By Eleanor Hecks

Many writers are all too familiar with rejection. You pour your heart and soul into a piece, imagining how it might sound to readers, only to face the crushing reality of a “no” in response.

For writers, the publishing world can feel like an endless uphill battle paved with setbacks and self-doubt. It is enough to make even the most steadfast question whether it is all worth it.

The truth is that hope is what keeps you going. While rejection is part of the process, so is resilience, and learning how to maintain that resilience is key to flourishing as a writer.

1. Develop Resilience Through Practice

Resilience takes time to build. Yet, you can cultivate the grit needed to prosper as a writer through consistent practice and willingness to push your boundaries.

Set Small, Achievable Goals

One effective way to develop resilience is by setting goals. These could be as simple as writing 500 words daily, completing one short story a month or submitting to a handful of publications each quarter. Small goals create a feeling of accomplishment, helping you maintain momentum even when larger milestones feel far away.

Over time, these efforts build perseverance and teach you to push forward in the face of setbacks. By celebrating these small victories, you remind yourself that progress is happening.

Experiment With New Styles or Genres

Consider stepping outside your creative comfort zone. Experimenting with a new genre, style or format can be a powerful way to reignite your passion for writing. Try your hand at screenwriting or explore creative nonfiction — these experiments make the process of writing feel fresh and exciting again. Even if the results are far from perfect, trying something new can help you develop confidence in your ability to adapt.

2. Gain Peace and Mental Clarity

With constant noise and rejection in the publishing world, finding moments of peace and clarity can feel like a lifeline. They are essential because they quiet doubts, clear mental clutter and create space for creativity. Whether through mindfulness or age-old traditions, these strategies can restore balance and keep optimism alive.

Finding Solace in Nature

Sometimes, the best way to clear your mind is to step away from the page and into the great outdoors. Take it from Al Roker — the beloved journalist and Today Show weatherman — who finds peace by walking along the lake. On his walks, he prays, meditates and allows the rhythmic sounds of nature to help him process life’s challenges.

This simple but profound activity of reconnecting with the natural world can offer renewal, helping you return to writing with fresh eyes and a calmer spirit.

Cultivate a Positive Mindset

Rejection can cloud your vision, making it hard to focus on the progress you have made. However, building and maintaining a positive mindset enables you to reframe those feelings.

Instead of seeing rejection as a stop sign, consider it a detour leading you to refine your craft and find the right audience. Practicing gratitude journaling helps you reflect on the wins and reminds you of the joy that writing brings.

Engaging in Labyrinth Prayer

Labyrinth prayer is an ancient practice that promotes peace and introspection. Walking a labyrinth’s purposeful, winding path mirrors life’s journey, offering a chance to reflect and release burdens. As you walk, you can focus on a word or phrase to center your thoughts and open yourself to creativity.

3. Build a Support System

Writing may feel like a solitary pursuit, but surrounding yourself with a community of fellow writers can make all the difference.

Online or local writing groups offer a space to share struggles, celebrate wins and exchange constructive feedback. Hearing others’ stories of persistence can inspire you to keep going, even when the odds feel stacked against you.

4. Reframe Rejection with Growth

Rejection is an inevitable part of any writer’s journey that can feel like a dead end. Rather than viewing it as a failure, consider it an opportunity to grow.

Every “no” you receive can share some insight. Many of the world’s most successful authors — including Stephen King — faced repeated rejections before finding the right publisher. Therefore, persistence is key.

Use rejection as a stepping stone by implementing the following:

• Extract the lesson: If feedback is available, read it carefully and objectively. Identify areas where you can improve and incorporate that into your next draft.
• Celebrate the effort: A rejection means you dared to put yourself out there — a feat in itself. Celebrate the progress you have made by submitting your work.
• Diversify your submission: Avoid pinning all your hopes on one opportunity. Submit to multiple outlets or publishers to increase your chances of success.
• Keep a rejection journal: Track your submissions and rejections. Over time, this can help you see patterns, measure growth, and remind yourself how far you have come.

Holding Onto Hope and Moving On

The publishing world may feel overwhelming, but hope keeps writers going. To keep that optimism flowing through you, use practices to help you get through the ups and downs with grace and determination.

Every rejection, challenge, and moment of doubt is a step toward honing your craft and finding your place in the literary world. So, keep creating and trust that your voice will find its audience.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine and a freelance writer passionate about helping other writers of all genres grow their following and community. You can find her work featured in publications such as IndependentPublishing.com and Self-Publishing Review, or connect with her on LinkedIn to keep up with her latest work.

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The post How Writers Can Stay Hopeful in a Tough Publishing Climate appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

I feel so fortunate to be working in this industry. Running my own business, despite the headaches it brings—say, around tax time *twitch*—gives me so much freedom. I also get personal satisfaction from knowing I’m doing something really hard and am stretching myself to learn new things all the time.

But one of the best things about being a writer is all the ways I get to give back. Angela and I are fairly intentional about this, and one of things we decided early on was we wanted to donate some of our proceeds to deserving charities and nonprofits. You can see a list of past recipients here.

This year, we were excited to watch the professional evolution of one of our writer friends. Talk about doing hard stuff and stretching! After 13 years in publishing, Shayla Hale (formerly Shayla Raquel) put away her pen to start Crime & Compassion Inc., a nonprofit that advocates for the incarcerated. She runs a podcast now, as well as teaching fiction writing at a women’s prison in Oklahoma.

Her story, and what she’s doing now, is so interesting and inspiring that we wanted to share some of it with you. Read on to learn more about how Shayla parlayed a love of literature into a ministry to the incarcerated.

Shayla, tell us more about your work with the women at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center.

Crime & Compassion Inc. offers an advanced fiction writing class called the Writers Guild, aptly named by the MBCC students themselves. There are 15 students in the class, and we meet twice a month in the chapel to learn all about novel writing.

To complete the class, the student must write, rewrite, and publish a full-length novel. And let me tell you: these women are working nonstop on their books. They are super dedicated, always grateful, and ridiculously talented. One student, who is a co-facilitator for our class, will be publishing her novel soon, as she just finished it and is going through the rewriting process.

The novels will be self-published under their names, and the students will own the rights to their books, as they should. These women encourage each other and give feedback too. It’s a community they have built, and I cannot wait to offer more classes (as we have a waiting list). 

What prompted you to shift from writing and publishing fiction to creating and running a nonprofit?

I’ve been saying for a while now, “I left the publishing industry so I could come back in a whole different light.”

I’ve known since 2020 that I wanted to launch Crime & Compassion—a podcast that tells the stories of those who were written off. I enjoyed two years (2018–2020) as a volunteer chaplain at Oklahoma County Jail, which played a big role in my heart’s desire to work with the incarcerated. But when I worked on author Shari Bower’s memoir, Before They Executed Him: A Wife’s Story of Death Row, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the only thing I wanted to do with my life was reach the incarcerated.

My lifelong dream was to become an author, an editor, a speaker. I wanted nothing but the publishing world—and I had it. I loved my company, which I ran for 14 years. But a dream job is not the same as a life scripture. I’m so grateful that I got to enjoy my dream job, but my life scripture of working with and for the incarcerated is more important to me than anything else.

So . . . I sold off my assets and launched C&C this year. Though it did launch as a podcast, I’ve often reminded supporters that C&C is an umbrella with many facets beneath it. The podcast was just one element to the mission of C&C—I knew things would fall in place and make sense if I just started. It took no time at all for a class to be dropped in my lap in the best way possible, and boy am I a sucker for baptism by fire! It worked out beautifully.

