Haven’t done your spring cleaning yet! No worries, May is a great time to start reorganizing your writing space, and maybe, it’s even time to make a change. Read this amazing article about making your writing space work for you by Bernadette Benda!
A good writing space is essential. You’ll probably spend a lot of time there, and if you’re not spending a lot of time there, you’re spending deeply focused time. It needs to be special, inspirational, and fit all your writing needs.
Here are four steps to help you get there.
Step 1: Dream
Go on Pinterest. Instagram. Scroll through all the deliriously wonderful writing spaces. Go wild and collect all the impossible dream rooms. Then, pinpoint the elements of those dream rooms that you like the most and see what can be incorporated into your own. Maybe you can’t turn your bedroom into a loft in NYC, but maybe you can add more plants and posters. Maybe you can’t paint your living room yellow, but maybe you can incorporate yellow accessories.
Dream big, then break it down into the practical.
Step 2: Location
My preferred space is a quiet, closed door situation because in all ways but literally, I am in fact a hermit. That being said, the best space is always the space that you have. Whether that’s a bedroom, office, living room, kitchen table, or heck, your car. If you can, plop yourself down in front of a window. Nothing is more inspirational than looking up and seeing the sky.
Seating is also really important. Pick something soft so you’re comfortable sitting for a while, and something good for your back and shoulders so you don’t get upper crossed syndrome (a fancy way of saying tight upper back).
Step 3: Set up
Keep your writing space clear, or crowd it with things that inspire you.
I personally like to have a mix of a clean desk with some inspiration and encouragement scattered around (like my favorite “Failure is not an option” poster). This is a good place to look back at those dream room ideas and see what elements you can bring in. Whether you like a lot of pictures on the walls, lots of plants, or nothing at all, go for it.
Step 4: Everything within reach
Make sure you have everything you need right there, so you can eliminate any chances of standing up. (Standing up can be really helpful when stumped on something, but if you’re really into your writing, the last thing you want to do is disturb the moment.)
Besides your actual writing equipment, snacks and beverages are the next most important things. Caffeinated beverages are the classic standby, but don’t forget about water. You need water. Drink water. Fill up a gigantic water bottle and sit it down next to you. And don’t forget any notebooks, sticky notes, or reference books that you’ll be needing.
Last but not least, don’t ever be afraid to invest in your writing space. It’s worth it. Your writing is worth it. Your writing space is your office building, your bat cave, your hidden fortress. Investing in your writing space is a promise that a lot of incredible stuff is going to happen there.
So go make it amazing.
Bernadette Benda is a writer, professional dancer, and small business owner living in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. She is most often found surrounded by notebooks and snacks, while listening to an obsessive amount of Hans Zimmer. Find more about her writing journey on her blog https://bernadettebendawriter.com/
NaNoWriMo may be over, but that doesn’t mean you should stop writing. Here are some tips that NaNoWriMo Participant Alexis Collazo uses to keep up her daily writing goal:
The most common advice writers give is to stick to a regular writing routine, whether you feel like it or not. Like most advice, this is easier said than done. Maybe you can't set up a regular routine, or maybe you had one and life threw a wrench at it. Sometimes no matter how badly you want to write, you still just don't feel like it. Here are a few tips that have helped me.
1. Write first thing in the morning.
I've found it easier to commit to writing everyday if I make it the first thing I do. After reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, I started doing morning pages. I didn't like them and if I didn't start as soon as I got up, I wouldn't do them. I was never sure how useful they really were to me but it was an easy habit to keep up. Plans to write any other time of day usually fell victim to one excuse or another. I didn't always stick to three pages, I'd change it to suit my needs. It was more important for me to have a morning routine I could build a daily writing practice into. I was down to a page earlier this year when I swapped them out for short journal prompts and more creative projects.
2. Lower your standards.
It's easy to not write when you hold yourself to high standards. Whether it's a time requirement or a high word count goal, it turns into an excuse when you don't feel like writing. It's also discouraging when you're not confident in what you're writing. I felt like I was wasting my time if the writing wasn't good enough to be published.
