretty rocky ride from best friends to lovers and it can be a tricky-to-write trope.

It’s unsurprising that the characters will have a bumpy time getting from one side to the other, as one is decidedly platonic and the other is decidedly romantic, and the transition from friends to lovers can be tough to read, even tougher to write, and often employs tons of awkward exchanges and cringe-worthy moments.

So, how do you write best-friends-to-lovers romance that is realistic and believable to the reader?

Step 1: Embrace The Weirdness

 As you might expect, writing best-friends-to-lovers romance stories is going to feel weird, because plot twist, going from best-friends to lovers is weird! Not unearthing any best kept secrets, her—everyone knows it’s a weird shift, especially if you’ve known each other since childhood. So, when writing this trope, don’t shy away from all the weirdness, awkwardness, and embarrassing, gross feelings that happen, because it’s completely natural and these feelings should be present in the story. In fact, the reader should be able to pick up on these feeling and feel weird about it too. Secondhand embarrassment is a thing, and it’s something we want our readers turning pages to get to a point in the story when everything makes sense again and the awkwardness has died down a bit.

However, don’t go so far as to make it unrealistic. Yes, at times the uncomfortableness of the transition should be almost palpable to the reader, but keep the balance between rising and falling tension so that readers stay on the edges of their seats and grit the teeth at all the right moments.

Step 2: Determine Whether the Love is Mutual or Unrequited?

Before we get into the story structure for this trope, ask yourself whether the love between your characters or if it’s unrequited. This is very important to how the story will play out and what choices your characters will make based on their emotions, especially towards the resolution. Both routes can be delicious and heart-wrenching in their own right but know which one you’re going to go with in your own writing, will make the process a lot easier.

Jonah Hauer-King as Laurie Lawerence and Maya Hawke as Jo March in Little Women (2017) Photo by PBS.

To make it easier to chose which path your story will take, I’m going to give you a couple of examples, the first being Little Women  by Louisa May Alcott, and the second being Emma by Jane Austen, (and no, I didn’t just pick these two because they involve someone being gifted a piano, but man isn’t that romantic?)

In Little Women, Laurie’s love goes unreturned when Jo tells him she never saw him as more than a friend. This sends him to Europe to avoid his heart break. When he returns after falling for Jo’s sister, being rejected again, and being inspired to do something with his life, he asks Jo to marry him. She rejects him again and ends up marrying someone else, but this story is a prime example of a best-friends-to-lovers romance that took a turn when the love was unrequited.

On the flip side, Emma, by Jane Austen Emma is startled to realize after everything, she is the one who wants to marry Mr. Knightly. When she admits her foolishness for meddling in the romances of others, he proposes, and she accepts. This is a great example of friends who become lovers where the love is returned.

Step 3: Follow The Structure

Alright, now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about the parts of the BFTL story structure (at least that’s the acronym I’m giving it because that’s just way to much to type every time, sorry, not sorry.)

Whether or not you go by the 3-Act Story Structure, every best-friends-to-lovers romance typically follows this basic format:

• Foundation

• Set-up

• Aha moment

• Conflict

• Decision

• Resolution

• Foundation

The first part of the structure for this trope is the foundation, where we are introduced to all core story elements, characters, setting, premise and theme. Here, the reader will get to know what exactly the story they’re reading is.

Set-up

The second part of the structure is the set-up. This is where the meet cute would occur in romance, and for best-friends-turned-lovers romance, it is no different. Introduce the characters, their relationship at this point in the story, and begin laying the groundwork for the transition from best-friends to future lovers.

Click here to read my blog post for creating the perfect meet cute.

While your story might be set preceding or following the formation of your characters friendship, it is important to know how and when they became friends, because if they become lovers later on, this will be an important part in the evolution of their relationship.

Aha Moment

This part of the story is when the characters first realize they are in love with each other. If you chose to go with the unrequited love path, then here, they would learn that one likes the other and decide they don’t feel the same way in return. Consider what path you take for this part because it will really determine how the rest of the story plays out.

 Does the one who is rejected continue pursuing their friend romantically, or do they give up on the first try? Does the one who only views their friend platonically have a change of heart and end up with their friend after all? Is it a messy back and forth that never really ends with the two friends becoming lovers? Is the timing ever right? These are all important questions to ask yourself during the aha moment, because it directly drives the following course of the story.

Conflict

Remember the questions I just asked you in the aha moment section? Those questions should be asked and answered in the conflict of the story. Here we see the true feelings come out and the characters will understand the scope of the situation before them.

Decision

Saoirse Ronan as Josephine "Jo" March and Timothée Chalamet as Theodore "Laurie" Laurence (2019). Photo by Wilson Webb .

In the decision part of the best-friends-to-lovers romance, readers will see what choice the characters make based on everything they know at this point and their emotions. They might decide to get together or break up as friends, for good. Everything that has happened has led to this moment and how they react will change the course of their friendship forever. If the love is unrequited, maybe they just stay friends, but it is likely things will be weird and they’ll have to go their separate ways, like Laurie and Jo in Little Women. Perhaps they do end up getting together and marrying with a happy ending such as Emma and Mr. Knightly in Emma.

Resolution

Where do your characters go from here? How does the friendship grow or die after the decisions are made? Is there room for growth as friends and lovers or have they done irreparable damage to a good thing? Unrequited love stories are especially juicy and heart-wrenching in the resolution.

And that’s it for my guide on how to write best-friends-to-lovers romance stories that are believable and realistic. What do you think of these types of stories? Did you like Little Women and Emma? Do you prefer writing mutual or unrequited love? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading!

Further reading:

• How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

• How to Write Hate-To-Love Romance

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

—Payton

How To Write The Perfect Meet Cute

Glen Powell as Charlie Young and Zoey Deutch as Harper in Set It Up. Gif by Payton Hayes.

Hello, writerly friends!

Today, we’re discussing the meet cute. What the heck even is a meet cute anyways? Well, according to Google, is an amusing or charming first encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship between them.

Of course, the way you do the meet cute is completely and totally up to you—it can be cute, funny, or disastrous and comical. How you do a meet cute is completely subjective and can be created in a number of ways, but today I am going to show you how to make a meet cute even cuter—like the cutest it could possibly be.

When the reader sees the meeting coming, characters do not

While you can craft a meet cute where both the reader and characters do not see it coming, I think it’s extra interesting when the reader does, because it’s like this little secret between the writer and the reader. I really love meet cutes that do this. It’s like the sense of rising dread you get when you’re reading parts of a story with building tension—except that it’s a good kind of dread because you want the characters to end up meeting. The reader knows something good will come out of this chance encounter, only they know it’s coming, and the characters do not.

Flinn is surprised when Rapunzel hits him with a frying pan during Disney’s Tangled’s meet cute (2010).

A great example of this kind of meet cute is in Disney’s Tangled, when Flynn Rider is running from the law and seeks refuge in Rapunzel’s conveniently hidden tower. We already know Rapunzel is inside and he definitely climbed up the wrong tower. The scene that follows does not disappoint, when Rapunzel smacks him in the face with a frying pan for climbing through her window. I would consider this a comical meet cute, but it works extra well because the viewer knows what will happen before the characters and it builds for extra spicy first meeting.

Joe Bradley wakes a sleeping Princess Ann in Roman Holiday (1953).

Another example of a meet cute where the viewer/reader knows of the meeting before the characters actually meet is Roman Holiday, when Princess Ann shirks her royal responsibilities to see Rome for herself and eventually ends up falling asleep on a street. When the scene shifts to Gregory Peck playing cards with the guys, viewers just know the two are going to meet. After his night out, we see him walking down the same street Ann has fallen asleep on and we’re already anticipating their meeting.

Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano and Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls (2000).

Another example of a meet cute where the characters don’t know they’ll be meeting it is in Gilmore Girls, Season 2, Episode 5. Not only does this episode include Jess' first appearance, but it's also the first episode that Rory and he meet. He steals her copy of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl," only to return it to her later in the episode with notes in the margins because Ginsberg is love, you guys. Ah, Jess Mariano — you book thieving-and-annotating bad boy. When Jess swipes Howl from Rory’s room during that ill-fated dinner hosted by Lorelai, and then returns it filled with margin notes, Rory was definitely impressed. (And so were we.) This scene effectively sets up the characters before they even know each other, themselves and shows us that there’s more than meets the eye, both for the mischievous Jess and their tumultuous relationship down the line.

This kind of meet cute makes the reader feel smarter because they know something the characters don’t. This is why it feels like a special little secret between the reader and the writer because the reader feels like he or she has already figured the story out. This is especially effective if you have plot twists and turns later on in the story, because the ground work for the surprises will already be laid out for you.

Characters don’t know they’ll be seeing a lot of each other

Piggybacking on the idea that the characters don’t know they’ll end up together, another meet cute that works really well in many stories is when the characters don’t know they’ll be seeing a lot of each other and/or aren’t too thrilled about it. This is especially fun for awkward situations where the character thinks “oh well, I’ll never see them again anyways,” and then come to find out that they will be seeing them again, and a lot more at that. Awkward is cute, writers.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Elizabeth Belle and Sam Reid as John Davinière in Belle.

