There’s No “Easy Button” for Writing: 5 Lessons I’ve Learned the Hard Way

I was on a Teams call with a colleague the other day and we were working on copy for a new web page. It’s going to be a great resource (if you’re in the healthcare provider world, it might even be for you!).

As we were chatting about the brand style, I mentioned that it irritates me to no end that our brand at work doesn’t use the Oxford comma. Also called the serial comma, it’s the one that separates lists. For instance, it makes me sad, annoyed, and huffy when I have to take them out of all the writing I’m editing. It’s that comma before the and.

Anyway, so we were talking about it and laughing about how many nuances there are, but also he thought it was a funny writer’s rant. After all, no one really cares that much about commas besides writers, right? It is kind of a funny thing to get annoyed about. The funnier thing is that I have this conversation a lot. Like, every time I write for a new client or edit someone’s work. IT’S A CLARITY THING.

Later that evening I was thinking about the conversation because even though I’ve been writing most of my life, there are still things that get me. For instance, I almost always spell the word “professor” wrong the first time, and “restaurant.”

You probably have some of those, too, don’t you?

It’s kind of assumed that the more skilled you become and the more you practice writing, it’ll just somehow get easier. Sure, some things do. Your voice feels more natural, and you can start self-correcting small errors or noticing patterns you don’t like faster. But the truth of it is that writing is actually pretty damn hard, even for those of us who love it and practice it all the time.

Because it’s hard, a lot of people are intimidated by it. Like, who wants to have an intentionally difficult hobby or set themselves up for a career where they literally won’t ever know everything about it?

There’s quite a bit of nuance in writing, though. It’s creative, ambitious, and completely wide open. On the same day you can write about healthcare eligibility and benefits AND cool things the practice of writing has taught you. I mean, that’s pretty neat, right?

All of this is to say that, if you’re looking for an “easy button” for your writing, it doesn’t exist. Part of writing is the process of doing it (sometimes badly), learning, and improving. (And no, ChatGPT does NOT count as an easy button because it’s not you doing the writing.)

When you approach it that way, it becomes a lot more palatable because learning about something you like is fun. Doing something you love, even if you’re not the best at it, is enjoyable and freeing.

If you’re on the fence about whether you want to start writing, here are a few lessons I’ve learned that will help. From one writer to another (even if you haven’t quite named yourself that yet), you can do whatever you want with your writing! But please, for the sake of everyone involved, use the Oxford comma. ;)

Writing is Different for Everyone

There are many writing conventions available to help guide the technical aspects of your writing. I’m sure there are a million videos on YouTube about how to write this or that, too. I’d caution you to be careful with the ones that say you’re going to write a full book in a weekend that will be publishable - that’s likely to end in disappointment.

No matter how you want the writing to look once it’s done, everyone has a different process and habits that work best for them. Some considerations to keep in mind to help you find your groove:

• Do you want to write by hand or type on a computer/laptop/tablet?

• Do you want to be alone when you’re writing? Or does a communal place like a coffee shop inspire you to get creative?

• What kind of mindset do you need to have to feel good about your work? Do you want to accomplish a certain task or write a certain part of the story?

• How often do you want to work on your project(s)?

• Will you be sharing your writing? Or do you want to keep it private and enjoy the feeling it gives you to express yourself on the page?

By the way, there’s not a right or wrong answer to these questions! All are valid. You get to decide how you approach your writing.

There’s More Than One Reason to Write

When we’re in school, it feels like all we do is write essays and research what other people tell us to. Even if we pick a topic, there’s still an element of worry because someone will be grading it. Having been on both sides of the classroom, I can tell you it’s a little nerve-wracking on both sides! Teachers have to figure out how to give kind, but useful feedback on the writing no matter what’s there.

Writing out in the big wide adult world doesn’t have to feel like this at all. People write for any number of reasons, and most of them aren’t tied to school at all! For instance, people write:

• Memos and emails to their colleagues

• Articles that other people will read

• Social media posts (+ videos! There’s quite a bit of wordsmithing done in those, even if you can’t see it in the finished product)

• Poems & Short stories

• Books - for fun and for business

• Journals

• Love notes

• Lists of all kinds

No matter what kind of writing you want to do, there’s a place for it. And you know what? Your nightstand or desk drawer is a perfectly fine place if you want to write just for you. It’s not all about other people.

There’s Not a Right Way to Write

This might be a little contentious, but writing doesn’t always have to be “right” by Western English standards. First of all, that doesn’t take into consideration any regional dialects or accents. But also, people don’t actually sound like that when they talk, so why would all of our writing need to follow those rules?

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some places where following the rules is necessary. But if you’re just starting out or writing for fun, they’re not really that big of a deal. If it comes up when you’re finished drafting, you can always edit it.

Some fun rules to play around with in writing:

• Dialogue - how people talk and how you can show the way they really speak with words (Alice Walker does an awesome job with this in The Color Purple)

• Capitalization and form (if you want to know how that might look, check out e.e. cummings and bell hooks)

• Ending sentences however you feel like it (not ending a sentence in a preposition isn’t a real rule anyhow)

My advice is to figure out how you want to sound and what sounds like you, then worry about rules that might apply - or not.

Writing is Hard 

The act of writing itself is hard. It’s difficult to build worlds and express feelings and explain the world. There aren’t a whole lot of other activities that require so much of us as writing. Plus, a lot of times it’s lonely because we’re working on our own project or story.

• Putting words on the page that literally didn’t exist before you put them there

• Finding the “right” words

• Saying what you want to say and having others understand it (i.e. “It sounded good in my head but not on paper)

• Our words are powerful, so we have to be aware of that if we choose to share it

• Words can be shared faster than you can blink and say, “Wait, what?”

• You can’t control how others might interpret what you’re saying

• Creating with your emotions can be draining

I think creatives, and especially writers, don’t give themselves enough credit for the amazing things they do. Not everyone is willing to give so much of their time and talents to bring new things into the world. We sometimes take it for granted that we’re drawn to writing as a habit, a lifestyle, or a calling even. Words and stories are what connects us all as people - to be able to figure out what that means and looks like in your own life is incredible.