I had to set the bar lower. I stopped setting time based goals and started building a routine with short writing exercises I didn't plan on sharing. One very useful tool was the book Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day. The short creative exercises only took a couple of minutes and helped me enjoy writing without judging the work. I slowly started adding small daily goals. In July I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo with a goal of 10,000 words, about 300 a day. I hit my goal in less than twenty minutes most days. Seeing the words add up helped shift my attitude. Even days I fell short, I was able to think it was still better than nothing.
3. Make commitments.
Just telling myself to sit down and write barely works when I feel like writing. Committing to an event where I have to write will get me writing no matter how I feel. It doesn't even have to be a big commitment. In April I attended most if not all the NaNoWriMo virtual write-ins. Just the idea that I'd set the reminder to attend was enough. I didn't get a lot of writing done, but every word counts.
For a while, I let the lack of a writing community in my area be an excuse. Once I decided to push myself I started a virtual writing group, recruiting people from Facebook writing groups then meeting via Skype. Each month we sent each other work to critique so I had to produce. I didn't have something every month but I was writing and editing more work than before. Now more than ever my location is no excuse. The pandemic has highlighted online options and forced others to move their events, workshops, and classes online. I've been attending virtual writing workshops with the New York Writers Coalition and just finished a class offered by the Writer's Center. So there are options out there for you as well!
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Alexis M. Collazo now lives in Pennsylvania. She’s an avid reader, writer and multimedia creator. Her versatile skill set has led to a varied career, as a writer and otherwise, including years in retail and office work, a short copywriting career, freelance writing and a lot of random gigs. She is currently focused on producing more creative work, including horror stories, poetry, and expanding into other art forms. You can find her crafty creations for sale on Etsy and follow her on Twitter @lexc666.
Are you wondering what to do now that the marathon of November is over? Here are five great ideas from NaNo Participant JD Exum on decompressing after NaNoWriMo:
For those of us who have already crossed the 50,000 word mark and have finished the novel of our dreams, we’re already planning on celebrations (whether with family and friends or going solo). But then, there’s the moment of figuring out the next step to take. And sometimes, we’re left with a lot of questions (publishing: self-publish or go traditional, finding the right editor, revision and publishing).
Use this moment to take a few deep breaths to calm down those rattled nerves. Inhale, exhale, repeat. Good. Now, listen up to what this three-time NaNoWriMo winner has to say when it comes to taking the next step.
1. Take a break from the first (or possibly the second or third, etc.) draft.
That’s right, step away from the computers and from your notebooks and let the project that you took pride in creating lie fallow for a month or two. For this session, let this novel rest for the holiday season. That way, you can take the time to let your mind rest from the chaotic sessions you had to give up your free time fretting over.
2. Make sure to actually celebrate the success.
Maybe you’re planning on a stay-cation (thanks to this pandemic) or a nice movie night with your friends via Zoom. In either case, any celebration (as long as you stay safe and healthy) is better than none.
3. Work on that side novel or the blog that you put on hold.
I know that most of you have a secret novel that you want to begin just to keep the creative flow going. Or, maybe you have a blog that you put on hiatus during your race to 50k words.
4. Make a game-plan for the Now What? months.
As most of us are looking forward to making the first draft polished and edited for publication, you’ll need to make sure that you know what you want to do before January begins the Now What months. So, make a list of goals and ideals for making sure that you turn the first draft into a published novel.
5. Catch up with your social media.
I know that you’re missing out on cat videos or the latest tweet about some celebrity scandals or even that Tumblr post on the latest anime cosplay. So, make sure to let everyone know of your successes and even tell them what you might have in store. Just don’t overdo it, though. Too much of a good thing can be too much, as they all say.
I can go on and on, but the main thing to remember is that you’re finished! And now you have some idea of where to go from here. You finished writing the novel that you had imagined in your head. What an accomplishment! Sure, some people may not understand why we love writing or what it takes but, now that NaNoWriMo 2020 is over, we wordsmiths have just finished a major part of the battle. This is the time for us to have a little party to celebrate. So, let’s celebrate and prepare. Because we have earned it.
Jarrick DeWaine Exum is a three-time NaNoWriMo participant with his recent project now completed and ready for January 2021’s Now What? session. His last two projects were self-published via Amazon KDP and available for purchase. When not writing, he’s blogging on his journey to being a serious author and keeping everyone up to date on social media. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and see what’s going on in his mind.