Pro tip: a sense of awkwardness or secondhand embarrassment is a fantastic feeling to give the reader. It’s as strong as , if not stronger than fear or desire, because its such a vulnerable emotion and it’s one we go out of our way to avoid. If you can invoke this in your reader, then congratulations, you’ve effectively written something that makes people feel.

A great example of this type of meet cute is in the movie Belle, when Dido and John run into each other on her late-night walk. She is startled at first when she finds that he actually came bringing news for her uncle and even more so when she discovers her uncle is John’s tutor and they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.

Another example of this type of meet cute is in Jane Eyre when Jane first meets Mr. Rochester, he doesn’t tell her who he is, but later when she returns home, she recognizes his dog and realizes the true identity of the man she’d met on the road, earlier that day.

This kind of meet cute is really great because not only does it introduce a whole new level of awkward! but it also allows us to get to know the characters before they know each other and makes their relationship down the road, a lot cuter.

Irony, or something happening that would never happen later in the story

Megan Follows as Anne Shirley and Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (1985).

This is probably one of the most powerful, yet hard to pull off versions of the meet cute, but if you can nail it, it can prove for a really effective first meeting and adds dept to the relationship later. Using irony in your meet cute makes the meeting 100x better because when these two characters are in love some day and they look back on their relationship later, it will be so funny to look back and think about how ironic their first encounter really was.

One great example of the use of irony in a meet cute is in Anne of Green Gables when Anne Shirley breaks Gilbert Blythe’s slate over his head out of temper when he teases her repeatedly. This was a very effective and ironic meet cute because the two characters would never behave in such a way after they’d gotten together but it really makes for a memorable first meeting.

 “I've loved you ever since that day you broke your slate over my head in school." Oh Gil❤️

The second meeting is even more awkward

Okay, the only thing better than making your reader feel the palpable awkwardness is making them feel it twice! (Or three times if you’re gutsy enough!) This kind of meet cute is incredibly effective, especially if you tie it in with the first two where 1) only the reader knows they will meet and 2) they don’t know they’ll run into each other a lot more following the first meeting. This makes for a really, really strong meet cute where the characters and the reader are almost swimming the awkward emotions and the only way to move past it is to keep reading and see how it plays out.

The first meeting happens and once it’s over and done, you can bring it back around for the second meeting which is filled to the brim with potential for even more awkwardness, shyness, embarrassment and dramatic meet cute goodness!

An example of this meet cute is in Downton Abbey when Mary Talbot  and Matthew Crawley meet for the first time, she walks in on Matthew saying some offhanded things to his mother. He is talking about how he will likely be shoved into an arranged marriage with  one of the Talbot daughters since their parents had heard he was a bachelor. She says she hopes she isn’t interrupting anything but of course, that proves to be the case when they meet again later and its super awkward.

Callback to the meet cute

Megan Follows as Anne Shirley and Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe in Anne of Green Gables (1985).

All of these are great ways to effectively nail the meet cute for your characters, but you get bonus points for bringing it back up later on in the story. It’s really fun to see the characters in love reflecting on their embarrassing first meeting and makes for a great treat for the reader. A callback is a really effective literary device where something happens in the beginning of the story and is later referenced towards the end of the story in another context, essentially calling it back to the reader’s memory.

Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann and Gregory Peck as Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday (1953).

Some particularly cute examples of this callback to the meet cute is in Anne of Green Gables when Gil calls her Carrot, endearingly, in Roman Holiday when Princess Ann says “So happy, Mister Bradley,” in reference to her muttering “So happy” in her sleep on the street, and in Jane Eyre when Mr. Rochester says, “You always were a witch” to Jane in reference to their very first meeting when he’d said “Get away from me, witch!”

These are just a few really well-done meet cutes and you’ll find it’s always the little things that make these meeting iconic, memorable, and downright adorable.

That’s it for the secrets to the perfect meet cute. Try using them all and let me know what you think. Do you prefer to use one version over another or do you like using them together? Do you ever call back to your meet cutes? What is the most important element of a meet cute? And what are some of your favorite meet cutes? Let me know in the comments below!

Further reading:

• How to Write Hate-To-Love Romance

• How To Write Best Friends to Lovers Romance - That Feels Realistic

• How To Write Love Triangles - The Right Way

• The Top 10 Worst Romance Tropes EVER

• 5 Supernatural Romance Reads for February 2020

• 5 Contemporary Romances Everyone Should Read

• Classic Romance Reading Challenge for February 2020

Thumbnail photo by Natalie.

—Payton

7 Amatuer Writer Worries That Keep You From Taking The Plunge (And Ultimately Don't Matter)

Sometimes amateur writers get hung up on concerns when their worries really aren’t warranted and never end up taking the big plunge into writing. Some writers worry about their craft and the writing process while others worry about the business side of things. Whether its in my writing circles or in online groups, I see novice writers fretting about these seven things constantly, even though they’re not topics that new writers should be concerned with. These seven things hold many aspiring writers back, but once you learn to let these worries go and just write, your craft and career will come much easier.

Idea stealing

First and foremost, this is the single biggest concern most new writers have, especially when it comes to releasing their writing to online social media platforms or self-publishing.

Here’s the thing—ideas are a dime a dozen and when it comes down to the value of an idea versus the value of writing, it is always dependent on the execution of said idea. Most ideas, when it comes to pitching or marketing, are remarkably similar. However, it’s the writing that sets you apart from everyone else. Your worldview and experiences are going to shape the way you tell the story and execute the idea, and that alone is going to make your story vastly different than mine or another writer’s.

While there are some unscrupulous individuals out there, that is a very, very small minority compared to the rest of the creatives in the writing community. If you do encounter someone who is stealing your ideas there are two likely outcomes: 1) the thief likely won’t finish/see the idea through or 2) the thief won’t execute the idea as effectively as you will. If you do have a brilliant idea and any decent writing skill, you shouldn’t worry about hack writers stealing your ideas because the odds are more in your favor—that whatever you write will likely always be better than the writing of the person who is stealing your ideas.

Just a side note: your work is protected by U.S. Copyright law from the very moment you write it down. You can’t copyright ideas, but the expression and execution of these ideas are your intellectual property and they are protected.

Of course, this doesn’t excuse straight plagiarism. Nothing ever can excuse that level of creative theft. If another writer is stealing your words, they should be contacted and asked to remove the plagiarized work from their platforms and if they don’t comply, legal action should be taken. Copyright infringement is a serious offense and should not be taken lightly.  You can help keep the writing community free of plagiarism by reporting any instances of this that you see to the U.S. Copyright Office. You can also learn more about your rights as a creator here.

I could go on and on about this topic but TL:DR: idea stealing isn’t a real issue that novice writer should be too concerned about. If you’re really worried, just stay on the safe side and be careful who you share your work with. I wouldn’t post your entire manuscript online for the entire public to read with abandon but do your research and know that you can share your work with others. Critique partners and mentors are amazing for this purpose exactly. And remember, even if they steal the core premise, their delivery will be vastly different from your own. No two stories are the exact same, especially when writers have different experiences and worldviews.

Being original

This is another concern of novice writers—that they want their writing to be original. If you’ve heard the saying “There’s nothing new under the sun,” then prepare to love it, because I am going to tell you all about why novice writers should NOT be concerned with their work being original. It’s almost impossible to invent a new idea. There is this canon of stories, storytelling techniques, popular tropes, themes, character types, story beats, and other elements of storytelling.  With regard to these things, there is really no originality in most modern writing and classics alike. However, you can be original in your execution. No, I am not talking about killing people here—I am talking about the unique way you tell a story. Jeez—keep up, will you?

Anyway, it’s the execution that makes the idea original—you are putting your own spin on the idea with your own writing style, combination of tropes and character types, and techniques. With that said, you should be conscious of being too derivative. If this is the case, go back to your outline and work more on the idea and its basic elements.

So yeah, there’s nothing new under the sun—big deal. There are tons of new things on the sun, around the sun, above the sun, inside the sun—you get my point, right? It doesn’t matter if the core premise is unoriginal, if the writing style, characters, and delivery is. These original elements can set you apart from the competition in ways that originality in ideas just can’t.

Perfection in the first book or first draft

This has to be one of the biggest hurdles for novice writers and that’s that their work won’t measure up, won’t be good enough, or won’t be perfect on the first draft. Let me tell you something: that’s absolutely right. So, stop worrying about trying to create perfect writing and just write. That’s why we call them rough drafts, right? They aren’t supposed to be your best work on the first try. No, that’s why we revise and edit.

Here are some ways novice writers get all wound up about perfection in the first draft:

• Editing the beginning of the book before you’ve finished writing it

• Sending out early chapters to alpha readers or critique partners and making changes before the work is complete

• Waiting for others to validate the writing

It really doesn’t matter how good or bad your first draft is, because you’re going to edit it. Editing and revising are natural parts of the writing process, so it isn’t worth getting all wound up over trying to execute a perfect first draft. Most new writers get upset because they compare themselves to successful published writers, but almost all books out there are not the first draft edition and have undergone a rigorous editing and revising process before publication. Also, odds are is that any given book is likely not the authors first serious work and is actually the culmination of years of trial and error, experience, and growth in the writing process.  Perfection is overrated. Write first. Edit later. The editing can wait, but the final product cannot, so tell your inner editor to take a hike.