Writing is a Skill, Not a Talent

This is one of the first things I tell any class or workshop I’m leading. Writing is a learnable skill. You’re not born with it (we’re not Maybelline over here), even if you discover you like it as a young person.

The people who are really good at writing practice…and practice…and practice again. A few other things that can help you grow your writing skills:

• Reading and looking up words you see that you don’t know

• Listening to/watching interviews with authors you admire

• Talking through your ideas out loud either on a recording or with a friend

• Do word puzzles/play word games

• Work on how you think about writing

You can learn to write. If you want to be a “good” writer, you totally can. Or, if you just want to enjoy it without having to go through the annoying “why should I even bother, I’m no good at this” thought process.

Just because there’s no “easy button” for writing doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and enjoy it. I’m constantly surprised and delighted by what I learn through words and I’ve been at it for almost 30 years! Take a deep breath and give yourself a chance - who knows what you’ll be able to create.

If you find you’re stuck, this book for anxious writers might help. :)

What are Writing Sprints and How to Do Them

Being a writer comes with many challenges, one of which is the dreaded writer’s block. There are some lucky writers out there who never experience writer’s block, but for most of us, they’re simply part of the experience. 

If you’re struggling with writer’s block, or just want to get some writing done (but can’t seem to find time), a writing sprint may be the perfect solution.

What is a Writing Sprint? 

A writing sprint is a form of timed writing. You set a timer for however long you want to write and go. Some common time limits for a writing sprint are 20 minutes, 40 minutes, or an hour. You can do more or less depending on what you want to get accomplished and how long you’ll stay focused. 

If you’re doing a longer sprint, it can be helpful to break it up into smaller portions with a short break in between. The Pomodoro Technique can be incredibly helpful for writing, too.

Once you choose the length of time and set your timer,  all you have to do is write. The most important thing to remember for sprints is that anything goes. Don’t worry about making sense, correcting or using great grammar, or whether what you’ve written is “good.” The main goal is to get words onto the page. Sometimes you’ll find you’ve written a masterpiece in this time. Other times, you want to delete the whole block when you’re done. What matters is that you wrote. 

Why Use Writing Sprints?

Writing sprints can help you to make progress on your writing project and defeat writer’s block. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or an article, sometimes we need help to get back into the swing of writing. 

Writing sprints help you get into writing faster. It forces you to think fast and dump your thoughts onto the page without a filter. This is a great way to test out new ideas and storylines. If you don’t like what you wrote in the end, you’ve spent less than an hour instead of days. 

By breaking writing into smaller chunks of timed writing, it makes the whole task less overwhelming. Writing anything can be a daunting task, which is how writer’s block can set in. The feeling of not knowing where or how to start is something writers have been navigating for hundreds of years. 

With writing sprints, you don’t have to worry about it. You’re just putting words on the page during the time on your timer. You don’t have to try to write the next American epic. All you have to do is put some thoughts onto paper (digital or otherwise). If it’s not a good fit for your work in progress, you can always edit it later.

When you’re writing with a timer, it gives you less time to dwell on the minute details. Knowing you’re on a time frame pushes you to keep writing rather than look back over what you wrote. You can lose so much writing time by worrying about what you’ve already written. When you get obsessive with editing as you write (it’s happened to us all), you won’t get very much done. 

There’s less pressure to be perfect when you do writing sprints. If you make a mistake, you have it in the back of your mind that you can or will have to fix it later. If you realize what you wrote is a tangent and has nothing to do with the overall story, you can take it out later. You never know when you may write a few great sentences that will take your story to the next level. You might also write garbage you’d never share with anyone. Anything can happen.

Even if you realize you need to delete the whole block you just wrote, at least you know that’s not the direction you want to go and you can try something else. There’s always a benefit when you’re writing - whether it’s progress in your project, or experience to learn from. 

5 Easy Steps to Do Effective Writing Sprints

1. Choose an amount of time - we recommend starting with 20 minutes first to see how that goes. If it works well, then try more.

2. Set a timer - You can use an app that makes it more fun, like the Forest app (which grows trees while you stay off your phone!), or a regular timer.

3. Do the sprint - Write words and have fun!

4. Take a break - If you’re doing a longer sprint, try to take a break mid-way through. If you want to keep writing, go for it, but breaks can help rejuvenate your brain and body and increase creativity.

5. Do another sprint if you feel like it - Sometimes we reach the end of our sprint and want to keep writing. If this happens to you, that’s awesome and you should definitely keep going. If it’s not, that’s okay, too. Schedule your next sprint session and congratulate yourself for making some progress. 

BONUS: Find an accountability partner & sprint with them. This can be a friend, someone you met on social media, or just someone else who likes to write. If you can’t find a partner, you can also text someone you trust and let them know you need an accountability friend. Let them know when you are sprinting and when you’re done. Make sure to choose someone supportive and who will cheer you on. 

Happy sprinting!

Start Showing - Not Telling - with this Unique Writing Tool

As a writer, there are many responsibilities to think about to make sure that my work is the best it can be, so it’s nice to be able to use tools to make them a little less intimidating. 

I need to be able to write, first and foremost, but I also need to know a bit about editing, formatting, social media, marketing, and networking. Utilizing tools that make these tasks easier isn’t just helpful, but essential to getting everything done. 

One tool I’ve recently discovered that’s extremely useful for editing is The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi.

What is the Emotion Thesaurus? 

First things first (in case it’s been a little while since you’ve used one), a thesaurus is a tool that tells you synonyms of another word. I always have a tab open on my computer with a thesaurus handy when I’m writing. 

The Emotion Thesaurus (TET) is a little more in depth than your average thesaurus. You use it the same way as you would any other reference book, by looking up the emotion in question. In TET, you get a ton of other information about the emotion, too: 

• The definition

• The physical signs/behaviors associated with it

• Internal sensations that occur when you experience the emotion

• Mental reactions to it

• Acute or long term responses for it

• Signs that it’s being suppressed

• What it may escalate to

• What it may de-escalate to 

• Associated power verbs

Each word has a full two pages allotted to it so you fully understand what the emotion is and what it looks like.