I recently hired Oklahoma Nonprofit Solutions to handle my 501(c)3 filing with the IRS. The C&C board of directors includes Shari Bower’s daughter, a former Texas death row chaplain, a formerly incarcerated soldier who wrote a memoir about his time in Fort Leavenworth, a therapist with a big heart for these women, and my closest friend. Go team!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about the women you work with?

There are a hundred things I wish people knew about the incredible women I work with; it’s very difficult to choose just one thing because I want everyone to know how talented, generous, and kind these women are. But . . . I wish people could truly comprehend the unbelievable role that trauma plays in someone’s life before they commit a crime.

The minute you try to discuss trauma and incarceration, you’re often met with, “It’s not an excuse to do what they did!” I want to see people soften their hearts and grasp that no one is excusing the crime by discussing the trauma—they’re educating you on why the person made the choice they did. With that education comes more compassion, more understanding. And isn’t that really all they’re asking—to show compassion when no one else does? You can either be the person who turns your nose up at the incarcerated, who forgets about them, or you can be someone different, someone who sees the need and reaches out to offer hope.

From this short interview, I’m sure you can see why we chose Crime & Compassion, Inc. as our 2024 charity. It’s so important to find our purpose and be able to pass along the blessings we’ve received, and Shayla is doing that in a big way.

So if you’re seeking for purpose, I’d encourage you to keep looking. Keep trying new things—especially the hard stuff. If you know what you need to do but haven’t pulled the trigger, ask yourself Why Not? What roadblocks are in your way? Consider making 2025 the year you make a plan and start moving toward that finish line.

If you’d like to learn more about Crime & Compassion (including donation information, if you feel inclined), the following links are a good starting point.

• Substack
• Substack subscription/donation 
• TikTok
• Instagram
• Threads
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• Facebook

BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Pursuing Your Passion and Paying It Forward appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Valentine’s Day is coming, and people have big feelings about it. On one hand, it’s nice to have a set day to celebrate loved ones, but on the other, pressure to buy overpriced chocolates and flowers to ‘show’ love can cast a shadow on things.

Me? I think gifts are nice to give and receive, but pressure shouldn’t be part of it. But on the subject of Valentine’s Day, I have a question for you:

When you’re showing others you care on V-Day, are you giving yourself some of that love, too?

Because you should. You deserve it. Think about how you put a ton of effort into others each day, being the best employee, partner, parent, dog walker, dinner-maker, errand-runner, etc. that you can. It’s who you are, and how you provide for others.

But doing so means there’s not much time for you, is there? And that’s my point, especially for writers.

Our reality is that we need to squeeze writing in around everything else, and after a long day, there’s not always a lot of gas left in the ‘ol mental tank. But we roll up our sleeves because we have books to write and careers to build.

It can be a heavy load.
We need to be kind to ourselves.

So, this Valentine’s Day, think about what you need. And be sure to give yourself these three important gifts:

1) The Gift of Grace

Are you becoming self-critical because you think your writing progress is too slow, you find it hard to manage all the things that come with this career, or right now, certain things are beyond your skill? Let that go. You aren’t a machine, just someone doing their best. Silence your internal critic who is saddling you with unreasonable expectations. Everything takes time to learn. You’re doing great and you’ve got this!

2) The Gift of Time

Because you usually put everyone else first, this Valentine’s Day, carve time out for you. Reflect on what is important to you, and what makes you happy. Put those things on the front burner, prioritizing them. Put your needs first.

If you want to be able to write guilt-free, take that time. If you need a break from duty and responsibility so you can do something for yourself, ask someone to step in and help. And while you’re investing in your mental health, consider what small changes will ensure there’s always time for you and what you need moving forward!

3) The Gift of Patience

Because life zips along at a breezy clip, we assume our writing career will too, but it doesn’t work that way. Learning to craft strong novels, understand the industry, build a platform, and become proficient at the business end of things all take time to accomplish.

It’s easy to forget this, especially when others are releasing books and furthering their goals. We feel a sense of urgency to keep up, and falsely believe that if we can’t, something’s wrong with us. Not true. This journey will look different for each of us. And, it’s not a race, so be patient with your progress. Remind yourself that when you rush, bad things can happen.

Remember, it’s okay to put yourself first!

This isn’t said enough, and it needs to be!

Many of us feel near-constant pressure to do ‘all the things’ and we try, but it comes at a cost. Neglecting our well-being for too long saps our energy and creativity, and we need both to further our writing goals. And if we start to feel we’re not making headway because we never have time or we’re too tired, doubt creeps in. We may start to worry we don’t have what it takes (and we do!)

This is why self-care is essential. When you invest in yourself, it reminds you that you have WORTH, that those goals of yours are valid and deserve your time and focus.

When you take care of your personal well-being, you feel confident and capable. You have energy for the road ahead. And that’s a win-win-win.

So, as we inch closer to February 14th, think about how you’ll celebrate yourself. Read a book, take yourself on a long walk, and treat yourself to guilt-free indulgence. You deserve it!

Speaking of Valentine’s Gifts…

Becca and I like to put something together for writers this time of year because we love this community and feel so lucky to be part of it. So if you have been eyeing a One Stop for Writers subscription, please use this 25% off code to save a bit.

SHOW-DON’T-TELL THESAURUS DATABASE
CHARACTER BUILDER
CHARACTER ARC BLUEPRINT
TIMELINE TOOL
STORY & SCENE MAPS
WORLDBUILDING SURVEYS
IDEA GENERATOR
WORKSHEETS & TEMPLATES
THE STORYTELLER’S ROADMAP
All the story support you need to write fantastic fiction, in one place.

To redeem this one-time 25% discount:

1) sign up or sign in
2) Go to Account >> My Subscription and choose any plan
3) Add & activate the VALENTINE code in the box provided
4) Enter your payment details, click the terms box, & hit subscribe

And that’s it. Our storyteller’s toolkit is now your storyteller’s toolkit!

If you are a current subscriber, add/activate this code on the My Subscription page. It will discount your next invoice. Offer ends February 17th, 2024.

What is your favorite type of self-care? Let us know in the comments!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Why Writers Should Be Their Own Valentine This Year appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

I want to write a book.

You remember when this big idea first hit, right?

Maybe you were browsing for books, waiting for an author’s autograph, or sitting in awe after finishing a great novel. The idea took hold of you, and soon you found yourself buying notebooks, pens, and sticky notes. You browse online for writerly things—a cute laptop sticker or a mug that says, “Writer at Work.” And then when it arrives, you fill it with your favorite drink, sit down at your computer, and open up a new document. Because it’s SHOWTIME!

You place your hands on the keyboard, grinning like a clown-obsessed maniac. This is it—the magic is about to happen.

Onscreen, the cursor blinks. And blinks.

Boy, the page is so white. How did you not notice before? And that infernal flickering cursor… is it just you, or does it seem kind of judge-y?

And that’s when you realize your big idea has a second part to it:

I want to write a book…but I have no idea where to start.

Thankfully, this truth, while inconvenient, doesn’t have to stop any of us from writing. It may seem daunting at first, and doubts might try to sway us (What was I thinking? I can’t do this!), but I’m here to tell you that, yes, you can write a book.

7 Tips for How to Write a Book When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing

Not knowing where to start is a problem countless writers before us have faced and figured out. So, if you are feeling a bit lost when it comes to your big dream, these seven things can help you move forward and even better, jump start your writing career.