Focusing on publication and marketing

Another thing I see many new writers spin their wheels over and get too concerned with is all of the stuff that comes after you’ve written the book—the publishing process, the querying, the marketing, the launch etc. None of these things matter unless you’ve finished the book.

I see a lot of writers get caught up in the fantasy of what comes after publishing—the dream essentially. The problem is, is that that dream can’t come true unless you execute and write the book first. You can use these things as motivation to drive your efforts, but don’t get caught up in everything that comes after, so much so that you lose sight of the important part and that’s actually writing the book to begin with.

Editors are (not) monsters!

Another concern I see among amateur writers is that they will fundamentally change your book—that your creative vision, your baby will be crushed and ruined by the system and this is why traditional publishing is bad.

1) this is probably one of the biggest myths about the publishing industry EVER. Editors can’t make you do anything and besides, they are there to serve as a handmaiden to the writer. Editors don’t force fundamental changes on authors. Editors don’t just make these kind of lateral moves. The publishing industry is collaborative in nature and no one is forcing writers to make fundamental changes to their manuscript. Professionals make suggestions and the writer makes the changes as his or her discretion.  

2) Writers have a lot of power in the writing and editing process. Aside from the technical and stylistic advice editors give, authors should take most editing advice with a grain of salt and use their best judgement when navigating critiques and editing suggestions. A lot of the editing process is subjective, and worldview can and will impact what suggestions an editor makes.

Take critiques constructively and not personally and see whether they add meaningful changes to the story or should be ignored. Ultimately, you have the say in the direction in which your story goes. Don’t let the fear of red pens and monsters in reading glasses keep you from telling your story. If you get wrapped up in the idea that your book is a sacred creative vision and you can’t stand the idea of others’ suggestions, then truthfully, you are afraid of criticism. This is a serious fear and it should be reckoned with because if you ever hope to publish and have readers, you will have to be able to take criticism, constructive or otherwise.

One way to rid yourself of this fear is to start thinking about your book as a commercial product instead of a sacred piece of art. Once you acknowledge that you are creating a product for consumers—which they will not only buy, but also read, then you will stop thinking of the book as a piece of art with holy, creative meaning. You won’t grow as a writer if you aren’t open to criticism. If you want to read more on this topic, click here.

Negative reviews

Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with handling criticism but to work in a creative and commercial industry, you must be able to accept criticism—both good and bad. If this just isn’t something you are comfortable with, then you aren’t ready to publish and you likely never will be. Stick to writing for yourself if you can’t come to terms with the fact that not everyone will like your work.

I always think of this Dita Von Teese quote every time I talk to a writer who is afraid of dealing with criticism:

“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s, still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” -Dita Von Teese

And the same thing goes for writing. Your book can be the best in the whole world, and there will be someone out there who hates it. We all have our own preferences and opinions and we’re all entitled to them.  You can’t please everyone, so stop trying to now. Write because it’s what you do, be willing to take feedback, and learn to grow from the criticism instead of getting caught up in the negativity.

On the literary side, you will be rejected by agents and publishers and on the self-publishing side, you’ll be rejected by negative reader reviews. It is easier to let go of negative reviews if you think of them as a consumer tool. They’re not for you, the writer—they’re for other readers. As a consumer tool, they have to exist on their own, in this space. Likewise, readers should not be offering craft advice to writers in this space.

Far future planning

The final and most ridiculous concern I see amateur writers getting all wrapped up in is planning waaaay too far in advance. These are the kind of writers that worry about their perfect agent or editor who will be the one to help them with the rest of their books down the line. Sometimes they envision the perfect publisher and spend entirely too much time looking for these things and don’t end up writing the book to begin with.

This is a complete waste of energy and time. The industry is so competitive and constantly in flux, so it is futile to try and plan everything out ahead of time. Focus on the short-term goals—writing and editing the book, creating a killer query for said book, finding an agent who will pick up the book in question, and the marketing for the current book.

Of course, writing ALWAYS comes first, but these are the short-term goals that you should focus on as a writer. You’ll have jam-packed months when the publishing process is in full swing and other, slower months when there is no book to work on or market. Don’t plan too far ahead; it’s a waste of time because you’ll find that nothing really ever goes exactly as planned.

It’s important to remember, you don’t have to stick with any one agent, publisher, or editor. It’s not uncommon to switch between agents or test-run editors before sticking with one for the long term. You need to find the agent that will sell your book NOW and only worry about the other projects when you get to them, down the line. The cold, hard truth about it is this: if you spend all your time planning for your future career and don’t work on finding an agent for your current project, you won’t have a successful career in the long run, and you’ll have just wasted time. This is one of the only instances where being shortsighted comes in handy.

That’s it for my list of the 7 common concerns of amateur writers. These are all things that just don’t matter and constantly hold aspiring writers back from the craft and ultimately, their dreams. These things don’t really matter, at least not in a meaningful way, and definitely not right now. Don’t put your writing career on the back burner out of fear or wasting time worrying about any of these issues, because they’re really not a big deal. It’s good to do a little planning and have a general vision and a strong why, but cross those bridges when you get to them and allow some flexibility to your plan.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Have you heard of any of these concerns before? What is your biggest fear as a writer?

—Payton

8 Questions Writers Should Ask Themselves In 2020

Setting goals and resolutions is an important part of getting ready for the start of a new year and new decade and asking yourself a few critical questions can get the creative ball rolling. Consider these eight questions when outlining your goals for 2020 and think about what achievements and improvements you made in 2019 compared to 2018 and how you’ll bring that momentum forward into the new year.

What is your single biggest priority as a writer in 2020?

Do you want to finally publish your  novel? Are you still writing the story? Are you in the editing phase? Will you self-publish or traditionally publish the story? What part of the process are you currently in and what preparations need to be made to make this goal a possibility in 2020?

Photo by Vlada Karpovich.

As creative individuals, writers often juggle a million different passion projects at any given time, but to effectively execute any one task, we must focus out efforts on one project at a time. What project makes the most sense for you in 2020?

Take it from me —someone who has been officially diagnosed with adult ADHD—when I say I know how hard it is to focus your energy on one thing, but it’s equally as important as it is difficult. I don’t necessarily believe in the Jack of All Trades, Master of None sentiment, but I know if you have too many irons in the fire, you certainly will get burned one way or another.

The truth is that we just don’t have enough time and attention to do EVERYTHING. So, I challenge you to tackle the biggest, scariest project this year, and better yet, early in the year,  to get yourself up over that dreaded hurdle and keep the killer momentum going.

How many books do I want to release in 2020?

This question isn’t just for traditionally published authors with book deals and advances. You know what they say about dressing the part? It’s the same with writing—if you want to be a published author with all those shiny book deals and advances, you must start acting like one now, and moreover, writing like one. If you can write an entire book, move it through several stages of revisions and edits and produce a polished, final copy that’s a feat of strength on its own, especially if you can do it in one year. Additionally, it’s even more incredible if you can do that a few times each year, but that’s what it takes to become a traditionally published and professional writer—consistency, dedication, patience, and perseverance. So, whether public or private, how many books will you release this year? 

How much time will I devote to my writing each day, week, or month in 2020?

Part of being a dedicated and consistent writer is building time into your schedule for writing. This is the key to conquering writer’s block and harnessing your creativity and it’s crucial for any writer wanting to turn their passion into a full-time career. Consider when and for how long you will write every day. It might be a trial and error process but try a few different schedules and see what works for you. You might not be a “Wake up to write at 5 am” person like Amy Landino, but you might be able to squeeze in an hour every night before bed or something similar and less intense. Start with just 20 minutes a day and gradually increase the time so that you reach your desired time block for writing while building the daily writing habit without throwing your existing schedule into chaos.

How much money will I invest in my craft in 2020?

Consider what route you will take and start doing research. Maybe you are self-publishing—one avenue that isn’t cheap. You’ll have to pay for editing, layout and cover design, and marketing. Perhaps it’s time you got you’re a writing services listed on a proper website rather than you’re your LinkedIn profile? Hiring a developer, or at the very least, a designer who will put together your site using  a hosting platform such as Squarespace or Weebly, will set you back a few hundred, depending on the complexity of the site. Maybe you want to learn more about writing by taking a few master classes. Add up all the different ways you can invest in your brand as an author and budget for these expenses so your creative growth in 2020 isn’t gated by money or lack thereof.  

What are my weaknesses as a writer?

Photo by Vlada Karpovich.

We all have strengths and weaknesses and there are a few different methods of determining what your weaknesses as a writer are:

• Have your manuscript professionally critiqued/reviewed.

• Open up your manuscript to beta readers.

• Participate in a critique group for feedback on your writing.