There are other thesauruses by the same authors for other kinds of references: 

• The Positive Trait Thesaurus

• The Negative Trait Thesaurus

• The Emotional Wound Thesaurus

• The Urban Setting Thesaurus

• The Rural Setting Thesaurus

• The Occupation Thesaurus

2 Ways to Use The Emotion Thesaurus

There are multiple ways to use The Emotion Thesaurus. First, you can use it as a dictionary. If you think you have an understanding of a word, but you’re not sure, look it up in the thesaurus! There’s a definition listed, and reading through the rest of the information will familiarize you with the word and its exact usage.

You can also use it as an editing tool, which is what I use it for. You can look up emotions as you write, especially when you’re unsure how to show what they look like. You can also use it when you’re rereading and making edits. 

I find it easier to use during the editing process so I don’t have to keep stopping to look up each feeling I want to describe while I write, but either way, it really helps you show the emotion instead of telling your reader about it. 

A good way to know when you should be showing vs. telling is whenever you see the words “seem,” “appear,” or “felt.” Try to replace those words with descriptions of what’s happening in the moment. 

It’s not that you can’t ever use those words - sometimes they’re necessary - but if you use them a lot, consider swapping them out for descriptions instead. 

Why The Emotion Thesaurus is a Helpful Editing Tool 

If you have trouble showing vs. telling, this tool is for you. When I’m in the moment, sometimes it’s easier to say how a character is feeling instead of showing it with their actions or expressions. If you write fiction, you’ve probably felt the struggle! 

This thesaurus has helped me so much in learning what different emotions actually look like (it’s not always like you see on TV!) so I’m able to properly show them in my writing. 

For instance, instead of saying, “they were disgusted” you can say “their lip curled and they wrinkled their nose.” They both convey the same message, but you can visualize disgust with the description much more clearly. 

If you don’t know what an emotion feels like, this tool is a must. The internal sensations and mental responses are super helpful in figuring out how the character who’s experiencing the emotion should be reacting on the inside & how they behave on the outside. 

For example: A character is feeling impatient. On the inside, they may be experiencing a headache, or becoming tired, but they’re trying to avoid lashing out at whatever is causing the impatience. 

Need words that relate to a specific emotion or word you’re looking up (like when something is on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t think of it)? This will help. TET gives you options for words that are more or less intense than the feeling you’re looking up (in the may escalate to/may de-escalate to sections). 

For instance: You want to find words related to insecurity. In TET, you’ll find words associated with this feeling include unease, wariness, uncertainty, and nervousness. Although they all have similar meanings, the first two are a little more intense than the second two. 

Even if you have showing vs. telling down, I still recommend checking out The Emotion Thesaurus. It’s easy to overuse the same descriptions for emotions, especially when you find a way that feels really clear. When you’re in the zone, you don’t necessarily notice these occurrences, but you do when you start editing. At least I do!

This thesaurus gives great alternatives for showing emotions that aren’t overused or obvious. It helps to keep your writing fresh and keep your readers on the edge of their seats. 

My challenge to you is to try out one of the writing thesauruses. 

Do you use a thesaurus when writing? Have you used any of the writing thesauruses before? What’s your favorite writing tool? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

Overcome Your Writing Fears with These 9 Simple Strategies

Beginning, or even continuing, a writing project can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider before you dive in - and many fears that may arise.

Today we wanted to share some fears that we see often, and how to overcome them so you can keep working on your next masterpiece!

All the Writing Fears (or at Least a Lot of Them)

Picture this: you’ve got a brilliant idea (or at least an idea) and you’re ready to write. BUT, and this is a big one, you haven’t really planned anything out. You may not even know much about the characters or the world, but dang it! You want to write the thing. Worrying about fully developing an idea can hold you back, especially if/when you feel like if you don’t plan more it may not be any good. 

The good news is that as long as you have an idea, you can start writing. Maybe you just have a couple of characters who keep coming to mind, or you’re picturing one certain scene. If that’s what you’ve got, go for it! Focus on writing and developing those bits first - then you can work on planning and writing more when you have a better feel for where you see the story going. 

Amidst your thoughts about developing your idea enough, you may worry if people will even “get it.” What if they don’t understand? What if you can’t find the right words to express the image in your mind? Unfortunately, you can’t control what other people understand of your work. You can do your best to make sure your writing is as clear and precise as possible, and get feedback as you go along, but that’s about it. There’s no way to connect with everyone, and that’s okay! You don’t need to. 

Along these same lines, writers often fear that people won’t “buy in” or be interested in what you have to say. For non-fiction writers, it may be about not being persuasive enough. For fiction writers, it may be about readers not relating enough to your characters and story. Either way, the only thing you need to worry about is reaching your ideal audience - the readers you know will love your book. 

Audience is a funny thing: it can both thrill and terrify you, especially when it comes to your writing! Many writers, especially new writers, are especially worried about not having a big enough following or a wide enough audience. It’s a lot of work to build a social media following, and an audience of loyal readers. And actually, having an audience is a big part of being successful as a writer because that’s the way you reach “your” people! The key is that it takes time - the more effort you put in interacting with people and sharing your ideas, the easier (and more natural) it will feel to grow your following. 

Probably the most common, and sometimes the most debilitating, fear is being compared to others. While it’s not always a bad thing to be compared to other writers (hello, who doesn’t want to be compared to someone great?!), it doesn’t feel good when the comments are about you not being as “good” as other writers. This is especially true if you’ve been inspired by someone you love and are trying to write something similar. 

Then the worry becomes a fear that your idea isn’t original. While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, you probably aren’t going to have a ground-breaking, never-been-done-before idea. It’s natural to get ideas from what you read and see in the world! You just need to make sure that whatever you’re working on doesn’t copy anyone directly (that’s plagiarism). Sometimes we take ideas from what we’ve read and it morphs into our own unique thing, and that’s great - just make sure you’re not copying from someone else directly. Put your spin on it. After all, that’s what will excite people! 