1. Write

Sure, this seems obvious, but starting can be paralyzing. We worry about committing our ideas to the page because what if they resemble some four-year-old’s Cheerios-and-glue “masterpiece”? Well, guess what? They might, and that’s okay. Great storytelling takes time, and if that didn’t put off Stephen King, Susanne Collins, or Nora Roberts, it shouldn’t stop us, either.

To begin, think about your Big Story Idea. Jot down your ideas, or try outlining the story you envision using one of these methods or this outlining software. Or start with something small, like one scene. At the beginning of a writing journey our goal should be getting comfortable with putting words on the page and having fun, not pressuring ourselves into penning the next Game of Thrones.

2. Read Widely

Reading is so enjoyable we tend to forget how each story is a treasure trove of education on what makes a book good, bad, or off-the-charts great. So read widely, thinking about what makes each story compelling. Look for characters that stand out, story worlds that seem so real you feel part of them, and plots that keep you flipping pages long into the night. Ask yourself questions:

• What made certain characters larger than life?
• Did their personalities, complex motives, or a truth they live by pull you to them?
• What scenes and situations seemed the most real to you?

Studying where you fell under the storyteller’s spell can help you see how you can do the same for your readers.

3. Join a Writing Group

One of the best things you can do at the start of this journey is find others on the writer’s path. A community of writers puts you in touch with those who have the same goal, meaning you can learn from and support one another. Plus, having creatives in your circle helps to keep you accountable, meaning your butt stays in the chair and words get written.

4. Collect a War Chest of Knowledge

We all start with some talent and skill, but to write well we need to train up. Visit Amazon to find writing books with high reviews so you can judge which might be most helpful for your development. Make note of the title or ISBN and order them at your favorite bookstore.

Another way to build your knowledge is by subscribing to helpful writing blogs. Bite-sized learning can be perfect for a time-crunched writer. I recommend exploring all the resources on this page, studying up on character building, story structure, worldbuilding, and everything in between.

Getting to know who the people in our stories are and what makes them tick helps us understand what’s motivating them, and that makes writing their actions and behavior easier. To dive deep into who a character is so you can write them with authority, this tool will help.

5. Take a Course or Workshop

Investing in guided or self-guided learning can also kickstart your progress. The community is packed with great teachers. Below are some good options, but first, if you belong to a writing organization, check to see if they offer members classes for free or at a discount.

• Reedsy Learning Center
• Bang2Write Courses
• Lawson Writer’s Academy
• Jami Gold Workshops
• Jerry Jenkins
• Writing for Life Workshops
• Michael Hauge (Hero’s Two Journeys)

6. Look For Step-by-Step Help

As any writer will tell you, the road from an idea to a publish-ready novel is a long one, and it’s easy to get lost along the way. It’s no fun when we don’t know what to write next, or we don’t know how to solve a problem in the story. And, if we get too frustrated or our writing stalls for too long, we might end up quitting. Having an expert offer guidance as you write can keep you on track.

Some writers like to partner with a writing coach so they get personal feedback and support as they go. If this is something you might like, here’s a list to start with. A benefit is that you’ll learn a lot about writing as you go, but depending on how long you need coaching for it can get a bit costly. So another option might be the Storyteller’s Roadmap at One Stop for Writers. This roadmap breaks the novel-writing process into three parts: planning, writing, and revising. It has step-by-step instructions on what to do as you go, and points you to tools, resources, and articles that will make the job easier.

The Storyteller’s Roadmap also has built-in solutions for the most common writing problems, so whether you need to overcome Writer’s Block, Impostor’s Syndrome, or stop new ideas from derailing your story, the Code Red section keeps you on track.

7.  Above All Else, Be Fearless

Starting a book can seem like a monumental undertaking, and sometimes with big dreams, we have the tendency to try and talk ourselves out of them. We fear failing, because we think that’s worse than never trying at all. If you feel the passion to write, don’t let fear stop you. The world needs great stories!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How to Write Your First Book appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The start of a new year is a great time to put plans in place to ensure a terrific writing year.

So to help you get your writing in this next year, here are five essential things to consider …

1) Establish a Writing Routine 

To hit your goals, it will be crucial for you to establish a consistent writing routine that suits your lifestyle. Set aside dedicated time each day or week for writing and treat it as a priority. Whether it’s early mornings, late nights, or specific blocks of time during the day, having a routine will help maintain focus and make progress.

Note how I say you DON’T have to write every single day! I don’t — YES REALLY. Consistency is important, but that doesn’t have to mean writing every single day if that doesn’t work for you.

2) Set Clear Goals 

Setting clear and achievable goals is a vital step towards completing writing projects. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks or milestones. This will allow writers to track progress, stay motivated, and celebrate successes along the way.

‘Bitesize chunks’ has always been my mantra … but just as importantly, we need to EVALUATE our progress and let go of goals or things that no longer serve us too!

3. Embrace Technology (Or At Least Understand How It Really Works)

In the constantly evolving world of technology, writers need to embrace tools and software that can streamline their work process. By leveraging the right technology, writers can save time and focus more on their writing.

From writing and editing software to online research tools and productivity apps, there are numerous resources available to enhance efficiency and creativity. B2W likes to use Grammarly, Coschedule and Hemingway.

If you’d like a story support tool as you plan, write, and revise, try One Stop for Writers.

A.I is also a hot topic, representing both a threat AND an opportunity for creatives. It’s a good idea to understand how AI works and what constitutes unethical use because AI is not going anywhere. By understanding what AI is and isn’t, we can protect our interests.

4. Find a Supportive Writing Community

Joining a writing community, whether online or in-person, can be immensely helpful. Connecting with fellow writers provides opportunities for feedback, collaboration, and support.

Online platforms, forums, workshops, and writing groups can offer valuable insights, motivation, and networking opportunities, helping writers stay inspired and committed. 

5. Practice Self-Care 

Taking care of oneself is essential for writers to maintain both physical and mental well-being this next year. Prioritise self-care activities like exercise, meditation, spending time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies, and getting ample rest.

Balancing work and personal life is crucial for avoiding burnout, staying motivated, and nurturing creativity. If your brain is fried, your ability to write WILL be affected … so do whatever it takes to make sure yours is rested wherever possible. Writing can wait, it’s not going anywhere!

LUCY V. HAY - Resident Writing Coach

Lucy V. Hay is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. She’s been the script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts & has also been a script reader for 20 years, providing coverage for indie prodcos, investors, screen agencies, producers, directors and individual writers. She’s also an author, publishing as both LV Hay and Lizzie Fry.  Lizzie’s latest, a serial killer thriller titled The Good Mother is out now with Joffe Books, with her sixth thriller out in 2024. Lucy’s site at www.bang2write.com has appeared in Top 100 round-ups for Writer’s Digest & The Write Life, as well as a UK Blog Awards Finalist and Feedspot’s #1 Screenwriting blog in the UK (ninth in the world.). She is also the author of the bestselling non-fiction book, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays: From TV Pilot To Feature Film (Creative Essentials), which she updated for the streaming age for its tenth anniversary in 2023.

The post Five Top Tips To Smash Your Writing Goals appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The iconic NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge has many of you rolling up your sleeves to pound out a novel. Becca and I love this event because it is a great time to become explore deep level ideas, experiment, and show ourselves we are absolutely capable of putting a novel-length story on the page.