• Have a friend who is well-versed in your genre read your manuscript

Post parts of your manuscript on free reading sites like Wattpad (I wouldn’t post the entire thing for free. Consider posting the first third of the story and adjust visibility as needed. Even though your writing is protected by US Copyright Law, it can be hard to know when someone breaks the law if they aren’t caught. This will better protect your writing against plagiarists.)

Once you’re aware of the trouble areas in your writing, you can work to improve them in 2020.  Writers can have several strengths and weaknesses. Maybe narrative is your forte but dialogue…not so much. Maybe you need to learn how to employ the senses and imagery to create a more immersive and engaging reading experience. Maybe you need to improve your openings or endings. There are plenty of writing exercises to help you build your skill and strengthen these weaknesses.

What are my weaknesses as a marketer?

Many writers cringe at the thought of marketing their writing but it’s not really as scary as it initially seems. It just takes a little doing to get familiar with how marketing works but once you get it, it can be fun. To determine how familiar, you are with marketing what strengths and weaknesses you have, you can do the following:

• Hire a marketing professional or schedule coaching call with one.

• Join author groups online and in person and see how the other members market their work.

• Read books and articles on marketing and follow tutorials on YouTube.

• Research how other authors in your genre have successfully marketed their own novels.

How can I get involved in my writing community?

Photo by Canva.

While marketing is an important aspect of successful businesses in 2020, it’s also important to take care of yourself, both in an out of your craft. I’m not going to get all self-care-lecture-y on you, but you should, for your own sanity, get involved in the writing community both online and locally. I know it’s sort of become a mood to lock yourself away with your coffee and keyboard (or typewriter) and write all day long, but it’s important to have a constructive crew of like-minded creatives to surround yourself with. Other writers can act as sounding boards, sources of inspiration, and often, they have plenty of useful advice and information to freely give. Not only that, but by having critique partners, you strengthen each other’s writing because every manuscript can benefit from a second set of eyes.

Some ways to get involved in the local writing community:

• Join a local writing group

• Joining or forming a local book club

• Attending local or regional writers’ conventions, conferences, retreats, or workshops

• During NaNoWriMo, check for local Come Write-Ins in your area

• Some ways to get involved in the online writing community:

• Join Facebook writer groups

• Join Betabooks.co to connect with beta readers and become a beta reader yourself

Engage with writers and readers in your genre on Twitter and Instagram by using relevant hashtags and commenting frequently on posts you truly love/connect with.

How can I grow my tribe in 2020?

This shouldn’t come as a surprise but like marketing, growing your community’s engagement is going to take some doing. Remember it isn’t and should never be just about the numbers. You want to make real connections with people and develop a group or true fans that will support you. This is your tribe and if cultivated carefully and correctly, they’ll stick around for a long time, through the thick and thin. They in turn will help grow the tribe and the wonderfully vicious cycle repeats.

So how do you grow the tribe? Some ways to inspire engagement on your platforms are:

• Engage with other users on social media, especially in your genre and medium.

• Provide quality, valuable content to readers via newsletter marketing Read my blog post on Newsletter Marketing That Doesn’t Suck here.

• Pay for targeted adds through Facebook and Google (these are proven to be effective due to their highly skilled algorithms)

And that’s it for my 8 questions that writers should ask themselves in 2020. Of course these are just a few guidelines for narrowing down your goals for 2020 and it’s just a starting area. If you’d like to see more questions like these, and if you enjoyed this list, let me know! What are your goals and/resolutions for 2020?

Further Reading

• Spring Cleaning for Writers: 10 Things Every Writer Should Do Before 2020

• 5 Actionable New Year’s Resolutions For Writers In 2020

• 20 Bookish New Year’s Resolutions for 2020

—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

20 Tips and Tricks for Email Newsletters That Don't Suck

Please note: This website recently underwent a re-branding so some of the photos present in this post are no longer consistent with the aesthetic of this website and other marketing. However, these images still serve as excellent examples for the tips I provided so I’ve kept them in.

Why do I need an email newsletter?

I sincerely hope you’re not asking this question, but if you are, don’t fret! I’m here to give you the zero-bull answers and actionable advice (how’s that for alliteration?) for creating an email newsletter that doesn’t suck. On paper, an email newsletter is a marketing campaign through which many corporations and entrepreneurs alike contact consumers and convert clicks to cash (okay, enough alliteration, I get it.) But in practice, it’s more complex and incredibly valuable. I can’t remember where I read or heard about it but apparently now, in the digital age, someone’s email is worth more than oil. Can you believe it?

An email newsletter is a valuable tool that every entrepreneur, writer, editor or freelancer should have in their toolbox. Newsletters allow you to advertise products and promotions to recipients in ways other advertisements can’t—you can give your readers special VIP access to content, discounts, and so much more. But there’s more to it than copying and pasting your most recent blog post into your email box. No—that’s how you get readers to unsubscribe, real quick. It takes some doing, but newsletter campaigns are an important and valuable way to connect with your audience. When I send out emails to my subscribers, they’re getting content they won’t find anywhere else.

There are some things to know before you jump off in the deep end of launching your first email marketing campaign.

Keep these in mind:

I always say authors should treat email newsletters like love letters, only not quite so romantic. You want them to be beautiful and actionable and you don’t want them to end up in the trash. Follow these basic guidelines as well as the extra mile tips to ensure your specially crafted newsletter translates to sales.

• Respect your subscribers’ privacy.

  There is nothing more annoying than getting emails you didn’t sign up for. Of course, coming by someone’s email isn’t always easy, which is why getting them to subscribe in the first place is the biggest hurdle here. But you should always be considerate of the fact that they agreed to subscribe to your email list on the promise that you will deliver relevant, useful content and use their email for nothing else.

• Don’t spam subscribers.

  Okay, maybe I lied before—the only thing more annoying than receiving emails you didn’t sign up for is getting your email inbox blown up. The number one reason I unsubscribe from an email list is when I get tons of irrelevant, non-useful, annoying emails. Subscribers don’t need to be updated 24/7 and you should be too busy to be sending out multiple emails a week anyways. If you need anymore convincing, its illegal to spam someone’s inbox, so at the very least, out of self-preservation, heed this advice: don’t spam.

• Be professional, even if you’re not one (yet).

  When it comes to email newsletters, you can get comfortable and friendly with subscribers, but be professional. You never want to send out unfinished, unbranded, unedited, or remotely incomplete emails. Additionally, typos, broken links, and content movement is inevitable. To avoid this, send out a test email. Test all the links, read your email carefully, and ensure it translates correctly to mobile. I always send my email campaigns out on my secondary, personal email account. This way, I can see exactly what my subscribers see.

• Be consistent.

  Subscribers are kind of funny in that they want routine, normalcy, and consistency in the content they consume. That’s exactly why YouTubers have upload schedules and TV channels air certain shows at the same time every week. This is important because when you reach out to your audience consistently, you build trust and recognizability with your audience and drive traffic to your site on a regular basis.

• Add value first, then call to action.

  This might be the single most important tip in this entire blog post, so if you take away anything at all, please, dear reader, let it be this. I always tell my clients that the single best way to separate yourself from the competition is to add value first, then call to action later. What do I mean by that? Don’t expect your audience to do anything for you if you can’t provide them with plenty of useful, knowledgeable, or actionable advice beforehand. You wouldn’t subscribe to a YouTube channel without first knowing that you either a) enjoy the personality/humor of the YouTuber for entertainment or b) have found their channel is loaded with helpful, actionable advice, tips, tricks that are relevant to you.

  This is no different for your subscribers. The easiest way to achieve this is to think of your experience, knowledge, and findings as your product. As an online content creator, generosity first is always the way to go. By providing value to your subscribers, first, you’re essentially giving them a sample of the widely helpful content found all over your website and other social media platforms. Think of the value first approach as the sample lady at Costco. She’s the best, right? We love you, sample lady. Anyways, she is doing exactly what you should be doing and that’s providing you with value you first, so you’ll come back for more, later. Too bad you can’t come back for seconds of the samples. But if your content is truly helpful and relevant to the reader, they’ll be more than happy to subscribe—or as far as our analogy goes—pick up the full-size product.

  So how do you do this? Consider using freebies—free, downloadable content that is filled with useful, actionable advice, field hacks, or exclusive content. Amy Landino entices readers (and listeners of her podcast) to sign up to newsletters by offering her list of seven tips for going after the life you want. Shayla Raquel does the same by offering her Pre-Publishing checklist via email for all new subscribers. Jorden Makelle, from Creative Revolt, offers instant access to her free marketing class for freelance writers upon subscription. I offer my Consistent Writer Checklist to my potential subscribers. See? Offer access to useful, irresistible content that subscribers will gladly give you their email for.

• Don’t repost your blog post in your newsletter. You’ll see waaay more about this as you scroll down, trust me. But if you make peace with it now, then you can laugh at all the times I included it in this blog post. (Some people just don’t get it, what else could I do?)🤷

Okay, now that you know the basics, lets talk about some of the creative, more exciting aspects of email marketing.

What can I talk about in my emails?

As a book editor, and fantasy writer, it’s unsurprising that most of these topics will revolve around the publishing world, but they’re relevant to any content creator. Do not just dump your blog post in your newsletter. Don’t.