Photo Courtesy of Max van den Oetelaar via Unsplash.
YWP Participant Pep Talk: Inspiration to Write a Bigger, Better Story.
We could all use a little extra cheerleading during NaNoWriMo—so, we asked some of our Young Writers Program participants to write and share their own pep talks! Today, YWP writer Emma S. is here to give you some extra pep:
There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and it effects countless people. And sometimes, the only way out of our world is into our new world; the world of books and writing. But what if we add our real world into our books?
How can you stay inspired with the story you’re working on? By using the world around us. Here is an example: One day, I was on a bus, and it slid on the ice. We were okay, but it got me thinking about what might have happened, which turned into the idea for a story about a girl who was in an accident.
That’s an example of a possibility, but (and this is a very big but) how can we add what’s happening in our lives, in our current world, into our story? Not something that didn’t happen, or could happen (like a meteor destroying the Earth), but more like what is happening NOW as you read this.
No, I don’t mean right now like, your annoying little sister/brother is trying to see what you’re doing. I mean the hardships and things that are going on around us. Like illnesses, strikes, and inequality. We can use those to inspire us into writing a bigger, better story.
You can use the small stuff too, like your favorite store closing, or getting a new book or trying a new food. Even seeing a butterfly. Though, yes, these are not enough of a topic for a WHOLE novel, but they are good for chapter ideas, or something that happens to keep the characters to make them seem more realistic and more relatable.
You can also include real traits from people that you know or have observed in your characters to make them seem more human and real. This doesn’t mean that your novel has to be nonfiction. Your novel can be science fiction, fantasy, or even literature. Just add some nonfictional flair to keep your reader interested. You can add historical events, or even present events
If you’re not sure how to start or continue a writing project you’re working on, let’s brainstorm some things that are going on in our world right now that we can add into our stories:
You can channel your experience of quarantine. Your character could be exposed to a sickness by a family member or a friend. Your characters can go through an isolation and cannot see other characters. Your characters can learn something YOU did during this experience. (For me, it was chess and Greek.) You can add anything that you think is good, even something as small as a TV show you started watching.
You can add movements and uprisings against inequality or injustice in your novel. Maybe your character finds themselves in a place where they don’t feel safe, and they have to figure out how to get out of that situation. Perhaps your character has a belief and makes a petition to fight an unjust law. Maybe your character is standing up for something that they have a strong moral belief in.
What else is happening that you can add in your novel? Small things are helpful, too, as I mentioned. If you’re feeling stuck, you can always brainstorm your ideas and plan out your novel.
So get out your pens and pencils, and start brainstorming!
Emma has been writing since she was a kid. She enjoys singing, dancing, reading, writing, and drawing. She has written many drafts for novels and she hopes to finish a novel someday.
Finally Writing That One Scene: Tips On Getting Through
What writer hasn’t felt like banging their head against the wall because of writer’s block? And there is always that one scene that just doesn’t seem to work the way you wish it would. Thanks to YWP Participant Anastasia Sukhoverkhova for giving us a few tips to get through that dreaded scene!
Writing is not easy. While it is not that hard to imagine something in your mind, turning it into words and presenting it as a whole can be a challenging task. Sometimes even though you know what you need to write, you completely lose any motivation to actually do so. Those tricky scenes you don't want to touch or those important moments that need your undivided attention can be put off for a long time. So, what can you do to actually get to writing them? Here are some helpful tips:
1. Stop and rethink.
If you can't for the life of you write the scene, no matter how hard you try, most likely the problem is not you, but the scene itself. Of course, it looks so good in your head, but often, the way we imagine things is not the way we write them. Sometimes they turn out to be over-complicated or they just don't fit for your writing style. What exactly bothers you when writing it? What is it you are failing to do? It is important to pause and think about the problem.
2. Change.
Even if the problem is actually your procrastination, changing the scene often helps to change your perception of it. You can change something not relevant to the plot, like the weather or a character's clothes, or something bigger, like the setting of the scene and adding (or removing) certain characters from it. Did it change for better or for worse? Why? Remember that any alteration you make is reversible, the change is only to help you get a fresh outlook.