9 Ways to Overcome Writing Fear

While there may be quite a few fears, there are some pretty simple and effective ways to fight back. 

1. Figure out the ultimate outcome. If you figure out what you want to happen in the big picture, it will help dispel the fear that your idea won’t be developed enough. 

2. Think about yourself. What do you enjoy reading and writing about? What are your favorite genres, tropes, archetypes, etc.? What are you writing: a novel, poem, short story, something else? All of this info factors into how your idea will play out.  If you know where your story is headed, it’s easier to see the bigger picture and work your way towards that outcome. 

3. Take the free 10 Day Organize Your Book course. During these 10 days, you’ll plot your book (or whip your Work in Progress back into shape), organize your ideas, technology, and space and just feel good about your writing.  

4. Imagine your ideal audience. Who are you writing for? Consider age groups, genre types, niche groups, or whomever you think would enjoy your writing the most. Once you have an ideal audience, you can write with them in mind. If you’re stuck on audience (it happens to all of us sometimes!), read this, it will help.

5. Find other authors in the same genre on social media and follow them. It helps to know that you’re not alone no matter what type of writing you do. There’s an audience for all topics, you just need to make sure you’re a part of that community so when you share your work, it’ll be found by people who’ll be excited to read it. 

6. Set a timer for your writing sessions. Also called writing sprints, having a timer can be helpful to push past fear of writer's block. Read the older part of your writing first if you’ve already started, then set a timer and focus on a tiny section. Give yourself the freedom to be as sloppy as you want (& DO NOT edit as you’re writing). If, in the end, it doesn’t make the cut, at least you’ll make progress and get next part in your writing. 

7. Get the failure workbook. It’s called “How to Stop Feeling Like a Failure in 5 Simple Steps” - we clearly like keeping things simple around here! The workbook walks you through widespread myths about writing (that are totally not true), the mindset you’ll need to be successful, and exercises about how to get there. Super helpful. You’ll be writing with confidence in no time!

8. Practice. Write as much as you can and as often as you can. This will help you improve your writing and help to dispel the fear of not being good enough. 

9. Don’t show anyone, at least at first. One of our favorite strategies is to keep your writing to yourself until you decide it’s ready enough to share. A first draft is never perfect, and will need a lot of edits before it’s ready for readers. You don’t want your unfinished, unpolished work being compared to other writer’s final drafts, it's not fair to yourself or your writing! While we always encourage feedback, don’t feel pressured to show your writing to anyone while it’s still brand new, even if they mean well. 

My challenge to you is to push past your fears and write!

What fears have been holding you back? Do you have an idea that you need help developing? Have you had success overcoming similar fears? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

4 Stressors Secretly Causing Writer’s Block

As a writer, you’ve probably dealt with writer’s block in some form or another - almost all of us have.  It’s a frustrating and seemingly endless period that can bring about a whole lot of stress on its own. 

But did you know that stress can be what leads you to getting stuck in the first place? Once you understand what’s causing unnecessary stress in your life, it’ll be easier to manage it and in turn, avoid the dreaded writer’s block.

What the Heck is Stressor?

First things first, let’s discuss what exactly a stressor is. A quick Google search will tell you that a stressor is something that causes strain, tension, or...you guessed it, STRESS! There are so many stressors in your life that seem harmless, but can actually create a lot of stress in your life. 

4 Sneaky Stressors Causing Writer’s Block

Instant Access News & Media Coverage

With access to laptops, phones, and tablets, you have the world at your fingertips - including the good, bad, and the ugly. Being able to constantly check your phone and see updates on the news and other kinds of media can be a HUGE stressor. 

Most of the time, the news is not reporting on happy topics. Almost all media outlets tell you about the tragic accidents, extreme weather, disputes in politics, and more pressing issues. After all, “if it bleeds, it leads.”

Sometimes it’s important to take a step back from all of that information. Although it may feel like it, you don’t need to know every single detail of what happens in the world each day. It is important to stay informed, but news can easily become an obsession, which isn’t helpful for anyone. In fact, it often leads people to losing faith in humanity and brings a ton of stress into their lives. 

Limit yourself to checking the news a few times per week and rest assured that if anything dire happens, you’ll be able to find out quickly. Limiting yourself will help bring more peace into your life, and get some writing done!

Social Media

This may or may not come as a surprise, but social media can drag even the best of us down if we’re not paying. It creates a stressful cycle where you find yourself stuck in a bubble where everyone’s lives are perfect and going just right...except yours. When you see perfectly curated content, it feels a lot like comparing yourself to a model in a magazine, and you find yourself lacking most times. It’s incredibly stressful (and unhealthy) to spend so much time comparing yourself to others, especially when you don’t really know what's happening behind the scenes.

After all, you’re only seeing what people want you to see.  It’s important to remember that social media isn’t always what it seems. It’s much less important to get a lot of likes and comments than to forge actual relationships with people (even though it’s painful when you feel like you’ve posted the “right” stuff and no one seems to care.)

The other thing about social media is how much time people spend on it. According to the data, people in the U.S. spend more than 2 hours EVERY DAY on social media. Can you imagine how many other things (including writing) you could do with 2 more hours in your day if you limited your social media time?! And how much stress it could relieve if you spent that time enjoying your time instead of comparing or wishing your life was different? Or actually shaping your life into something you enjoy every day? 

Turn off social media and put your phone away when you’re going to be writing. Don’t let yourself be drawn into the social media black hole that winds up eating all your time and taking your focus away from your creative ideas & writing. 

Expectation Overwhelm

Once you announce that you’re writing something - a book, a story, an article, etc. - it comes with expectations. People will ask “How’s the book coming?” or “What are you writing about?” Even though most people are well-intentioned and simply curious to know what you’re working on, you’ll probably start to feel the pressure pretty quickly. It’s not just the questions that can cause stress, but also knowing they want to or even expect to read your work. 

You might start to wonder: Will they like it? Will it be “good enough” for them? If they don’t like it, will they think less of me?