NaNoWriMo is something you should make your own. Want to try a new genre? Go for it. Are you a plotter who would like to try pantsing (or the opposite)? Go for it! Maybe you want to channel an alter ego author voice, have an out-of-the box story premise you want to write, or you just need to get that next book done. Whatever it is, NaNo is a great time to blast out words and have fun doing it.

Writing a novel in a month also means telling your inner editor to take a holiday. He or she can go bug Elon Musk for a month – lots to criticize on the X front, after all. November is for you and your creativity alone, a pressure-free time to not worry about getting every word right as you draft.

We want this to be a terrific experience for everyone, so we’ve put together tips to help you smash out the words during NaNoWriMo:

1) Set yourself up for success before you write.

This is such an important step no matter what time of year it is, we’ve written an entire post about this! But there’s added pressure when it comes to NaNoWriMo because you’re attempting a draft a novel in a single month. If you haven’t yet done so, set up your space so you have what you need, talk to family members on how to respect your writing time, and click the link above to put yourself in a great place to draft.

2) Find an accountability partner.

NaNoWriMo is easier (and more fun) with friends, so find other writers who will be taking the challenge. Stay in touch so you can cheer each other on, have someone to turn to when you need help, and even meet up for writing sprints (in the real world, through Zoom, or over social media). NaNoWriMo makes this super easy–you can set up a group, join a group, find locals in your area who are doing the challenge, etc. If you belong to a writer’s organization, see who is taking the challenge and set up a group for you. If you participate on a writing forum, Facebook group, or something else, see who is doing NaNo and suggest you all exchange info to stay connected. Stay in touch, share your progress, support each other so everyone finishes November on a high note!

3) Know enough about your story to feel comfortable writing it.

This may look different for everyone, depending on your planning preferences, but planning a bit is essential. Whatever makes you comfortable, do. If you like to full-out outline and do character profiles, do! If you only need a few ideas to run with, great. But know what you need to be comfortable to start and keep writing. It can also be helpful to know your first scene well, so you have a strong first writing session. Highly recommended: the Storyteller’s Roadmap, and downloading the Story Planning Checklist. (Then, after planning, move on to the Writing Track of the Roadmap. You’ll find the Code Red section invaluable.)

4) End each session with an incomplete sentence.

This one sounds strange, but starting a new line with that damned blinking cursor can be paralyzing for some. If you know what the sentence is in full, but you leave it half-finished when you stop for the day, you immediately have something to write the next time you sit down, and muscle memory takes over. It can also be good to think on the next scene you want to write in between sessions so you have an easier time picking up again.

5) Keep sources of inspiration on speed dial.

There may be times you hit a lull and need ideas. (Totally okay, this happens.) Taking a bit of a break instead of trying to force words might help, so know what tends to make you feel creative and excited to write. Would you like to doodle a bit as you listen to music? Re-watch an old favorite Netflix movie that always leaves you with a rush to create? Bake something, or go for a walk? Maybe for you, inspiration hits in the shower. Whatever activity will help you work through story problems and recharge your creativity, give that a try.

6) If you don’t know what to write next, skip ahead.

Sometimes we hit a wall and feel pressure because the next scene is a big blank. We don’t know how the protagonist is going to get the magic dagger from their enemy, or what circumstances will ensure our romantic couple end up at the same ski resort. Guess what? It’s okay. Just think ahead to when that story problem is solved: the protagonist has the dagger. The couple run into each other at a ski lesson. Whatever “next scene” you can see clearly in your mind, start writing that scene.

Leave a note before you start reminding yourself what is missing <Jeff has to trick Lida into giving up the knife> or <Brand and Deena somehow both end up at the same ski resort>. Your brain will work on the skipped portion of the story in the background, and let you know how a leads to b. When it happens, you can go back and fill in the blanks.

7) Don’t be afraid to go off script.

A challenge like NaNoWriMo is meant to free your imagination, so even if you tend to plot and write to an outline, if your characters are taking things in a different direction, or your gut is telling you to deviate from the plan, you might want to give the story room to change. Add a mark you can find again using search like <<>> to note where you are deviating from the plan. Let the story unfold, and see where it goes. There is no wasted effort here, and you may find the new direction has you excited to write forward. Or you might decide the tangent isn’t for you. No worries! Add another <<>> and restart the story from where you deviated. The words still count toward the total and you can delete them later in revisions.

8) Don’t let doubt creep in.

It’s not easy to turn off the part of our mind that worries about quality, and sometimes our Internal Editor shows up despite our efforts to banish him. If he starts tsking over what you’re writing, do not listen. Every first draft is clay we must begin to shape if it is to evolve into the beautiful story we know it can become.

So, if the Internal Editor shows up, banish him to a room where this guy is waiting:

Imagine the resulting screams, smile, and keep writing.

9) Reward yourself.

Writing so many words while managing everything else in your life isn’t easy, and will require sacrifice. So make sure to reward yourself along the way, not just at the end of the challenge. Think about small things you love that you can promise yourself at certain points. You could set milestones to your word count, but maybe for you, writing 5 days in a row is a victory, or sticking to an internal promise of starting and finishing that rough chapter is the goal. Reward yourself in ways that motivate you to keep going.

10) Remember, you can’t really “fail” NaNoWriMo.

Even if you don’t hit 50K, or you decide to quit at a certain point because something comes up or you aren’t feeling the story, you had the courage to start, and to try! That’s a win, as is every word you did write!

No effort is ever a waste. Taking on this challenge is also a way to learn more about yourself and what does and doesn’t work for you. These are all lessons that will help you moving forward.

Becca and I are cheering you on! If you need any help at all, check out these three links

The Ultimate Prep Guide for NaNoWriMo (Plotters & Pantsers)
The Novelist’s Triage Center (Get Unstuck & Finish Your Book)
The Writer’s Secret Weapon Page

Go forth and be awesome–you’ve got this!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post NaNoWriMo: Top Tips for Smashing Out 50K appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you probably became a writer because you like to write. But if you’ve been writing for any time at all, you may have realized that writing isn’t the whole job. There are lots of other things you have to do that you maybe aren’t good at, don’t like, or even dread doing. We’re often the most inefficient when it comes to those responsibilities because we avoid them or rush through them to get them over with. And this impedes our progress and our ability to do our best work.

Personally, I find the screaming goat super helpful for stress relief during frustrating or boring tasks.

But, alas, not everyone has one. So I’d like to share some strategies you can implement to ensure even the irritating parts of the job get done efficiently. Because we’re all wired differently, some of these ideas may be harder for certain kinds of people, so let’s look at how to make them work for everyone.

Strategy #1: Outsource the Tough or Tedious Jobs

This one is easy: pay someone to do the dirty work so you can focus on the things you like to do. Hate balancing the checkbook? Hire a bookkeeper. Do you suck at book formatting? There are freelancers who will do this for a fee. So if you have the funds, this may be the easiest way to claw back your own time and use it on the things you do best. (If you’re looking for a freelancer, we’ve got a list of recommendations here.)

Personality Blockers: Control Freaks, Perfectionists, and Penny Pinchers

When it comes to outsourcing, the biggest obstacle is simply not having the cash. That’s a legitimate blocker for everyone, regardless of personality. However, there are writers who can afford the expense, but they still resist sharing the load. Some are maybe a bit too thrifty; they’ve got the money, but they’re worried about spending it. Others are afraid to give up control of any part of their project—often because they want it done just so and they can’t trust others with their baby. If any of these personality traits apply to you, outsourcing could be difficult to embrace.