3. Skip it.
Why, what can be easier than to forget that that one scene should be written and just move on with the story, assuming it already happened? Concentrating too much on that one scene gives it too much power. Your story is bigger than that. Write ahead—maybe only a few paragraphs, maybe a whole chapter. Then come back and read it as a whole. What is the best way to tie these two pieces together and fill the blank space?
4. Move.
You know yourself that this scene is different, so why not write it somewhere special? Changing the environment in an unusual way can help you concentrate. You can’t bail on writing when you put so much effort into even getting to the place, right? After all, this is your favorite coffee shop, library or park. You can’t let them down, so might as well do it.
5. Get the wildest idea. Add it in.
It's more of a writing exercise than an actual tip, but it helps you to understand both the scene and the characters better. Interrupt the scene. Make your heroes do something out of their character. What changed? What didn't?
We all get tough moments with our writing sometimes. Keep up the good work! It will all be worth it in the end.
Anastasia is a fifteen-year-old who lives in Ukraine, and writing and reading were her first hobbies. Reading is what essentially drove her to all my other passions, so she have a soft spot for it. Writing a book one day has always been her dream, but she did not have the support she needed. Finding out about writing communities such as NaNoWriMo has been a big step for her and changed the way she looks at writing. Typically, she writes short stories, but this year she is planning to write my first novel.
Top photo licensed under Creative Commons by tracyshaun on Flickr.
How (And Why) To Keep Looking for Inspiration in an Uninspired Year
In times like this, finding the desire to write can be hard, and sometimes finding the inspiration to be creative can feel like a Herculean task. Here are 3 ways that NaNo Participant Sabrina Howard assures can help inspire you to write your next adventure.
Scarcity is weighing heavily on people around the world, from lack of clean water, food, and natural resources to—in a more abstract sense—inspiration. Perhaps this year especially you’ve struggled to find inspiration in a world that seems to have lost its magic. What can you do when inspiration is hard to find?
In the words of Jurassic Park’s Dr. Ian Malcolm, “Life, uh, finds a way.” I wish I could give you a secret, a trick, a backdoor. But the truth is when things are hard to find, we grit our teeth and we look harder. Writers, too, must find a way.
Here are three different ways you can deepen your search for inspiration—in the familiar, the unfamiliar, and even the nonexistent:
1. Look in Familiar Places
Start with the familiar places. If, like me, you often find inspiration in music, start there. Jump down the YouTube rabbit hole or scour Spotify, Pandora, or local radio frequencies for new favorites. Search long enough, and you’re bound to hit on something. Likewise, if you’re usually inspired by the works of other authors, read an old favorite, take a look at your TBR pile, head to your local library, or surf the web for quality content.
2. Explore the Unfamiliar
On the other hand, maybe what you need is a blast of something fresh. Try venturing outside your well-worn pathways. What does this mean? Read a book you normally wouldn’t. Listen to an artist you’ve never heard before. Go on a walk or run along a path different from your usual route. Try new foods. Learn a new dance. These unfamiliar experiences will provide new inputs to your creative process, and will hopefully spark equally unexpected ideas.
3. Look for What Isn’t There
Lastly, if you can’t find inspiration in the things around you, try focusing not on what’s there, but on what isn’t. Maybe you’ve been stuck staring at the same four walls for a few months now. (Trust me, you aren’t the only one.) You know every item around you. The ivy on the windowsill, the Space Needle magnet on the fridge, the string lights you hung in your bedroom to make the space cozier. But what if you had twenty plants crammed together on the windowsill, luscious leaves spilling over terra cotta pots and onto the floor. What kind of character would have a windowsill like that? A hobby botanist searching for undiscovered plants in the Amazon? A space captain who misses the greenery of Earth? Maybe it’s a hardened detective with a roommate who runs a community garden non-profit. Try changing your surroundings in your head, then asking questions about those new surroundings. You might find inspiration out of empty space.
Whichever way you decide to look, just keep looking. They say necessity is the mother of invention. Let the need for story carry you through the month of November and beyond. Because if there’s a time for magic, it’s now. If there’s a time for new worlds and unexplored galaxies, it’s now. If there’s a time for stories that comfort, that intrigue, that thrill, that inspire—it’s now.
We need the power of story more than ever before. Writers, grab your notebook. Open your laptop. Pull up an app on your phone. Scrawl on the corners of napkins if you have to. Find inspiration anywhere and everywhere. It’s time.