One simple way to avoid feeling too much pressure (unfortunately, it’s impossible to avoid entirely) is to be vague when responding to these kinds of questions. When you don’t share much, they’ll ask less. It may seem harsh or strange, but can really help. If you want someone to bounce ideas off of, that’s fine - just make sure they’re someone who won’t judge your ideas. 

You can also hold off on telling people you’re writing anything until you’re sure it’s something you’re going to put out in the world. Then, if you change your mind or decide to go a different route, you won’t have to explain yourself to anyone. It relieves some of the pressure and frees up your mind to just write.

Not Enough Physical Contact with the Outside World

Thanks to the pandemic, it’s become increasingly difficult to physically interact with the outside world. This can put a damper on your spirits and make it difficult to focus on writing projects. It seems like having to stay inside would help these projects, especially since many writers consider themselves introverts. But when you don’t have a choice, it can feel like a chore. 

It’s important to take breaks, even if you can’t get out of the house, so you don’t start to dislike writing. As with anything, you can overdo it if you push yourself too hard or force yourself to write when you don’t want to. 

Not only is getting out good for your mental health, it’s also good for inspiration. Without the interactions that were a part of your everyday life before, you might find yourself uninspired. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to find new ideas. You can still interact with nature, listen to music, or talk with friends and family on the phone. These are all great ways to spark your creativity when you can’t go out in public. 

My challenge to you is to take a break from your phone for a day.

Do any of these stressors make an impact on your writing? How do you overcome writer’s block? Have you ever taken a break from social media or your phone for an extended period of time? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing. 

How I Deal with Imposter Syndrome

By Holly Huntress, Living Through Writing

As a writer, something I have to contend with on more occasions than I care to admit, is imposter syndrome. This is something that affects most (if not all) writers at some point. It’s hard enough to be a writer without having to battle with your own inner self-doubt and worry. So, today I’m sharing how I deal with imposter syndrome. 

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is the feeling you don’t belong. That you aren’t good enough. When it comes to writing, it makes you feel like you aren’t really a writer. When you experience imposter syndrome, it makes you doubt yourself and your abilities - you feel as if you’re an imposter. Imposter syndrome can happen in any field, not just writing. It can put a damper on your spirits and hinder your writing. So, what do you do when it takes over?

How I Deal with Imposter Syndrome

More often than not, I find myself being sucked into a spiral of self-deprecating thoughts regarding my writing. I’m not as good as… I could never write that well… I’ll never be considered a real author… The list goes on. 

A lot of the time my imposter syndrome stems from making comparisons between my writing and a book I’m reading. Never compare your unfinished/unpolished writing to that of a published novel/work. The book you’re reading has been through multiple rounds of professional edits and beta reads. Your writing is still in its early stages. If you compare it to one of the books on your shelf, you’ll bring imposter syndrome on yourself in a heartbeat. 

Even if you are comparing your own writing to someone else who hasn’t gone through the edits and beta reads, it’s still not fair to yourself to compare them. Everyone has a different writing style. If they didn’t, reading would become boring... fast. All books would read the same, and if you read one, you’d have read them all. 

When imposter syndrome is creeping up on you, keep in mind that there’s someone out there who wants to hear what you have to say. It may not happen right away, but you will find your audience. In the meantime, imagine your ideal reader and write for them. They’ll be your biggest supporter and possibly your biggest critic as well. Don’t let the fear of those critiques hold you back or fuel your imposter syndrome.

Critiques help you grow as a writer. Don’t think of bad reviews as something negative. They’re there to help you discover what you need to work on. For example, if you have a review that mentions bad grammar or spelling, that's an easy fix! Simply make sure you have a more thorough editor helping you with your writing. 

If someone says that they weren’t a fan of the character development, maybe spend a bit more time planning out your next character’s arc before diving in to make sure they’re a fully developed character. There are so many ways you can use your reviews to help yourself. It’s okay to be upset by bad reviews, but make sure you use them to the best of your ability. Don’t let them go to waste.

Another super helpful way I overcome Imposter syndrome is by reaching out to other writers in the writing community. I have mentioned writing communities before, and I will keep bringing it up! There are writing communities on every social media. 

If you’re not sure how to find those writing communities you can learn more about writers on Instagram, or read about writers’ TikTok. Twitter and Facebook can be just as useful as long as you can find your writing community. 

Whenever I feel down about my writing or need some help, I reach out to my writing community. I post a video on TikTok asking my question, or saying I need some help with whatever is bugging me, and people respond in the comments. 

Or I post on Instagram, either to my Stories or to my page, and do the same thing. Pose a question and wait for the responses to come in. If I need more immediate help, I can always directly message (DM) some of the writers who I have become closer with and they’re always willing to help.

If you need an instant boost in your morale, go back and read some of your own writing. Sometimes it’s easy to forget your own abilities. I know I do since I’m not usually reading my writing. 

Imposter syndrome is no fun and it can really make you feel crappy. But, with the right tools in your arsenal, you can snap back into reality and remember who you are: a writer. No matter who tries to tell you differently, even if it’s yourself, YOU ARE A WRITER. So do what you do best and write! Beat back the imposter syndrome and overcome your doubts. 

Do These 7 Things and You’ll Be Writing Like a Pro by the End of Summer

With the warmer weather rolling in, sometimes it’s hard to stay focused on your writing. Summer brings more events, outdoor activities, and other fun occasions - especially this year! 

Through it all, it’s important to find techniques to center yourself and refocus on your writing. We’ve collected some secrets to help you stay on task and be writing like a pro by the end of summer.

Write Like a Pro with These 7 Secrets

1. Create a separate notebook/Word Doc for each new project.

   Before I start writing, I make sure to have a notebook or, if I’m working on my computer, an open document prepared for my current project. Otherwise, everything becomes a jumbled mess and when I need to find something in my notes, it ends up taking way longer than necessary to find.

   If you don’t have multiple notebooks, not a problem! Just separate your projects using tabs. Whatever works to keep you organized. It’s all about making your life easier. Writing is enough work as it is, there’s no reason to make the process more complicated.