The solution here is to recognize that offloading those tasks can increase your efficiency, resulting in more time and, ideally, more money. Angela and I, because we’re problem children, had to learn this the hard way. For years, we wanted to hire someone to take over the administration of our blog—not because we didn’t enjoy fielding guest post requests, talking to potential contributors, and scheduling posts; we just didn’t have enough time to do everything that needed doing. And because we were so swamped, we didn’t want to spend our precious time on hiring someone. Finally, we just bit the bullet and brought on our blog wizard, Mindy, and suddenly we had a surplus of time to devote to other projects—things that, really, only Angela and I could do.

If you’re able to outsource but are holding back, consider how much more productive you could be if someone else were doing the things you were least proficient at. Just opening up to the possibility can help you loosen the reins or the purse strings enough to pass off some of those duties, saving you buckets of time that can be spent on the stuff you’re really good at.

Strategy #2: Identify the Hard Stuff

Ok, so this seems pretty obvious, but we’re all really good at focusing on what we like and ignoring what we don’t. This results in the boring jobs either getting pushed to the last minute (and not being done well) or not getting done at all. Making note of the things you don’t enjoy doing—the things that maybe you’re doing halfway because you dislike them so much—is the first step in prioritizing them properly so they don’t get left behind.

Personality Blocker: Avoiders

This is a tough one for avoiders who tend to ignore the unpleasant, uncomfortable, or awkward. If avoidance is an issue, hit this head-on and set aside a quick 15 minutes to make a list of the parts of your job you tend to put off or ignore. It might be easier to keep an ongoing list and add to it over time as things occur to you. These difficult duties will differ from person to person, so identify what they are for you and make yourself aware of them.

Strategy #3: Schedule the Hard Stuff

Once you’ve identified the problem areas, set a deadline for when each one needs to be completed. Then add them to your weekly or monthly schedule so they don’t get forgotten.

Personality Blocker: Procrastinators

Procrastinators commonly put off unwanted responsibilities until the very last minute (or indefinitely). If this is you, it’s important to get those duties on the schedule. But you may not be as efficient if they’re scheduled up front, ahead of the jobs that are a bit more rewarding. If this is you, it’s ok to compromise. Schedule the dreaded tasks somewhere in the middle, after you’ve finished some of the fun stuff (but not jammed up against your deadline).

For more information on my favorite tool for planning and scheduling tasks, see this post on Trello.

Strategy #4: Break It Up

Some jobs are unpleasant because of the sheer amount of time they take. One way to make a task like that more palatable is to break it into smaller chunks and complete it over a series of work sessions.

Personality Blocker: All-At-Once’ers

This strategy used to be hard for me because I’m motivated by finishing things; I need a sense of completion, and this drives me to compartmentalize my workday and just hammer away at one project at a time until it’s done.

One of my regular responsibilities is to take the thesaurus posts we’ve published at Writers Helping Writers and move them over to our One Stop for Writers site. This involves a lot of cutting and pasting, HTML stripping, and adding additional content. It’s not the most stimulating work, and when you’re looking at 50 or so entries, it seems to take forever. So instead of trying to do it all at once—say, taking a week and focusing just on that job—I do one or two entries a day. Then I can spend the rest of my time doing other things that are more rewarding. This requires some careful scheduling to make sure I start the job early enough to hit my deadline, but it makes it more doable. It’s a great strategy to employ with long projects, such as editing a novel.

Strategy #5: Make It Fun

Full disclosure: there’s only so much you can do to make analyzing sales data or writing a summary for your story fun. But you can make most jobs more enjoyable. Here are some ideas that work for me:

• Break out the “happy” supplies, like a favorite pen, notebook, or planner
• Light a specific scented candle that’s only used when you really need a kick in the pants
• Work in a new spot, such as a coffee shop, the park, or the library, until the job is done
• Outfit your own workspace with things that makes you smile: inspirational notes, pictures of loved ones, knickknacks that hold special meaning, etc.
• Put on fun or motivational music
• Eat or drink something yummy

Personality Blocker: Being Easily Distracted

One potential issue with this strategy is if you end up wasting precious work time mooning over knickknacks or looking for your special highlighter when you should be working. If you struggle with this, put a limit on how many feel-good items are allowed in your workspace. And if you find yourself using this prep time as an excuse to procrastinate, set a time limit for how long you’ll allow yourself to get prepared before getting to work.

Strategy #6: Reward Yourself

And now for the good stuff! The best way to motivate yourself to do a hard job is with a reward. Once the dirty work is done, get your favorite Starbucks drink, head to the beach at sunset, buy those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or knock off a half-hour early for some pleasure reading. The dangling carrot works well for pretty much everyone; you’ll just need to establish the reward for each project ahead of time so you know what you’re working toward.

Personality Blocker: Over-Indulgers

If each chapter you draft results in a day off, you’re not going to get much done. Remember that efficiency and productivity are the goals, so make sure the reward matches the job.

Strategy: Shift Your Mindset

This is maybe the simplest strategy to make the hard jobs easier, and it has no personality blockers because it can work for literally everyone. Viewing certain jobs as hard, boring, tedious, or a waste of time will ensure that you put them off, rush through them, or don’t give them your best effort. Instead, shift to a productive inner voice by looking at those duties through a positive lens:

• This is important work.
• I can do this.
• I’m better at this than I used to be.
• Once I’ve mastered this, I’ll have something new to add to my skillset.
• I’m saving money by doing this myself.
• This job isn’t going to take as much time as I thought.
• The time (or money) I’m spending on this task is an investment into my business.

Every difficult or undesirable job has its silver lining. Looking at the bright side can change your attitude so you give it your full attention and effort, resulting in a job well done.

BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Powering Through the Un-Fun Parts of the Job appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

We’re a month away from the official kickoff to summer, and as someone who gets less of this season than many (Oh, Canada), I’m starting to get giddy. Summer is ahead, ready to unfurl like a warm, sunny rug. I’m talking longer days, less rigid schedules, and more trips to Gong Cha for bubble tea. Let the good times roll.

Some writers may be looking to take the next few months off from writing, or shift focus to other writerly tasks. Others have no such plans, and will be full steam ahead as usual.

I want to make room to enjoy summer, but I’ll still be working, balancing writing and research with the other things on my plate, and frankly, I’m good with that. I’m the type of person who needs to know I’m furthering the ball when it comes to my goals, even if it’s at a slower pace.

Writing over the summer is glorious because…

We can move our office wherever we want. I love being able to take my laptop outside and work on the sun-dappled balcony in the morning, or pull a deck chair into the shade during the afternoon. Sometimes I decide it’s a take-your-adult-beverage-to-work-day, because why not? Summer!

We can tap into greater creativity. Writing outside, or even with just the windows open, brings us birdsong, the shush of leaves, and perfumed air of flowers and greenery. Color is everywhere, too, visual reminders that everything is growing, coming into its own, just as we are with each word we write.

We can take our stories on the road. Is there anything better than taking a notebook on a walk, finding a quiet park or place along the river, and just letting our imagination flow? Getting out from the desk is a powerful way to reconnect with creativity and spontaneity (and it keeps us from losing hours to scrolling tiktok videos).

We have more energy. Summer tends to mean less activities and a slower pace as schools close and people at work rotate through holidays and vacations. With less pressure in these areas, we have more time for ourselves, and more mental energy for our books.

A break from writing can be beneficial because…

Life can be stressful, and sometimes we just need a break. Between work, family, social commitments, and unexpected life hurdles, sometimes the last thing we need is to fill a gap of time with more of anything. It’s okay to take time for yourself, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about not writing, especially if you are a bit burned out.