• Add anything that adds value to your emails and shows off your personality!

• Advanced reader book copies (ARCs)

• Behind-the-scenes as a writer/content creator

• Best tips and tricks that go with your content’s topics/message

• Book reviews or featured books (products related to your niche are great)

• Case studies that demonstrate how your information or service has helped someone

• Contests/giveaways

• Checklists

• Deleted scenes and alternate endings to your book (content creators that aren’t in publishing, you can send bloopers or reject photos from your camera roll that just didn’t quite make it to Instagram)

• Events

• Exclusive Email-only discounts

• Free, downloadable resources

• First book in your series (this is great when you have the series already completed)

• First chapter in your book (be sure you have formatted as a PDF, mobi, and epub)

• Helpful printables (character sheets, NaNoWriMo kits, budgets, planners, calendars, bucket lists)

• Hobbies and other interests (inside looks such as photos, videos, and writing that revolves around your hobbies, that might not be as well known on your website or social media)

• Inside looks and updates publishing process (budding authors are so eager for these sneak peeks!)

• Inside scoop on the research process

• Interviews

• Launch team invitation

• Lists (current favorites, sites, books, podcasts, tools, software)

• Motivational or inspirational advice that applies to your field

• Photos of people and places that inspired your book

• Playlists for your books (Abbie Emmons and tons of other writers do this to get in the right headspace for writing, but readers love getting inside looks into the process—and content around your novel, published by you is canon!)

• Printable poster (Natalie Brenner did this with preorders)

• Printable Christmas Ornaments (The Chicago Graham School did this with their Chicago Manual of Style)

• Round-up of most popular blog posts (fan favorites)

• Sneak peeks (book cover, teasers, excerpts)

• Upcoming events/book signings/readings/Facebook Live events

• Videos

• Video series (Amy Landino does this with her Secret Podcast on her Patreon)

• Your story (how you first got into writing, what inspired your recent book)

Here’s an example of one of my giveaway emails:

Alright, now that you not only know the basics, but you’ve got a pretty good idea of the kind of value you can deliver straight to your subscribers’ inbox, but how do you actually set up a newsletter campaign? Do you just…send emails manually? Yikes! Of course, it’s not that labor intensive, but it will take some work beforehand. Once you’re all set up, you can send emails regularly, like a pro! (Even automated ones!) I’ve organized the following sections into two lists—the first explaining how to set up the email campaign and the second that shows you simple, easy-to-execute ways to go the extra mile and stand out from competition.

Setting up your email newsletter

 Step one: Buy a domain name email address. It’s likely if you’re reading this that you already have a website and that’s how subscribers are signing up for your email list, but if that’s not the case, I want to know your secret! Also, you’re going to need a domain name and email address. Gmail and other email services don’t like it when email newsletters come from third-parties without a domain email address. These email platforms are much nicer to you when your third-party emails come from a domain email address. When using online marketing tactics, the path of least resistance is always your friend. In fact, back when I used wonderforestofficial@gmail.com Gmail would hide my email newsletters in spam folders. That is definitely not the goal here, so to make sure your special, handcrafted email newsletter doesn’t get thrown in the trash, use a domain email address. Purchase your domain email address from Google Domains and add the new address to the settings in your third-party email server.

Once that’s done, be sure to verify and authenticate your domain. Email authentication improves deliverability. It’s a sender identification tool that helps keep your emails out of subscribers’ spam folders. Think of it as shiny, metal namepin (compared to a sticker nametag). If there’s a second major takeaway from this blog post, it’s that you really, really need to verify your domain.

Step two: Pick a campaign manager. If you use Squarespace, it might make more sense to use their built-in email campaign interface because it’s easier to work with but it can be quite limited with some elements. It currently does not support code injection, social icons, or file attachments. On the other hand, Squarespace email campaigns work seamlessly with your website.

Alternatively, you could use Mailchimp or another email campaign manager. These two are the most popular, but it’s totally up to you. Mailchimp is a little unconventional but it has a lot of capabilities.

Both of these options (and most others out there) offer free accounts with basic capabilities as well as different tiers for paid accounts with all sorts of additional features. Please note, automated emails are free with Mailchimp and require at least, the $14/month plan from Squarespace and free accounts with both services do not allow you to hide their branding (the Squarespace or Mailchimp logos will be at the bottom of your emails).

Mailchimp branding at the end of emails for free accounts:

Mailchimp’s logo in the footer of free plans.

Click here to view Mailchimp’s pricing and plan features

Squarespace branding at the end of emails for free and some paid accounts:

Squarespace branding in the footer of plans $14 and under. I currently use the $14 plan so this is what I see in the footers of my emails.

Click here to view Squarespace’s pricing and plan features

I have used Mailchimp, but currently, I use the Squarespace email campaign manager, so most of the tips in this guide will be for these two services. I won’t go too in-depth with the features, but I’ll include links to the respective guides.

Step three: Enable social sharing images (Squarespace) or social cards (Mailchimp). Social cards allow people to show off an image, headline, and short description when they share your newsletter on social media. I’ve included a photo of a Facebook social card for my website so you can get an idea. Not only does this ensure the link back to your newsletter look professional, but it adds to the overall consistency of your brand and makes your newsletter look uniform with the rest of your branding. You can click here for a guide to adding social sharing images in Squarespace or social cards in MailChimp.

Step four: Add click-to-tweet features to your newsletters. Your true, passionate readers want to help you, so make it convenient for them. Like I said earlier, the path of least resistance is key. If you say something inspirational or encouraging in your newsletter, then write it again in a bigger font and hyperlink it with the click-to-tweet link. Additionally, anything that is particularly clever or funny is gold for click-to-tweet links because readers are more likely to retweet something they found striking. Be sure to add your Twitter handle, the line of text you want tweeted, and the link for your current email newsletter and bam—easy, autonomous marketing! And the subscriber is none the wiser.

Step five: Set up autoresponders. An autoresponder sends an email series after the subscriber has been put on your email list. Autoresponders go out even when you’re sleeping! Note that this is different a campaign. Set up a series to tell the reader more about you and give them that value (freebie) they willingly signed up for. Chances are, if they signed up, they already read something of yours they enjoyed and would like to learn more about you. Set it up so that it sends a couple of emails out over the following week to keep you fresh in the reader’s mind and build on that relationship.

Autoresponders in Squarespace are under the Automation Tab in the email campaigns manager, and automation in Mailchimp, under the Automate Tab in the main navigation.

Step six: Create a promotional pop-up or cover/landing page and an opt-in page. The promotional pop-up is a dialogue box that pops up when users enter your site. The cover page is a simple one-page website that is connected to your site and acts as a flashing arrow to your newsletter. Be careful with the pop-up though, because it there is too much going on or if it’s too hard to get past it, subscribers will give up and leave. Whichever you go with, on your website, create an opt-in page where the entire emphasis is on signing up for your emails. By making it a page instead of just a newsletter block, you can easily add the link to Instagram or use it in Facebook groups. I always suggest this because it is much prettier and simpler than a) an ugly MailChimp link or b) saying, “Just go to my website, and on the home page, on the right-hand side, scroll down halfway. . .”

No—just no.

Keep it simple, beautiful, and mobile-friendly. Redirecting new subscribers to your personal Facebook group allows you to engage with them better and form stronger relationships. One of my clients has a Facebook page set up for her book, where readers are directed so they can connect and share their thoughts on the novel. She often engages with her subscribers there and thus builds stronger relationships with them, not only as a writer, but as a person.

Step seven: Deliver on your promise. If your subscibers gave you their oh-so-valuable email address on the promise that you would give them some kind of freebie, then you better deliver. I unsubscribe SO FAST from email marketing that is just there to make a quick buck and doesn’t deliver. If you say you’re going to give me the first few chapters of your book, then link several versions of it. If you say you’re going to give me a free e-guide, the download link better be there.

Like I mentioned earlier, Squarespace currently doesn’t allow code injection or file attachments to their emails. I get around this by creating unlinked pages on my Squarespace website and putting multiple buttons with download links there.

Here’s what the email with the link to the download page looks like:

Here’s what the actual download page looks like:

See? For my freebie, the Consistent Writer’s Checklist, I offer four formats to chose from. And in my automated email, I provide them with the download page link. I also tell subscribers why they have to make so many clicks to reach the download, but hopefully Squarespace will support file attachments and code injection in the (very) (near) future.

Stand out from the competition with these simple steps

To set the from field as your name, open the email campaign > go to the “Email” tab> “Sender Profile” >and create a sender profile if you don’t already have one. Make sure your name is in the “Sender Name” field.

Use your name in the from field and the subscriber’s name in the email header. If you’re using your own publishing, website, or blog name, you might have more luck getting subscribers to open the email switching to your name (or for some authors, your pseudonym). I made that switch earlier this year, and it increased my open rate when subscribers saw emails coming from Payton rather than my company name, Wonderforest.

To set this up, make sure your newsletter form requires names and emails for submission and follow this Mailchimp guide here or keep reading for Squarespace.