   If you start by keeping your notes, charts, outlines, etc. in one place, you’ll be thanking yourself when you need to go back to those pieces in the middle of a writing session! It’ll help you stay in the flow. If you need help on what to include in a writing notebook, read this!

2. Create a writing space.

   Personally, this can be my bed, desk, or comfy chair. It helps if your writing place is the same every time, because your mind knows you’re going to write.

   For example, when I set myself up at my desk, I know I mean business - serious writing is about to happen. If I’m in bed when I’m writing, I’m more likely to take a nap, read a book, or watch TV. None of these options are available to me at my desk. 

   Need help setting up your ideal writing space? Sign up for our free Organize Your Book course! (By the way, good writing can occur anywhere you have ideas. In the course, we talk about how you can make a writing space just about anywhere, though - from a spare bedroom to a closet, or even a corner of your studio apartment.)

3. Get comfortable in your writing space.

   Making sure you’re physically comfortable while writing is helpful, especially when writing for long stretches. 

   There’s nothing worse than having to readjust your body every few minutes when trying to keep up with the flow of your thoughts. Or having to stop altogether to go get a pair of socks or something. 

   Create a comfortable space that will make sure you can settle in for the entire writing session without winding up with a sore neck or back. Comfy pillows and blankets are great, and an outfit that doesn’t distract you.

   Ladies especially, you know the ones: the shirts that always ride up, the pants that always slide down or squeeze where you don’t want them to - avoid all of it for your writing sessions!

4. Find music you can write to/with.

   Not everyone can write to music, but if you can, it’s really helpful to keep yourself in the writing zone. I tend to listen to Hans Zimmer radio on Pandora or 2Cellos on Spotify. Both are instrumental stations. Lyrics can sometimes be distracting when I’m trying to focus on coming up with my own words. 

   On occasion, though, lyrical music helps when you’re trying to set the tone for your writing if you listen to music that matches that tone. For instance, listening to sad music when writing a grieving character, or romantic music when writing more intimate scenes. These specific types of music can get your mind thinking about things in a different way than your average “everyday” mindset.

   Whatever music inspires you, queue it up and let it play! 

5. Ditch all distractions.

   If you don’t need your phone, put it across the room or out of reach - and stay off social media! If you know you will end up online shopping or laughing at the latest video from your favorite YouTuber, turn off your internet on your computer (or only allow yourself to have one tab for your writing).  

   I sometimes find myself scrolling through TikTok when I hit a snag in my writing, and an hour later I realize I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. We want to avoid that!

   It’s a small inconvenience that will help deter you from easily accessing those distractions. If your phone is the culprit, you can use an app called Forest to help keep you on track.

   Books, TV, or anything in the general vicinity that takes your attention away from writing can also be distracting. Sometimes, they’re unavoidable, especially if you have kids or pets. But, do your best to eliminate the distractions that aren’t a priority to ensure you’re maximizing the time you’re in the writing zone.

6. Have fun with your writing.

   There’s a ton of planning and outlining that goes into writing, that sometimes you need to step away and just have some fun! If you want to write a particular scene but you haven’t reached that point in your book yet, skip ahead. You don’t need to write linearly (straight through the plot like you’d read in a finished book), write what excites you in the moment. 

   When you write this way - with what excites you - you won’t grow bored. If you’re constantly forcing yourself to write in order of events instead of skipping around to the scenes that you actually want to write at the time, then you may grow to resent your writing. 

   Don’t hype/freak yourself out. Just put your words on the page and don’t worry about whether they’re good. That’s something you can worry about later, if you find that you don’t like what you wrote. 

   Editing takes care of the silly mistakes and plot holes you overlooked when writing. Worrying about perfection is what keeps you from writing and actually having fun while you’re doing it.

7. Start Writing… Now!

   Don’t wait for a “better” time. Now is the perfect time to start. No matter how much time, whether a few minutes or a few hours, you can put into your writing: just do it! (Thanks for that, Nike.) 

   Any progress is progress - steps in the right direction. You change your mind and completely rewrite your story later if you want, but at least you have a foundation.

My challenge to you is to utilize these 7 secrets with your latest writing project. 

Is summer a less productive time for you? Have you tried any of these strategies? Do you have anything that gets you in the writing zone? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

Are You Making These 2 Deadly Mistakes with Your Next Book?

Being a writer comes with a lot of different expectations and perceptions. Everyone has an idea of what they think a writer should or shouldn’t do. It can be overwhelming and sometimes disheartening reading all of the differing opinions. 

Let's ignore all those other voices and focus on what’s important: writing your book. 

In order to do that, it’s important that you keep two things in mind - and avoid them at all costs. Do that, and being a writer will be much more straightforward.

The First Deadly Mistake & How to Avoid It

As a writer, there are plenty of reasons and excuses to avoid starting a new book. Sometimes the task is too daunting, or I feel too busy. Thinking this way will only lead to putting off that book over and over again, though. This leads to the first and most critical deadly mistake you can make as a writer which is to not start.

Writing a book is daunting, and will take a lot of time and effort, but you can’t let that deter you from starting your project! The only way that your book will ever get written, is if you write it. 

So, first things first - when you have an idea for a book write it down! Keep a notebook, Word Doc, or sticky notes handy so whenever you have an idea for a book, you can jot it down for later. This will help ensure you don’t forget what the heck you were thinking about when you actually sit down to write. If there are certain details that jump out at you for this idea, make sure to write those down too. You can always change your mind later.

You don’t have to dive right in and start writing the book. If it’s easier, plotting and planning is always a great way to begin. Make lists, character charts, outlines, timelines, or whatever else will help your book take form. These are all great tools to use and come back to if you get lost in your writing down the line (trust me, it happens all the time!). 

If you want to create a writing notebook that will include all of these helpful tools, read about 5 pieces to include in your writing notebook - it’ll help you get started. 

Once you’ve started, don’t stop! Taking breaks is essential, or you’ll get burned out. However, don’t take too long of breaks in between writing sessions or it will make it much harder for your writing to be cohesive. It can also be hard to get back into the story flow if you’re away for a while.