You just wrapped up something big, and need rest. Last year, my life was nuts. In a span of three months, both my children were married, I moved, and my husband was admitted for major surgery. With so many big life events happening all at once, I needed some downtime in the worst way, so I took it without regret.

You’re struggling with Writer’s Block. When retrieving words seems impossible, sometimes you need to keep trying, but other times, stepping back is the better choice. The dreaded block often happens because the creative well is empty, meaning it needs to be refilled. Read, get out in nature, watch movies, do art, bake, and do all the things that tend to make you feel creative and feed your imagination. When you are itching to get back to writing, you’ll know.

Or…strike a balance!

Few things are all-or-nothing, including your summer writing (or not-writing) strategy. If you have visitors to prep for, weekend camping trips, or this is the year you renovate the yard, it might be difficult to work on your novel with regularity. But if you’re like me and get a bit squidgy when you feel as if you aren’t furthering your writing goals, look for middle ground. One way might be to choose bite-sized tasks over a steady word count.

Think about where you are now, and where you want to be. Make a list of things that you need to know to have a clearer picture of your path forward. Do you need to research publishing options? Get a query letter & list of agents ready to go? Do you need to find a course to help you market, or create a shortlist of reputable freelance editors? Whatever things you believe should be in your headlights, make a list. Order it so what you need to get started on first is at the top.

Do some research. Being a writer means there’s always more for us to learn. Maybe it’s time to research website hosting, play with design tools so you’ll be able to create promotional materials down the road, or find answers to your publishing questions. Summer is a great time to visit new sites, test tools, and find resources that can help you take the next step.

Plan a new story. Summer is the BEST time to dream up new characters, outline a story, or build a fictional world. These are writing bits that are fun, creative, and perfect for smaller pockets of time. Being able to mull everything over, and do some of the important planning, can put you in a great place when it’s time to start writing!

You even have the time and space to decide the best way for your story to start. Having that first scene clear in your mind can make it so much easier to get going when it’s time to write it.

If you are planning to write…

You might want to check out One Stop for Writers. Becca and I have spent years building a powerful toolkit full of resources, the largest show-don’t-tell THESAURUS database anywhere, and a Storyteller’s Roadmap, which guides you step-by-step as you plan, write, and revise.

This can be especially helpful over the summer so you keep track of what comes next at whatever stage you’re in. Find out more.

What are your plans this summer – write, take a break, or something in between?

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Should You Write Over the Summer, or Take a Break? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Publishing your own book is a lot like juggling—and not those harmless little balls, either. Try a couple of balls, a chainsaw, a set of Ginsu knives, and a litter of kittens. There are so many things to remember, and they’re all vital to getting your book into readers’ hands in a reasonable timeframe. Drop any of those balls and you end up with a messy or unfinished product that doesn’t reflect the time and energy you’ve put into it.

One thing Angela and I started doing early in our career was creating a publication timeline for each book. This allowed us to track the things that had to get done, plan how long each step would take, and determine a reasonable launch deadline.

These timelines have been crucial to us being able to release our books in a timely fashion without forgetting anything important. And eight books later, we’re still using the same template. Today I’d like to share my process with you so you can do the same.

1. Make a List of Tasks Needed to Publish Your Book

What jobs will need to be done for your book to be published? Some of these are universal—writing the book, revising it, designing a cover, etc. But others will be specific to you and the kind of book you’ve written. To get you started, here’s our list of Must-Dos, which can be tweaked to fit your process. 

Drafting: Each nonfiction book that Angela and I write consists of two portions: instructive front matter and thesaurus entries. We tackle each section separately, so they’re listed as such on our spreadsheet.

Revision: The length for this part of the process will vary between authors and from project to project. 

Professional Editing: We’ve come a long way from the self-publishing stigma that was so pervasive when we published our first book in 2012. A lot of that is due to authors recognizing the need to create a polished product. When you’ve done as much with your manuscript as you can, hire a professional to take it to the next level. Because of the unusual format of our nonfiction books, Angela and I hire an editor to tidy up the narrative front matter and a proofreader to fine-tooth-comb the entry section, but that won’t be necessary for everyone. 

Drawer Time: After so much time focusing on a book, we start to lose perspective; we’re so close to it that we can no longer see the issues. To gain a little distance, stick it in the “drawer” for a while. Work on something else. Then, when you come back to it, you can give it a final read-through with fresh eyes to catch anything you may have missed.

Cover Design: Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, you’ll need to create a cover for your book. 

Formatting: This is the final step in the process of creating the actual book. Again, you can do this job yourself or hire it out.

Marketing for Your Launch: What’s your marketing plan? How will you get the word out about your book? Make note on your timeline of the different strategies you’ll employ, such as crafting a launch-related newsletter, soliciting testimonials, hiring a street team, or sending out requests to write guest posts for influential blogs around the time of your release.

Publishing: Decide where you’re going to sell your books (Amazon, Apple, on your website, etc.). Familiarize yourself with their timelines so you’ll know how long it takes for an uploaded file to be available for purchase. This will ensure that your books can be bought at the various distributors by your launch date.

Miscellaneous Pre-Launch Stuff: There are lots of nitpicky tasks that need to be done before your book goes live: creating blurbs, updating your bio, adding the book to your website bookstore, obtaining an ISBN—all the little things that don’t fit into bigger categories. Dropping them into a Miscellaneous section on your timeline is a good way to remember them so they don’t creep up on you.

Other Considerations: Our spreadsheet isn’t comprehensive; it excludes a lot of common tasks such as obtaining feedback from beta readers and setting up preorders. And that’s fine. Everyone’s process is different. As you set up your own timeline, you can include anything we’ve omitted and remove the tasks that aren’t necessary.

Once you’ve created your list of tasks, put them into a spreadsheet, as follows. Then you’re ready for the next step.

2. Split Tasks into Subtasks

Some jobs will require multiple steps. You want to note these under each task so you don’t forget them. 

3. Assign Time Estimates for Each Task and Subtask.

If you’ve written books before, you’ll know how long it will take to draft, revise, and the like. If this will be your first time, make your best guess; you can always adjust, as long as you’ve added enough buffer into your overall timeline (more on that later). For tasks that will be handled by others, decide early on who you’ll be working with. Ask them in advance how long they’ll need to complete your cover design or format a project like yours. Add time estimates for each task and subtask to your spreadsheet. Here’s how our timeline started for The Occupation Thesaurus:

4. Order Your Tasks.

Most of the steps to publication go in a logical sequence: drafting, then revising, then formal editing, etc. But some jobs can overlap. For instance, you may decide to do your cover design or beta reading during that important drawer time. You might be able to start some marketing incentives while the book is still being formatted. Arrange your tasks so you can see the order in which they need to be accomplished.

5. Decide on a Launch Date

Now that you know the tasks you’ll be handling and how much time is needed for each, you can decide on a release date. Add up the time allotted for all the tasks to see how much will be needed overall. Then get out the calendar and choose a launch date that will give you enough time to do everything on your list. Be sure to plan around family vacations, holidays, big work projects, and any other events that would make it difficult for you to focus on your launch.

One other thing you’ll want to factor into your timeline is what I like to call Buffer. No matter how carefully you plan, things go wrong. Your cover designer goes out of business and you have to find a new one, beta feedback requires you to make major changes, a family situation crops up that steals your writing time … Trust me, you will need more time than you think you do, so add some buffer into your timeline. You won’t see it on our sheet because I don’t physically add a line item for buffer; I just add an extra 3-4 weeks to the overall timeframe and choose a launch date with that in mind. This may sound like overkill, but Angela and I have needed at least some of that buffer for every release. And if you end up finishing ahead of schedule, great. You’ve got some time to breathe before jumping into your marketing campaign. 

