Where are my fellow writers and book nerds at? Hello! How are you? This is going to be a bit of a long read so grab a blanket and a beverage of your choice and snuggle up. This past weekend I attended YALLFest, a festival for young adult novels and authors. I had no idea it existed before this month, but I was very delighted when I discovered it. I was even more delighted that the festival was virtual this year. I had a great time attending all the masterclasses and panels. The author lineup had me starstruck and the topics were all very informative and relevant. By the end of the weekend, my love for reading and writing was stronger. Not to mention, I added dozens of books to my TBR list. I’m going to be honest with you. Lately, it’s been really hard for me to just sit down and write. I can’t help but feel that every word I put on the page is just complete garbage. And as amazing of an experience as this festival was, it put me face to face with my dreams of being a bestselling author and made me realize just how hard I’m going to have to work to reach my goal. I know for a fact that I can get there. But my mental health and various external factors make me doubt myself sometimes, and it can be hard finding the motivation to write. So I turn to the experts and try to incorporate their advice into my writing habits. I also experiment with various methods and see what works for me. I want to share some of these insights with you. Here are seven pieces of writing advice that help me get through my slumps. 1. Create a Writing RoutineIn order to write consistently and meet your word count goal, you need to form a writing habit. In order to form a writing habit, you need to repeat the habit for at least two weeks. The best way to achieve this is through some sort of routine, small tasks you can go through daily to get into the mindset for optimal productivity. I start my mornings off by stretching, eating a filling breakfast, drinking tea, updating my bullet journal, playing with my cat and reading blog posts and articles. These tasks help warm my mind up to the endless possibilities the day can bring. Note: Try to keep your routine as simple as possible. These tasks should be enjoyable and they shouldn’t feel like chores. Experiment with what works for you, and don’t be discouraged if it takes a few tries before you get it right. 2. Consume Inspiration
It also helps to read books from your genre. While I was going through a writing slump, I read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Not only did it get my creative juices flowing, it made me excited about writing my book. If you don’t have time to read, look up interviews from authors you admire or attend events like YALLFest. I’m sure you’ll get some insight into their writing process and how they find inspiration. 3. Create an Environment Cultivates InspirationA few months ago, I shared a blog post outlining how I manage my anxiety. One of the methods I use is cleaning up my workspace so that I have an environment that encourages productivity. I use a similar method when I hit a writing block. Visualize what success means to you. I start by tidying and cleaning my desk. Then I light a candle to set a calm atmosphere with some Lofi beats playing in the background. Above my desk hangs a simple vision board with all the opportunities and accomplishments I want to manifest. These steps are small but they’re enough to put my mind in creator mode. 4. Write Now, Edit Later
Here are my words of wisdom: you edit a crappy page, but you can’t edit a blank page. The best way to hit your word count goal and not mess up your writing streak is to keep writing, even if what you write is garbage. Edit once your project is done. It’s called a first draft for a reason. Not to mention, I oftentimes find that if I keep writing and come back to edit a few days later, I actually like what I wrote. I was just too hard on myself in the moment. 5. Write a Story You EnjoyIf you’re bored with your own writing, chances are your readers will be too. Switch things up - ask yourself “what if?” Revisit your outline and think about what would happen if things went differently. Are you being too easy on your characters? Too hard? What if instead of escaping, your characters get captured and they have to figure out a way to break free. Maybe write multiple versions of a scene and use the best version for your manuscript. I’ve had to revisit my outline a couple of times because I just wasn’t enjoying the writing process. I realized that my plot was too simple. I needed to add conflict that would help develop my characters and make them unique. I also decided to add a sprinkle of romance into the overall plot of my series because as much as I hate to admit it, I get more invested in the plot of a book if I’m invested in the romance. I found that by making these changes, I am much more excited to sit down and write at the start of every day. If you’re not excited about the story you create, you’re doing it wrong. 6. Stay OrganizedRemember how I mentioned outlines in the previous point? Yeah, you gotta have them! I know some writers like to go in raw and create their plot as they write, but that will lead you to some very messy blocks. Designate a page in your journal or notebook for a very basic outline or brain dump. It’ll be much easier to write if you visualize basic aspects of your story on a separate page. I usually designate a page in my bullet journal for brain dumps, use a separate notebook for a rough outline and use Evernote for a detailed outline. It’s extra, but it saves my life when I don’t know which scene to work on, or when I need to switch up my plot. And outlines aren’t just exclusive to plots. You should outline your characters and settings, and if you’re writing fantasy, you need to create space for worldbuilding. If you don’t want to write out an outline, create moodboards on Pinterest. 7. Join a Writing CommunityThough I’ve been writing for years, I don’t have a ton of experience writing professionally outside of journalism. And this is my first time tackling a manuscript. Like I mentioned in my last blog post, having a writing community or two or three you can turn to is extremely beneficial. Not only can you get advice from writers of all ages and experience levels, you can also connect with folks who have similar interests as you and are willing to help you grow as a writer. I know that was a really long post, but I hope it helped some of you. If you want to see more of my writing journey, be sure to follow me on Instagram. I will love you with a piece of advice author Brandon Mull gave me at YALLFest (well, not me personally, he was addressing everyone in the masterclass, but he did say this while answering my question): “Allow yourself to not be as good as your favorite author. . . Allow yourself to write a lousy first draft” Happy writing!
1 Comment
Fama
11/28/2020 02:44:57 pm
My little sister is contemplating about starting her own blogs & I can’t wait to share your wised words with her. Thanks for sharing!
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