To address the subscriber by name in Squarespace, go into your email campaigns manager and begin a new email campaign. You can design it as you like, but for the purposes of this guide, I am going to assume you wrote “Hi,” at the top of the email. Follow “Hi” with an open curly bracket or “{“ to reveal a drop-down list of options. Squarespace has coded this so that your newsletter automatically pulls names from your storage (Google drive or something similar where your list is stored) and places them straight into your email.

Additionally, you can add a substitute name to call your subscribers if you already have a running list with subs that somehow didn’t add their name in the name field of your newsletter form. This way, it still has a personal touch.

When creating a new Squarespace campaign, simply type an open curly bracket or a “{“ (without the quotes) and a drop-down menu will appear.

When creating a new Mailchimp campaign, select the “Personalize the “To” field” option to personalize the email by adding subscribers’ names to the header.

If you use Squarespace campaigns, I HIGHLY suggest you add a secondary email to your newsletter list so you can clearly see what it looks like as a subscriber, since any email you send to your main email (that either sends owns the domain OR sends the newsletter out) will always say, “[Test Email]” in the subject line and and may not format the subscriber names correctly.

Email campaigns sent to your website’s main email, domain owner, or the email you sent the campaign with will always say “[Test Email]” in the subject line.

As you can see, subscriber the subscriber name (or in this case, my name) was not automatically ported into the name field. Instead, it defaulted to my back-up name, “writerly friend”.

What it looks like on your end:

What it looks like to your subscribers:

Spend time on your headline. This is where my experience in journalistic writing is so handy, because as a journalist, the fastest way to grab or lose a reader’s attention is in the headline. However, you should keep in mind that certain words in email headlines automatically trigger emails and send them straight to spam—words like free, call now, or bonus. Most modern email services are designed to help eliminate spam emails and there are so many things to be mindful of to ensure your newsletter doesn’t end up in the wrong folder.

If you’re following the rules in this blog post, you’re sure to land it in the inbox, every time.  For more reading on designing inbox-safe, compelling headlines, CopyBlogger has a fantastic guide. Another way to stand out (especially to millennials and younger readers) in your headlines, is using emojis or emoticons! I prefer the surprised face, the crying-laughing emoji, and the explosion emoji because they’re interesting, funny, and relatable. 😲 💥 😂

For the headline guide from Copyblogger, click here.

Add a short bio and photo. Just because someone subscribed once, (and likely just to get access to the freebies, let’s be real) doesn’t mean they always remember who they subscribed to. It’s nice to remind them who you are. This also helps subscribers build trust with your brand because not only are they getting to know a little bit about you along with the content, they are putting a face with the name and the brand.

See how I introduced myself, directed them to my other sites, and told them what to expect from my newsletter and other social media? Do this to make your emails more personal and to help your readers put and keep a name with the face.

Speaking of which, you can also include a small profile picture or your signature to your email. I would recommend NOT using your real legal signature. Instead, use your author, artist, or business signature. Alternatively, you can create a faux signature in Canva, like I did. In real life, I sign my documents with a little star, so I tried to keep that personality with the heart sticker I added to my faux signature. This font is called The Artist Script which is available with Canva Pro. I also recommend The Something Script. These two script fonts are great because they look less like a font and more like actual handwriting.

If you have a signature you’d like to use instead of Canva, you can either sketch it out with a drawing tablet, or go old-fashioned by writing it out a couple of times on paper and then taking the best one and photo-copying it. I prefer using Canva or a drawing tablet because you can create an image with can be resized and won’t lose it’s quality with any adjustments that are made, but I completely understand that not everyone has access.

The Artist Script is available with a Canva Pro Account.

The Something Script is available with a Canva Pro Account.

Be a person first and a sale, second. Just because all the big creators are pushing book sales 24/7 doesn’t mean you have to. Thankfully, there are still some big authors who don’t do this. You’ll do a much better job of selling your products/services if you establish a relationship with your readers—not hound them to click the buy button. I’ll say it again for those in the back, action first, value later. Hey, maybe I should make that into a click-to-tweet for this blog post!

Don’t give people a reason to unsubscribe. In fact, make it nearly impossible for them to want to do this. If your headline tells them they’re going to get a free download, then make sure the free, downloadable content is there. Additionally, if you're emailing them constantly, it's going to get old quick. Same goes for using click bait—you’ll probably have some angry subscribers. Send every email with intention and think before doing it. Ask yourself, "Would this make me unsubscribe?"

Segment your email newsletter list. Emails are not one-size-fits-all. Certain emails will be better suited for your loyal subscribers and others might be better for the new subscribers. Set up one set of emails for the true fans and another set for the newbies. Additionally, segmented lists are useful in getting rid of subscribers who never read your emails.

Add your socials. Include links to your other social media accounts (with the proper branding), follow and share buttons to your newsletter. Don’t arrange them too close together because you’ll have too many call-to-actions in one spot. I like to keep my follow buttons at the top beneath me logo, and my share buttons at the end of the email. Like I mentioned earlier, Squarespace doesn’t offer this feature yet, so I just use good, old-fashioned links. I only link to the sites I have linked on my website (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Goodreads) in my emails, but you can add as many as you like! Just don’t let it get cluttered.

Pro tip: For adding links to a Squarespace email, use line breaks, or “|” between links to keep everything separate and orderly.

Social links at the bottom of this website:

Social links at the bottom of my email:

See? Not only keeping consistency via the social links I include, but also with my witty coffee comments!

Keep a close eye on un-subscribers and spam complaints. Don’t get too hung up on anyone that unsubscribes from your email list. It’s not a big deal, because you don’t want them on your list anyway if they aren’t reading the emails. Trust me, you don’t—numbers don’t matter if they don’t care. But if you get several unsubscribes after one certain email, then you might want to pay attention. Did you do anything that might’ve caused so many people to opt out?

As far as abuse complaints are concerned, that shouldn’t be happening unless you’ve opted them in without their permission, purchased lists, or hidden your opt-out link. These are all important parts of being a respectful newsletter email-er. Your opt-out link should be easy to find—either at the top or bottom of the email, in a normal, nondescript font. As far as willfully opting people into your newsletter list goes, Just. Don’t. Do. It. Seriously. It’s as bad as buying followers on Instagram—it complicates data and fills your subscriber list with a poor representation of your audience.

Unsubscribe people who do not read your emails. One Shayla Raquel’s most effective campaigns was when she sent an email out asking a segmented list if they still wanted to write a book. “This would prompt them to either unsubscribe or respond to me. Once they responded, I asked them how I could help, which meant they were engaging again.” she said. Like I said previously, do not keep people on your list if they never read your emails. It skews your analytics. Either re-engage them or unsubscribe them—it’s as simple as that.

Check out Shayla’s blog here.

So why were the previous two sections so worried about skewing the data? That brings me to my final tip for sending effective email newsletters and that’s to keep track of reports to better understand your demographic. Mailchimp and Squarespace both have excellent information on your demographics, which you can then use to adjust your newsletter according.

You’ll notice that you have subscribers across the globe, opening your newsletter at different times in different time zones! You can also see exactly what your subscribers are clicking on the most, which will help you narrow the focus of your content. Getting niche is important in the content creation industry because it helps you avoid falling into believing in oversaturation. (I have an entire other blog post on that here. Don’t even get me started.) You’ll begin to have confidence that you’re producing quality content and your subscribers are enjoying what you have to share with them.

You can also use this information for other marketing strategies like Facebook ads, which are proven to be effective because of Facebook’s brilliant ability to accurately display relevant advertisements to potential subscribers.

Bonus Information

Here's an actual email I received, just the other day. THERE'S ABOUT FOUR PAGES WORTH OF BLOG POST IN HERE! WHY??? You bet I unsubscribed. It’s 2020, we don’t need that nonsense in our inboxes, and neither do your subscribers! Your newsletter should serve as another lead magnet to pull traffic to your site. Include a snippet of your blog post to grab readers’ attention and provide a “Read More” link to the full post, should they want more. It would be better for the reader to spend more time reading on your website than reading in their inbox.

1. How long should an email newsletter be? What’s the difference between a newsletter and a blog post? Can’t I just repost my blog post in the body of the newsletter? Should I keep the word count to a certain minimum? The truth is there are no hard and fast rules to writing email newsletters and that’s because they are often specific to the creator and the type of content being shared. I would recommend no more than a page and half, depending your topic and message. Use the KISS method—keep it simple, sweetie.

Of course, the more relevant value you can add, the better, but don’t overload subscribers. Leave the long-form content to the blog. Look at the photo on the right. As you can see, this email is so long I had to zoom out more than 200% to see the whole email on one screen. That’s too much. If you really must share that much, include an email-exclusive download link to a PDF. Don’t forget the freebies!