Go. Write.
We need you.
Sabrina Howard is currently based in scenic Idaho and spends her time reading, writing, and planning future trips, all while drinking tea. She runs the blog The Projectionist, where she writes about culture and environment around the world. You can find her on Instagram @sabrina.things, or on Twitter @sabrina_how.
Photo licensed through Creative Commons on Flickr by PhotoSteve101.
Chasing Unicorns: Publishing Tips from a Pro Who’s Seen It All
So you’ve written your novel, put it through countless rounds of editing, and are ready to publish. But where do you start? And how do you choose which path to follow? Today, author Silver James shares her tips for how to take your novel from polished to published:
Once upon a time, a novelist hunted an elusive unicorn named Agent. The novelist hoped that capturing such a rare creature would send them to the end of the rainbow and the pot of gold known as A Publishing Contract™. That amalgamated fairy tale is still the goal of some—but not all.
In today’s publishing culture, there are a few paths a novelist can follow: traditional publishing—with a fork leading to small presses or big publishers; and self-publishing. A writer can choose one or all, depending on personal goals.
No longer does a novelist have to be “electric” or “gasoline” in order to publish. We can be hybrids now.
I’m a hybrid. I first published with a small press in 2008. Four years later, I jumped off the cliff to swim in the rip tide of self-publishing, all the while hoping to sign a contract with a New York publisher. I signed my first contract with Harlequin in 2014. Since I began, I’ve had 41 books and novellas published, as well as learned how to juggle contracted deadlines with the desires of the fans of my self-published series.
So you’ve won NaNoWriMo. You’ve started editing your manuscript. Maybe you’ve polished it to a shiny finish. But what next? The blunt answer: It depends.
“On what?” you ask. “On you,” I answer. Your publishing destiny depends on your expectations, your career path, and your knowledge and ability. No path to publishing is easy; they all take work and at least one takes extra expertise, and there are pros and cons to each.
Traditional Publishers
Although the “traditional” publishing industry still has “gatekeepers” in the form of agents, many publishers are open to un-agented manuscripts. Some have even created newbie-friendly “digital-first” lines. It’s a slow process, and you need to know the market for your genre; you need to have something the publishing house thinks they can sell; and most importantly, you need to have patience. Most authors will not have a “golden fleece” manuscript that goes to auction for six or seven figures—though you will get an advance, which makes the wait a little easier.
Small Presses
Small presses are sometimes more open to new talent. They lean toward niche markets and may provide digital-first options. Sometimes they offer advances. They provide editors, cover art, and the physical publishing. They may even do some marketing for you. An advantage of small press is that you learn the process of publishing, from final draft to revisions letters, to editing and copyediting, proofreading, and final publication. There’s more steps than you’d think!
Self-Publishing
Self-publishing may seem like the easiest path. Write the book, upload it, make money, right? Take it from me, it’s not. If you just want to write books, go after a traditional contract. Self-publishing is a business and you are the CEO. You’re in charge of editing, covers, formatting, uploading, all the paperwork, and marketing—all of which takes perseverance, expertise, and a head for business. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
The number one piece of advice I give to a new writer? Work with an editor. Every writer needs an editor—no ifs, ands, or buts! If you sign with a publisher, you will work with an editor. If you self-publish, you’ll need to find your own, but your readers will thank you! (Okay, climbing off my soap box now.)
I do love a good cliché (but avoid them in my books because editors), but I’ll say it anyway: I hope I didn’t rain on any parades. Take it from me—the path to publishing takes a lot of work, but if your dream is to be published, you can do what it takes to make it come true. I did, and I’ve never looked back.
Silver James likes walking on the wild side, and coffee. Okay. She loves coffee. LOTS of coffee. Warning: Her Muse, Iffy, runs with scissors. An award-winning author, she's worked with the military and in the legal field, fire service, and law enforcement. Now retired from the “real world,” she spends her days with two Newfoundland dogs and the cat who rules them all, writing paranormal suspense, urban fantasy, and sexy contemporary romance for Harlequin Desire. Look for Silver online at her website, buy her books on Amazon, follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, or sign up for her newsletter.
Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan on Flickr.