When I take too long of a break and I come back to my story, I have to take time to remind myself what’s going on, where I left off, and where I planned to go from there. It uses a lot of precious time that could be spent actually writing.

As writers, we’ve all experienced at one point or another a “writing slump.” This is normal! Don’t let it keep you from writing, though. If you’re stuck in a certain scene, skip it (for now). Write the next scene, or one you’re excited about instead. You can always go back to the other scene later when you have a better idea of what you want to happen. 

If you need a break from writing your book, but still want to write, try a short story! Writing prompts are a fun way to come up with new ideas and try new forms of writing. If you want to learn more about how to use writing prompts, check this out.

The Second Deadly Mistake & Why You Don’t Need to Worry So Much

Without sounding like a buzzkill, no matter what your idea is, chances are, someone has already written something similar. This isn’t to say that your idea isn’t good, or unique! The second deadly mistake that you can make as a writer: feeling as if you need to write something completely new. It’s almost impossible to come up with a completely original story line, but what no one else has done is write it as you. You are what makes the idea unique. 

For example, look how many Disney story retellings there are. I’ve read almost half a dozen Beauty and the Beast retellings and every one has a host of different characters, plots, and outcomes. It’s how you write the story and the details you choose to pull out that matter. 

That being said, you definitely can’t plagiarize someone else’s work. But you don’t have to worry so much about whether your idea is original or not. If you’re excited about it and think it will be a great story, then write it!

The Moral of the Story: It’s Better to Start and Suck Than Not Start At All

If you’re worried about your writing not being your best work (or making you look like someone who can barely hold a thought, let alone write a book) - don’t be! That’s what editing and editors are for. 

Don’t let the fear of sucking hold you back. Editing & rewriting come after you finish your first draft and can do wonders for your words. You can do a lot of these edits yourself, and/or you can hire professionals to help you. 

It’s best to have more than one set of eyes on your work to ensure someone is catching things you miss, and that you aren’t accidentally overlooking your own biases.

Wondering how the heck to get started?

• Remember - write down your ideas - get them on paper so you don’t forget them. 

• Take this free 10 day course to help organize your book (in less than 2 weeks). You don’t even have to have a work in progress yet!

• Write the book. Do whatever you need to get that book started, whether that’s planning or jumping right in. 

My challenge to you is to start writing or planning your book. 

Have you been putting off writing? Do you have a book idea you’ve been wanting to write? What helps you get started on a new idea? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

How to Create a Character Timeline You’ll Actually Use

When writing stories, it’s good to have an understanding of exactly who your characters are and what makes them important. Why is the main character the main character? What made the villain a villain? 

This is where a character timeline comes in handy. Timelines can also help keep track of when all events, big or small, are happening in the story so you don’t lose track of where your characters are. They help you stay organized.

What Makes Up a Character Timeline?

Like most other things in writing, there are many ways to create a timeline for your characters, and many options to include. Personally, I like to draw an actual timeline in my notebook; one for each main character, including protagonists, antagonists, and any other major players in the story. 

You can also create a digital timeline or physical timeline with sticky notes or a dry erase board. After the basic timeline is created, having a more in-depth character chart can also be useful.

In your character timelines, make sure to include these 3 key components:

Major events that shape the character, before and during the story. Major events include anything that’s important enough to greatly impact or change the character’s arc. This doesn’t necessarily mean that every single event has to be on the timeline because that might get overwhelming; however, it does mean that anything that changes the character’s life or outlook should be on the timeline. 

Character origin, or where they came from. When you think about “origins” you might be thinking specifically about location. While this can be important, the piece that’s important to the character timeline is their relationship to the other characters -where they came from and how long their relationship has been going on with the protagonist or antagonist. In some genres, location is much more important, but for timeline purposes, you want to think about each character, how they progress, and how that progression is related to the others in the book.  

Character end goal, or where they end up. Although it’s likely you won’t know the exact ending until it arrives, you should have some idea where you want each character to end up. You can include info about the actual ending, or some ideas about how you want their arc to end. Where do you want this character to be by the end of the book?

Why is a Character Timeline Important?

As exciting as it is to start thinking about and writing a new story, it can also be overwhelming. I’ve found that a good place to start is taking time to flesh out the main characters. 

Character timelines can identify plot holes so we can fill them, build in foreshadowing as we’re writing, and help us create more intriguing characters in general.  

Character timelines can identify plot holes so we can fill them, build in foreshadowing as we’re writing, and help us create more intriguing characters in general.  

For instance, in my most recent WIP, I started with 3 timelines. I knew who the main character was, who the love interest would be, and who the antagonist would be. I started their timelines to figure out where they would intersect. 

As I was creating the timelines, I was able to determine what drove my main character toward the others. This piece helps me build in foreshadowing about major events and make sure nothing big is missing from the story as a whole. I also learned exactly what happened in each character’s past made them who they are, which allows me to weave in interesting details throughout - including special interactions between characters and even humor!

How to Build a Character Timeline

When putting together a character timeline, start with where your story begins. Think about these questions: 

• Who are the characters we should care about right away? 

• How do they relate to the main character? 

• Is there a specific event the story opens on? 

For example, in my WIP, the main character starts as a 14 year old. There were obviously events that led to this point, but for now, the important things are why the story starts here and  what event marks the beginning of the story? This is the beginning of your timeline. 

Once you determine a starting point (remember, this can always change later on!), think about what brought them to this point. Pay close attention to: 

• Traumatic events

• Joyful events

• Key people they’ve met & interacted with

• Actions they took

• Anything that could be defining for them throughout the story

When you’ve determined more about where the character came from, you can start looking ahead to their future! Where do you want or see them ending up as of right now. One of the most beautiful (and sometimes frustrating) things about writing is how much it can adapt as we’re doing the writing. 

That being said, your story has to go somewhere! So it’s good to have a working idea of where each character is headed so you can help them get there. It doesn’t have to be a fairytale ending, or a gruesome ending for that matter. You might also find that, as you write, your characters decide their own fate, which is great! For now, just give it your best educated guess.