However, do not, and I repeat: DO NOT REPOST YOUR BLOG POST into your newsletter. Why would I willingly give you my email for something I can find on your blog? The answer is no, I wouldn’t. If there’s somehow a third major takeaway from this post, it’s this: don’t repost content. Instead, you want to deliver irresistible, exclusive, and valuable content to your subscribers’ inboxes. It is okay to notify subscribers of a new blog post this way, but copying and pasting content is just awful. Don’t.👏 Do. 👏 It.👏

2. How often should I send out newsletter emails? Like I said in the section waaaay earlier about spamming, don’t send newsletters out too often. It’s annoying to go from a satisfying Inbox (0) to having a non-empty inbox in a matter of hours, every day. I can already think of a few companies that ruin this satisfaction for me. Now, naturally, I would be thrilled to receive an email from someone I happily subscribed to for valuable content, but the truth is I don’t want emails all the time and neither do your subscribers. If that isn’t enough of a reason—you shouldn’t need or want to create that many newsletter campaigns and that much exclusive content.

3. How can I make my emails sound more human and less-computer generated—less like marketing copy? Let me tell you, this is not the time to whip out your clever marketing copy, not even a little. I’ve already touched on this topic in the section of tips for how to set yourself apart from competition, but here’s the main idea: Only you can be yourself, and only you have that uniqueness and advantage. Just carry that notion into your email newsletters. Talk to your subscribers the same way you would to a friend over coffee. Treat your subscribers like the VIPs they are and let them in.

Be your adorable, quirky, nerdy self and gush about the things you love and are passionate about (in my case, that is in fact, coffee and the Chicago Manual of Style) Kevin Kelly talks about having 1,000 true fans—that to be successful, you don’t need millions of followers, you just need 1,000 true fans. Your subscribers are your true fans, number one cheerleaders, and VIP’s so build true, meaningful connections with them.

Read Kevin Kelly’s essay about 1,000 true fans here.

I asked—then you asked and I answered.

I asked some of my editor and writer friends for questions for this blog post and they came through! Below are some of the most asked questions and my answers to provide you with a little more guidance to email newsletter marketing.

I've struggled with doing a newsletter mainly from a time perspective and what I should talk about in it. So, I would love to see some suggestions on this :D -Stephen Howard from the Developmental Editors group on Facebook

I’ve sort of addressed this in the beginning of the post, but I’ll expand on it. In addition to all the freebies, you should have some text in the newsletter and that will depend on your field, specialization, and personal interests. As an editor and writer with background experience in both art, computer science, and marketing, I have a wide range of topics to explore in both long and short form content. I suggest you explore your field and see what the competition is doing. See how you can do the same but in your own way and with more value. Additionally, there is not a best frequency to send out emails. I suppose it depends on the type of content and how much you have to share, but I prefer at least once a month, and if I am doing a series or something special on my website, I will send out additional emails as needed. I know some people who send out bi-weekly emails and it’s really just up to you. See what volume of emails works best for your schedule, what makes sense for your content, and what response you get from subscribers so you can adjust accordingly.

 I feel like I'd instantly run out of things to say! Also, how to get people interested in signing up for the newsletter if you don't have something to offer in exchange like a downloadable? (Or should you just make sure you've developed some resource you can use to encourage subscribers?) -Laura Elizabeth from the Developmental Editors group on Facebook.

I answered this above, but there are millions of topics out there, so I’d suggest exploring the competition in your field and seeing what you can do differently. And yes, you should create something first so you can give your potential subscribers a reason to subscribe. I prefer to set it up so that the item in question arrives by email once they’ve confirmed subscription. I know from personal experience that if you deliver before they confirm their email, then your confirmation email just ends up in the trash.

Why email marketing? Why do I grow my subscriber list? How do I figure out what to write about? What’s the best time of day to send emails? How often should I send emails to customers? -Geoffrey Andaria Shivayanga from the Writers Helping Writers group on Facebook

Email marketing is an incredibly valuable and highly coveted asset in the digital age. Like I said, emails are worth more than oil, and while it’s hard to believe, it’s true. An email is one of the most sacred spaces in the online world and it takes a lot of work to make your way into someone’s email inbox. It’s a personal way to contact someone and it’s one way you can be pretty certain your message will be read, as opposed to direct messages on social media, where tons of messages go unread for long periods of time due to the sheer volume the page owner receives on a daily basis.

You should be nurturing and growing your subscriber list because it will ensure people are reading your content, following you and your work and these are the type of people who will buy your products/services.

There is no best time to send emails, and like I said, you’ll notice your subscribers come from EVERYWHERE, which means multiple time zones. So, I suggest picking a good time to send emails that’s practical and sustainable for you. And again, you should send emails as often as it makes sense to do so.

Examples of email newsletters that don’t suck

Amy Landino’s Boss Notes email newsletters

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Shayla Raquel’s writing advice email newsletters

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William Bernhardt’s Red Sneaker Writer Newsletter

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Let’s recap

At least cover the basics

• Respect subscriber’s privacy. 🗸

• Don’t spam subscribers. 🗸

• Exercise professionalism with a personalized touch. 🗸

• Be consistent. 🗸

• Add value first, then call to action. 🗸

• Don’t repost blog posts in the newsletter. 🗸

Go the extra mile:

• Has a domain of their own. 🗸

• Has a campaign manager. (Not manually sending out emails) 🗸

• Enabled social sharing images. 🗸

• Add click-to-tweet features to your newsletters. 🗸

• Has set up autoresponders. 🗸

• Created an opt-in page or cover/landing page. 🗸

• Always deliver on promises. 🗸

• Personalize and customize emails. 🗸

• Use graphics, gifs, and emojis to grab attention. 🗸

• Spend time on the headline. 🗸

• Add a short bio, photo and/or signature. 🗸

• Be a person first and a sale, second. 🗸

• Don’t give people a reason to unsubscribe. 🗸

• Segment your email newsletter list. 🗸

• Add your socials. 🗸

• Keep a close eye on un-subscribers and spam complaints. 🗸

• Unsubscribe people who do not read your emails. 🗸

• Don’t send an email more than two pages long. 🗸

And when in doubt, use the KISS method—keep it simple, sweetie. 💋

Amy Landino and Shayla Raquel consistently meet not only the basics, but the extra mile as well, in every single one of their newsletter emails. It’s not hard to do, but it takes some effort, attention, and time. Effective email marketing is possible and sustainable, and it doesn’t have to suck.

Again, you can check out Shayla Raquel’s website here and Amy Landino’s website here.

Thank you to everyone who sent in questions and if you have a question, comment below and I can reply or add it to the post if it’s really good! What do you think about email marketing? Do you use it? Will you use it, now that you’ve read this blog post? What makes you unsubscribe the fastest? What makes you subscribe the fastest? What do you love and hate about email marketing?  Comment below!

Want an example of effective email marketing? Subscribe below to sign up for my emails so you can see how it’s done! Writers should DEFINITELY do this because as an incentive, I’m giving you my FREE guide to DEFEATING WRITER’S BLOCK for good. I call it my Consistent Writer Checklist and you can only get it by signing up!

Want to watch the video series instead?

The first video is out now, but four more will come out as well. These videos will go even more in-depth than my blog post, in shorter, easier-to-digest clips. The first video is more of an explanation of the first section of this post, the need-to-knows.

And that’s it for my 20 tips for newsletter marketing that don’t suck! I hope you enjoyed this list and found my humor amidst all the action. Have you heard of any of these tips before? Are there any that I might have missed? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Cottonbro.

—Payton

Get Things Done With The Pomodoro Technique

25 Minutes On,  5 Minutes Off, 4 Times—It’s That Easy.

When I first learned about the Pomodoro Technique, I probably thought the same thing as you—the Pomodoro what now? But as I learned more about it, it became an incredibly useful tool in writing projects.

What is the Pomodoro technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is time management method first developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s. The technique employs a timer to break large workloads into intervals at 25 minutes in length separated by five-minute breaks. Each interval is called a pomodoro, or the Italian word for tomato. Francesco Cirillo used the word pomodoro because it was the name of the kitchen times he used as university student.

How does it work?

When you sit down to work, you set a time for 25 minutes and work as diligently as possible for that amount of time. When the timer goes off, you take a quick five minute break and then repeat the process four times. When you’ve completed your fourth pomodoro, you take a thirty minute break.

Why does it work so well?

This process has grown in popularity, especially in entrepreneurial circles, and that’s because it works. You wouldn’t expect something so simple and easy to implement to be so effective, but it really is. The reason is because by breaking your workload into smaller parts, you make bigger tasks seem less daunting. If you only have to really focus for 25 minutes, you begin to challenge yourself to see what you can complete in that time frame.

Using the Pomodoro technique for writing everyday

I don’t usually use this time management method in my editing projects because breaking my reading concentration slows me down, but I love using it when writing. Especially when combined with NaNoWriMo, the pomodoro technique is insanely useful for getting writing done. Often, sitting down to write a blog post such as this or work on my manuscript is still a daunting task for me, but by breaking it up into a measly 25 minutes of work, I know I can accomplish a lot more because by breaking it down, I am also removing the dread that comes with knowing I have to write so much.

I usually complete my blog posts in a much shorter amount of time because I work so diligently within my allotted 25 minutes, and when the times goes off before I’m finished, I take a break and I’m ready to jump back in and pick up where I left off, usually finishing up not too long after the break.