6. Work Backwards to Assign Timeframes to Each Task

Once you’ve got a launch date in mind, work backwards from that date to fill in the timeframes for each task so you’ll know when each one needs to be done. For The Occupation Thesaurus, we needed about 4 1/2 months, including buffer, so we decided to shoot for a release date of 7/20. The item on my spreadsheet that’s just prior to launch is Publishing. Seeing that I have to upload and publish my digital files at various distributors five days before launch, I plan to do that on 7/15. Next, I’ve got a note that my Amazon files should be published a week before the release date, so I’ll do those on 7/13. Print files have to be uploaded even earlier, because I have to order a proof and make sure the paper copy looks good. I allot three weeks for that (in case anything goes wrong and I have to make changes and order a second proof), so I plan to upload the print file three weeks before launch, on 6/23.

That takes care of all the publishing tasks. So I move up to formatting. My formatter needs about three weeks, so I plan to get her the material on 5/25 in hopes that I’ll have the finished files by 6/19. Then I move on to the task that comes before formatting…

In this way, work your way backward until you’ve assigned dates for all the tasks. This process will tell you when, at the latest, you should start working through your list so you’ll be done in time for your launch. And it acts as a schedule to keep you on track as you go. Here’s what ours looked like for this particular publication:

This may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth it because you only have to do it once. Then, when it’s time to publish your next book, the spreadsheet is there, with the necessary tasks and timeframes laid out. All you have to do is adjust the dates so they fit your new launch date. It makes things SO much easier.

This sheet is also handy because it allows you to note what doesn’t work so you can make changes for the next publication. For instance, prior to this publication, we’d always sent out ARCs as PDFs after the book was formatted (so readers had the cleanest version to read). But we learned that if readers find typos and other errors, it was too late for us to go back and remove them because the files had already been formatted. We made a note for future publications to create a quick PDF from the manuscript and send those out as ARCs before we got to the formatting stage so we could incorporate any changes before the files were finalized.

This timeline has been an absolute lifesaver for us and has made the jump to self-publishing much more manageable. And it can do the same for you. We’d love for you to use our spreadsheet as a template and individualize it to fit your next project. And if you have questions about the process, I’m here to answer them.

BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Creating a Publication Timeline for Your Next Release appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

It’s a touchy topic, I know.

On one hand, we may putter a bit as a way ‘into’ writing–getting supplies together, pouring a cup of coffee, and putting a few cookies on standby. Most of us have a pre-writing ritual. But, on the other hand, after we do those things, how many of us suddenly remember something that needs our attention? Maybe, Oh, I forgot to send that email and so we head to the inbox. We send our message, but as we do, see another about a friend’s new book. So, naturally we zip over to Goodreads and add it to our shelf.

You know where this is going. Goodreads leads to Facebook, which leads to Instagram and Tiktok, and boom, an hour’s gone. Maybe more.

Another thing that chews up writing time is the research and brainstorming we need to do. There’s always things to look into for our story, and information for marketing, learning stronger craft, and more.

Finally, there’s the time we waste trying to locate our story planning materials – those characters bios, timelines, notes about the plot, worldbuilding information, and the rest which helps us as we write and revise. These things may be scattered in notebooks, on hard drives, post-its, etc. and every time we need to look something up, it pulls us out of the writing flow. Sometimes by the time we find it, we’ve lost track of what we had planned to say.

So…how do we get lost time back?

By changing our habits & process a touch so writing time is spent doing exactly that: writing. Here are some tweaks that might help you:

Procrastinate…with a timer. If you know it’s your habit to check a few things before you start writing, then give in to it, but set a timer on your phone to limit how long you spend surfing social and handling email.

Schedule time for non-writing tasks. Story planning, researching information to help us write and market, connecting with people on social media, and yes, answering email – it all needs to be done. But if we organize ourselves better, and create designated times for those bits of work, we protect our sit-down-and-write sessions.

Organize our story materials in the same place. It’s true, we can be like birds, storing shiny bits and bobs for our story all over. This happens because as we’re planning, we’re not always in the same place. Sometimes we’re at the computer and things go into a file, other times, ideas hit in the car and we jot down notes on our phone or on the back of a receipt.

Keeping things together means we always know where to go when we need to check something about a character, scan our outline, or remind ourselves of certain story details. Being able to find the information we need quickly is key to getting back to writing and more words each session.

If you’re looking for a way to organize all your story items, check out One Stop for Writers. We just revamped our dashboard, the Workspace. You can create everything for your story there, store it, and when you need to look something up, it auto-sorts everything for you. (Don’t you wish someone would create a button to sort out your actual desk? I do!)

Check it out:

Finally, if you’re procrastinating too often, ask yourself why. Often, we fall into a distraction hole because we’re struggling with the story. When the writing gets hard, our motivation drains away. We’d rather get lost on the internet than face a nasty knot in our manuscript.

Problems don’t fix themselves, so we need to push ourselves to identify what’s wrong, so we can find a solution. Going back to our story materials is often key as they can show us if we’ve planned enough, need to raise the stakes, give a character more depth, add a scene, or something else. TIP: The Storyteller’s Roadmap has a Code Red section to help you fix the most common story problems.

How do you make sure procrastination and disorganization doesn’t derail your writing? I’d love to hear your tips!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How Much Time Do You Waste as a Writer? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

We all need down time in our writing lives—a planned vacation, Christmas with the family, a buffer between big projects. Sometimes we get down time whether we’ve chosen it or not (I’m looking at you, COVID). Whatever the cause, it can be good to put down our pens or shut our laptops for a while. Vacation is my time to catch up on reading, and I savor it.

But time away creates an inevitable problem: how to get back into the writing habit.

I try to coordinate vacations with the end of a novel draft and use my departure date as a deadline. For me, there’s nothing worse than leaving a novel half-written. More than three days away from a novel-in-progress and I have to read back a few chapters to remind myself where I left off and trick myself back into the rhythm of the writing. More than a week and I basically have to read from the beginning—to say nothing of reviewing all those cryptic half-written notes that no longer make any sense.

The solution is not don’t take time off. That can be a direct route to burnout. We can’t be on all the time. We need that down time to recharge our batteries. Filling the well, as Julia Cameron calls it—whether by reading or having new experiences or meeting new people. Or just doing nothing. It’s essential. Taking zero time off can result in work that feels stale; it can even kill your desire to write altogether.

But say you have taken time off. You’ve had a great vacation and now Monday looms—the day you’ve decided it’s time to get back to your desk, back to whatever creative project you’ve been working on. You’re nervous. Afraid you’ll be rusty. Or worse: you’re afraid that whatever magic allowed you to fill the blank page is most certainly gone by now, never to return.

Of course, that’s nonsense. But if you’re anything like me, those are the thoughts running through your head. And nonsense or not, they feel real enough to cause panic.

I’ve found a few ways to smooth out the return to writing after a significant break.
Maybe they’ll work for you.

Don’t Procrastinate

Set a date and time when you will return to your desk and SHOW UP, no matter how hard it feels. Don’t make excuses or talk yourself out of it.