The final step in the character timeline is to fill in the steps that will get your character to their end goal. As you’re thinking about these steps, consider: 

• Major milestones

• Major and minor events that define the character’s experience

• When important relationships begin and end 

• New people they meet

• Major shifts in their mindset and/or beliefs

All of these pieces, especially other people, can be critical for the character and how they develop.

Character timelines are a great way to enhance your writing, not to mention they can be a lot of fun! I love creating timelines for my characters because it really helps me get to know each character better. Ultimately, it also helps readers love my characters, too, because I can incorporate all the pieces and details from the timeline into the story. 

When readers can see and feel back stories, strengths, and weaknesses from the characters, it helps them connect.  It makes everything more real. Connecting to readers in these ways are super important for writers!

My challenge to you is to create a character timeline for your current story. 

Have you used character timelines before? Did you find it helpful? What’s your favorite part about creating a character? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

How to Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs

I’m super into organization. It’s kind of crazy, honestly. Think Post-Its and color coding everywhere. 

The one place I wasn’t organized was my creative writing. Elsewhere, I’ve written about how I am pretty free range with my creative work because it feels better for me that way. While I’m very much still in favor of doing what feels best for my creative writing, once you actually have a good amount of writing it gets unwieldy without some sort of organization. It’s much easier to be able to click a link and have the document jump to where you want to go.

No one wants to scroll through 10K words to find the one you just saw that you wanted to fix. Especially if you don’t remember what it is, but you know you’d recognize it if you saw it again. Believe me, personal experience has shown that this method is irritating at best and highly uninspirational when you actually want to get some creative work done.

Hence the Table of Contents - lovingly called the ToC for short - was born. At least in my world. 

I’m a huge fan of the Google Suite, and I use Google Docs for just about everything. It’s not that there aren’t downfalls, but Google Docs is cloud-based, which means that it saves for me. You can also open it anywhere you can log into Google from - pretty great. 

This is why my novel lives primarily in a Google Doc. I definitely have backups (because you should ALWAYS have backups), but anytime I write digitally, it’s in that Google Doc. Today I wanted to share how to create a working Table of Contents for Google Docs, because it’s saved SO much time and energy as I’ve been working on my book. It will also work for you as you write more, you don’t have to have chapters already in place or anything!

How to Make a Table of Contents in Google Docs

Creating a ToC in Google Docs is quick and easy. There are multiple ways to go about it, and there is an option to use a pre-made table of contents in Google Docs.

I personally don’t use that because I feel like the way I’m going to show you (that I use on the daily) is easier and more flexible; however, feel free to experiment with whatever you like as you’re writing! 

To make a Google Docs Table of Contents like mine, there are just 4 steps. Watch the video for a full walkthrough, or read on below to create your own.

1. Create a Blank Table of Contents Page with the Chapter Titles Listed

Open up a brand new document. On the top, write out the title of your project (or a working title - just call it something you can easily remember). Underneath that, write out “Table of Contents.” 

You can style these however you like with fonts & colors. Personally I like to keep things plain and simple, but if you’re feeling fancy, change the font if you want!  

The last part of this first step is to type out the chapter or section titles, each on their own line. If you have working titles, you can use those. If you want to use plain numbers, that’s fine, too. The goal is to be able to easily recognize the section of writing, click on it, and have it take you to that section of writing. 

When you’re starting a brand new project, and thus a brand new document, I recommend just putting in a few filler titles like “Chapter 1” and “Chapter 2” or “Section 1” and “Section 2.” 

The beauty of this system, aside from flexibility, is that you can easily add to your ToC as you write rather than committing to a specific number of sections or chapters. So if this is brand new, add a few fillers for now to get yourself set up and familiar with how it works. 

2. Type out Titles/Text for Chapters in the Body of the Document

Once you have your Table of Contents page typed and ready to go, you can begin to add body text to the document. 

If this is a new document: Copy and paste the titles from the first page. The titles on the Table of Contents page should match the titles that are in your document, that way when you set up your links, it’s very easy for you to tell which section you just landed on. Since you don’t have any writing yet, you can leave them single spaced or put a space in between each title. Personally, I like an extra space because then I can just click it and type there immediately. 

If you have a Work in Progress: If you already have writing that you’re trying to whip into shape (good for you!), go through and give each section or chapter a title. Whether the name is permanent or not doesn’t matter. The goal, again, is to be able to easily locate each specific section of writing, so name it something you’ll be able to easily remember what happens in that section. 

3. Add a Bookmark to the Title of Each Chapter

So far, you have your Table of Contents page, with chapter/section titles, and your titles in the text of the document. The next step is to make a bookmark for each of the titles in the text of the Google Doc. 

The process is simple: highlight the text of one chapter/section title, click “Insert” in the top left corner of the menu, and select the “Bookmark” option. That’s it! Create separate bookmarks for each of your titles. DO NOT do anything with the Table of Contents page yet, just add your bookmarks to the text in the body of your document. 

4. On the Table of Contents Page, Add a Link to each Chapter Title for the Corresponding Bookmark

Once you’ve added your bookmarks to the text of your Google Doc, you get to do the fun part: link them to the Table of Contents! 

All you have to do to link to your brand new bookmarks is: Go to the ToC page, highlight the first chapter/section title (like you did when you were creating your bookmarks), and select “Insert” in the top left corner of the menu. Choose the “Link” option. From there, you have 2 choices: you can search for the name of the bookmark (remember, it should match what you see on your ToC for easy reference) OR you can choose the “In this document” option at the bottom of the pop up. 

If you search for the name, simply click it when it appears and you’re done! Your link will appear. If you open “In this document” it will present a list of bookmarks for you to choose from. Click the right one and it will appear as a link. 

So that’s it! Just 4 simple steps that will probably take you less than 10 minutes to make your project much more organized and easy to work with moving forward. 

My challenge to you is to create your very own table of contents. 

Did you set up your Google Docs Table of Contents? How did it go? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great - and organized - writing.