And that’s it for my how-to-guide for the Pomodoro Technique! Have you ever heard of this method of timekeeping? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Anna Tarazevich

—Payton

Blank Pages Versus Bad Pages - Writer and Editor Brains At War Cause Writer's Block

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” -Jodi Picoult

One thing writers will tell you is that writer’s block is alive and well in most of us, but the reality is that those who claim to experience writer’s block haven’t build up to proverbial muscle memory of writing without editing and it is easier to repeatedly fall victim to bad habits than to take time out to build new ones. Everything comes down to this: writer’s block is defeated by writing. Simple as that. So, why am I telling you all of this? Because once you realize that bad pages are better than blank pages, it will get exponentially easier for you to write despite writer’s block, and eventually it won’t be an issue for you anymore.

What is writer’s block?

Writer’s block, as per Merriam Webster, is the problem of not being able to think of something to write about or not being able to finish writing a story, poem, etc. However, in recent years, the noun has become synonymous with the problem of not being motivated to write, or not being in the right head-space to do your best writing. Subsequently, this has been the definition of writer’s block I’ve come to know well, as it was the version that plagued me.

Blonde woman in a grey sweater, looking at blank pages in an unlined notebook. Photo by John Schnobrich.

Rough drafts

See, here’s the issue with writers that cling to that second definition—everyone’s rough draft is supposed to be ROUGH. There’s a reason that’s why we call them rough drafts. Even New York Times’ bestselling authors and prolific writers create rough drafts. It is foolish to think that your best writing would come from your very first, second or even third drafts. This is why writing is a process and not temporary—it takes time, and usually several iterations to get to the best, most polished version of the work.

Writing and editing

The reason so many writers struggle with cracking out that crusty rough draft and that’s because they have a hard time separating their writer and editor brains. These two modes of thinking are exactly as they sound—the writer brain is the creative one credited with using the creative process and is the one usually struck by the muse and the editor brain is the corrective one that is often employed during the editing and polishing process. The thing is—these two thought processes can’t coexist. This is why it is important to separate the two when you sit down to write, because it is nearly impossible to be creative when you’re using your editor brain, and it is likewise nearly impossible to effectively edit with your writer brain, since the two are diametrically opposed.

Blank pages vs. bad pages

Blank pages are meant for the writer brain and bad pages are meant for the editor brain, specifically in that order. You must write first, then edit later if you want to effectively move through the writing process and better your craft. If you’re only ever stuck on blank pages because the editor brain won’t get out of the way, you won’t grow as a writer and the stories inside you will suffer because of it. However, if you can learn to write despite the writers block, by separating the two modes of thinking, you will find it increasingly easier to pick up the pencil (or keyboard) each time, and your rough drafts will get better over time.

And that’s it for my hot take on Blank vs. Bad pages and how the two brains (writer and editor) at war with each other cause writer’s block! What do you think? Have you ever had writer’s block? Do you agree with this argument? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Further reading:

• Writing Every Day: What Writing as A Journalist Taught Me

• When Writing Becomes Difficult

• 5 Reasons Most Writers Quit

• Self-Care Tips for Readers and Writers

• Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions

—Payton

Starting Artists, Not Starving Artists

We’ve all heard of the infamous “starving artist” and those of us who are creative often try to avoid becoming this person. As creators, we all want to see our work succeed, or at least, we want to be able to provide for and live a comfortable life that allows us to continue to work on our passions. This is why it is so important that we support starting artists -so they don’t become starving artists, and so we don’t either.

Woman in a pink shirt painting. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio.

As a newer blogger and entrepreneur, I am speaking from experience when I say, going it alone can be overwhelming. There’s so many different elements to consider when trying to get your artwork noticed, and to a point where it can start providing for itself and for you, especially in this digital age, where we must also market ourselves, have an online presence, and constantly remain consistent. It can get overwhelming, pretty quickly.

This is where supporting other artists comes in. It can be so much easier for you to get started with the help of another artist. If you’re designing your own website, for instance, you might want to hire an artist to design your logos or images you’re planning to feature on your site. You might want to hire a freelance blog writer to start getting content up as soon as possible. You might want to hire a web-page designer to put the site together, if that’s not your thing either.

Woman writing in journal with coffee cup in hand. Photo by Lisa Fotios.

There’s so many ways for you to support creatives who are just starting out, and this is just an example for the website. Perhaps yo’re a writer and you’ve got the blog post thing covered, but maybe you don’t have all of the marketing handled, so well. Maybe you need someone to design a book cover for your next manuscript. Maybe you need an up and coming filmmaker to put together a book trailer for your lifestyle book. It doesn’t matter the project, you can always find a way to support an artist or freelancer who is just starting out in their field. In some cases, yes you might want a professional, but if you’re just starting out. or if its not a critical service you’re in need of, hiring an amateur artist can be mutually beneficial.

One way this job opportunity can be mutually beneficial is that it allows for a service review or testimonial for both sides. It also gives both parties a new client. Maybe you’re not designing a website, but no matter the job in question, you have a new client and so does your hire.

Another way this can be beneficial to you, is that it gives you the opportunity to get some of the work done without having to master the skills needed to complete it, yourself. Not all of us can be filmmakers, and writers, and editors, and web developers. While it helps to have a wide range of skills in your arsenal, it is also freeing to delegate and have someone else on your team to take care of these tasks so you can focus on your own service or product.

By supporting artists who are just starting out, you’re freeing up time in your schedule to commit to tasks that are the most important to you, you’re fostering a meaningful relationship between a new member of your team, and you’re giving back to the community. By supporting starting artists, you’re helping them to not become starving artists.

And that’s my hot take on supporting starting artists to avoid starving artists. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

—Payton

Oversaturation In A World of Overconsumption (There's No Such Thing)

Laptop displaying site analytics. Photo by
Carlos Muza.

If you’re a creative you may have heard someone say this before, or even said it yourself; The market is over-saturated.

This statement has been discussed widely in many entrepreneur circles and how its a major roadblock in many people’s road to success. However, its just not true. Yes, the idea of over-saturation is a roadblock, but over-saturation doesn’t really exist, especially not in 2019, where over-consumption of media is a prominent part of society.

One great example of this is easily found in your own YouTube subscriptions. Most, if not, all of us have been in the scenario where we’re left waiting for our favorite YouTube creator to come out with a new video. If they stick to a regular posting schedule, then we know when to expect to see their videos out, but it doesn’t mean that in the meantime, we’re not eager for those notifications. This is also true for other social media platforms, primarily Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s the tea. There’s no such thing as over-saturation in a world where viewers and subscribers are consuming content faster than it is being created. Creators often describe the process for videos, podcasts and even blog posts such as this and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into crafting content that will only be viewed for a few short moments. It’s hard to think about pouring all of that time and energy into a project that might not even capture someone’s attention for more than a few seconds.

This isn’t entirely a bad thing, though. While it can be a challenge to create compelling content that will engage an audience in a world filled with hand-held distractions, it can also be an advantage. In this digital age, people are consuming content faster than ever. It only takes a few minutes to watch a YouTube video and even less time to read a new Twitter post, which means that consumers are devouring content so rapidly, that the demand for new content is at an all time high. If you’re going to start your YouTube channel or your motivational podcast, there’s no better time than now, to do it. Social media markets may seem over-saturated due to the vast amount of creators posting on platforms, but this industry is still in its infancy. Over-Saturation doesn’t exist.

Gary Vee even supported this argument on Matt D’Avella’s podcast, saying, “…fragmentation of attention across all of these mediums has created a scenario where you can't have overexposure." -Gary Vee on content over-exposure in Matt D’Avella’s Ground Up Show, episode 101. Click here to hear the full episode.

Let me know what you thought about this hot take on oversaturation! Do you think it exists? Why? Have you ever experienced the dread that comes with oversaturation? Let me know in the comments below!

—Payton

Editing Misconceptions - Editors Are (Not) Monsters

Black eyeglasses beside a notebook and candle. Photo by Marissa Grootes.

Many people tend to think of editors as the snobby grammar police with their red pens, monsters bent over their keyboards ravenously devouring manuscripts in search of every possible formatting or grammatical error…

Okay, maybe that’s not quite the image that comes to mind for you, but editors are usually not painted in a flattering light, because many creatives don’t know how to take (constructive) criticism. However, these depictions are just simply not true. When it comes to your manuscript- we get it. It’s your passion project, your lifelong dream, your baby. It’s precious to you, and the idea that you’d entrust it to someone else’s eyes is almost mind-boggling, let alone leaving it up to critiquing- that’s downright unthinkable (and brave).

Here’s the truth: editors are not in it to tear your manuscript (and your dreams) to shreds. Yes, there might be some uncomfortable things that need to be addressed in the process of editing your manuscript, however editors aren’t here to just shoot you down, they’re here to help you.

Think of it this way, for an effective editorial process, writers must view their editors as their partners. Editors are like those friends that tell you about the lipstick on your teeth.

You may not always want to hear the comments editors make, but ultimately, we’re here to help you. We want to see you succeed. We want you to be able to connect with your readers. We want to watch a beautiful creation emerge and to see your passion project come to fruition.

Want to know why you need an editor? Click here to learn more!

What did you think about this hot take on editors? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below!

—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!)

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

—Payton