Take the Pressure Off

When I was doing my MFA, my novel-writing instructor, Gail Anderson-Dargatz gave us a mantra to follow: write crap. We had a lot of work to produce in a short period of time, and many of us were novices when it came to writing a novel. Putting pressure on yourself to be the next Margaret Atwood or write a bestseller guarantees only one thing: a blank page. When you take that pressure away and allow yourself to write anything, as long as the words show up on the page you’ve achieved your goal. As Jodi Picoult puts it, you can’t edit a blank page. And chances are, whatever you come up with won’t be crap at all.

Start By Editing Someone Else’s Work

Sometimes it’s the act of sitting at your desk and moving your pen on paper that’s enough to reinspire you. If you’re editing someone else’s work, there’s nothing at stake for you. You’re not judging yourself. You’re not thinking, See? I knew I was no good, I knew the magic was gone. You’re helping someone else—and at the same time getting your mind back in the habit of thinking about craft.

Start By Editing Previous Chapters of Your Own Work

If you did have to step away from a half-written project, ease yourself in by reading a few chapters back—or even from the beginning. It’s like giving yourself a running start. Your body and brain will get into the groove and before you know it, the ideas will be flowing again, and you’ll be adding sentences to the draft.

Try Another Art Form

Creativity feeds creativity. If the idea of returning to your desk has you paralyzed, take a walk and snap some photos. If you play a musical instrument, put in some time at the piano. Draw, paint, dance. Creativity is a muscle. If you coax it, it will come back to life.

Try Using Writing Prompts

Prompts can be a fun way to stretch yourself, and the internet has so many good ones now. There’s no pressure in a prompt. You’re not trying to create anything coherent. You’re just writing for, say, fifteen minutes, and the only rule is to keep your hand moving. You can do that.

Tip: One Stop for Writers has an idea generator you can use to create prompts…or help brainstorm new aspects of a current project. Today is the last day to get 25% off any One Stop for Writers subscription.

Write In a Group

There’s a certain magic to writing in a group that’s hard to explain but I’ve found it to be undeniable. It’s as if creativity is contagious. When you surround yourself by people who are writing, you’ll write too.

The return back to writing always feels a little awkward and nerve-wracking at first. But persist and be kind to yourself. The habit will come back faster than you expect, and your work will be better for having taken the time away.

MICHELLE BARKER - Resident Writing Coach

Michelle Barker is an award-winning author and editor who lives in Vancouver, BC. Her newest book, coauthored with David Griffin Brown, is Story Skeleton: The Classics. They are also the authors of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. Her novel My Long List of Impossible Things, came out in 2020 with Annick Press. The House of One Thousand Eyes was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year and won numerous awards including the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have appeared in literary reviews world-wide.

Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and is a senior editor at The Darling Axe. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Michelle below. Michelle’s books

The post Getting Back in the Writing Flow appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

When February 14th rolls around, it’s a reminder to let certain people know that we love and cherish them. So, we buy chocolate, flowers, or go for a night out. Maybe we give the gift of time and make a favorite meal or dessert.

In reality, most of us don’t need a special day to show our love for the people in our lives.

But we do need a reminder to show love for the person we tend to forget about: OURSELVES.

Speaking of the L word, many of you know Becca and I gave our hearts to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs long ago. We use it all the time to teach writers how to build stronger characters, arcs, and how to add meaningful conflict and stakes.

Well, if there were a hierarchy for a writer’s life, it might look something like this:

In other words…YOU always come last.

So this year, think about how to put yourself first.

Be your own Valentine!

Start with some meaningful gifts:

1) Give yourself the gift of space.

We all live busy lives and can end up trapped within responsibilities and routines. We’re used to taking every spare moment and filling it with stuff that must be done – errands, fixing things, appointments. When do we have time to reflect on what we need, what we want to see for ourselves, and what will bring us more happiness and fulfillment?

So…back away from the to-do list and give yourself some space to think and reflect. We only get one kick at the can of life (unless reincarnation is a thing), so go for a walk in the park, take yourself on a picnic, or fill the bathtub with suds and lock the door. Turn your thinker to what small changes you can make to move toward a happier and more balanced you.

2) Give yourself the gift of time.

The Writer’s Pyramid shows how everything else tends to come first. After all, we love the people around us and want to make sure their needs are taken care of. But the constant merry-go-round of work, driving everywhere for school and activities, and all the other life stuff doesn’t leave us a lot for writing and other fulfilling goals.

So…be a little selfish with your time this February. Putting your needs and interests first for once doesn’t make you a bad person. Pausing things that can wait so you can make room for your writing and yourself is a healthy habit and teaches us to make choices about what’s really important. Plus, when you have more time for yourself and things personal to you, you’ll be happier and more energized.

3) Give yourself the gift of escape.

Forgive me, Stephen King, for I have sinned: I have become so busy I barely have time to read anymore. In fact, I may have moved that stack of books I bought out of sight so I wouldn’t feel guilty about what I wasn’t doing…reading.

If this sounds familiar, it’s okay. You aren’t alone. A busy life means reading fiction can end up on the back burner. But remember, we write because we love stories and want readers to escape into our realities. Reading is key to furthering our career and keeping our creative well filled.

So…let’s escape, too, and go on a book date. Pick up that trilogy you’ve been eyeing. Buy yourself your favorite sweets, a new flavor of tea, or whatever will help you unplug from everything and focus on the fictional realm. Give yourself permission to put everything else on hold and fall into a story world.

4) Give yourself the gift of help.

Writing is hard work and requires passion, perseverance, and grit. It can seem like we’re climbing a mountain that only gets higher as we learn what strong writing looks like and how to get our own story craft to that level. But while there’s much to learn, we also have a writing community filled with experts to help!

So…put resources in your toolkit that can help carry the load. In fact, we created a giant i need help with… section on our home page so you’ll be able to get the help you need no matter what the topic. Click the image link and scroll down the page!

And did you know…

Many writers associate us with our thesaurus books, but we are also the creators of One Stop for Writers, a treasure chest of storytelling goodness.

One Stop for Writers has everything you need to build standout characters, fresh plots and stunning worlds. It also guides you step by step as you plan, write and revise.

And if you are a fan of our books like the Emotion Thesaurus, you might be interested to know an even larger THESAURUS database is at the site. So come check it out sometime. We have a 2-week free trial.

Or, if you’re ready to put this powerful tool in your writing kit, be our Valentine and save 25% on any plan with this one-time discount code:

ONESTOPVALENTINE

To redeem this 25% discount:

1) sign up or sign in

2) Go to Account >> My Subscription and choose your plan

3) Add & activate the ONESTOPVALENTINE code in the box provided

4) Enter your payment details, click the terms box, & hit subscribe

Plan, write, and revise faster and easier as One Stop for Writers’ Storyteller’s Roadmap, Thesaurus Database, and other story support tools!

5) Give yourself the gift of grace.

Above all else, we want to see you get your books in the hands of readers and realize your writing dreams. Fulfillment is fuel, and when we achieve meaningful goals, we’re happier, more balanced, and optimistic. But writing a strong story and publishing it takes time, especially when we have a full life and other responsibilities.

So…take a moment to remind yourself that this isn’t a race, and you’re not competing with anyone. Publishing a book and having a successful career of doing what you love is about putting one foot in front of the other. Go at the speed that is right for you, not one that might lead to burnout. Be kind to yourself and remember: YOU’VE GOT THIS!

6) Finally, how about the gift of sleep?

Hit snooze more often, or sneak in a nap or two. The world will not break apart if you rest more, I promise!

How are you taking care of yourself? Let us know in the comments!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How Writers Can Be Their Own Valentine appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.