Writing Tips and Book Recs to Keep You Motivated

July 17 2020
Share Writing Tips and Book Recs to Keep You Motivated

Remember the first month of the pandemic when everyone was planning to write a book? It sounded so easy then, didn’t it? And as a regular writer even before Covid-19, I definitely (briefly) thought that the lack of a commute and ample free time at home on weekends was going to make it so much easier for me to finish my next novel. If you’re anything like me, though, you’ve likely discovered that writing during a global crisis can seem next to impossible. While it’s true that I wrote 40,000 words in May, I hate absolutely everything I wrote in June. And I’m even turning in this post a few days late because I forgot how to craft sentences last week. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

So, while I’m pretty sure we’re all still fumbling through this whole being-creative-while-the- world-is-falling-apart thing, I want to try to share some of the lessons I’ve learned as a writer during the last four months. I hope my tips help you with the novel you’re working on (or at least reassure you that you’re not alone).

1. Reading is more important than ever.

We were given work from home orders at Simon & Schuster (my day job) on March 13, and by the beginning of April, I’d realized something peculiar had happened: I no longer wanted to read. My brain couldn’t focus long enough to stay engulfed in a book, but for some reason, I thought I would still be able to write one. And wow, yeah, I was wrong. Over the past month, I’ve finally started reading again, focusing on books in the genre I write (contemporary YA with lots of f/f romances). Emily M. Danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Adiba Jaigirdar’s The Henna Wars, and Robin Talley’s Our Own Private Universe have really refilled my creative well and inspired me to keep working. So, whenever you and your brain feel up to it, read!

2. “When choosing between sitting down to write or going on an adventure…go on that adventure.”

Every weekend, like clockwork, in May and June, I sat down on my couch with my laptop. In May, it worked. In June, most days I wanted to throw my computer across the room and cry. Then I saw this little piece of advice from my agent @ericsmithrocks on Twitter. So, that weekend, I decided to give myself a break. My wife and I had been talking about going on a long drive to get out of our apartment, and right then it seemed like the ideal time to do so. We went on that “adventure,” and it was what I needed. So, give yourself permission to do something else, and remember, your adventures might be smaller these days (maybe you wish you were on vacation in Europe, and all you can do right now is take a walk around the block), but they’re still important for the creative process.

3. Switch up what you’re writing.

Maybe you usually write dark fantasy, but with everything happening right now, you can’t stand the idea of torturing another character. Or maybe, like me, you write contemporary stories, but it now seems too hard to write a book set in the near future when the actual future of our real world seems so uncertain. It’s okay to take a break from the norm and work on something else. I’m back to drafting a contemporary YA novel now, but for a couple of weeks in April, I let myself plan a fantasy project I likely won’t actually write for years. It was the break I needed, and it helped clear my head. (Plus, I now have lots of notes for when I do work on that project someday!)

4. Practice self-care.

This applies to everyone right now, whether you’re trying to write a book or not. Meditate, take a walk, find another creative activity, play a game, do something new, take a long bath, make good food, whatever you need! Just remember that writing a book is also work. So, if you’re working from home during the week at your day job and then, immediately afterward, opening your Word doc to focus on your own novel, you will burn out. Instead, consider other activities to relax, and if you need ideas, check out some of these books:

  • The Cookies & Cups Cookbook by Shelly Jaronsky: My favorite baked goods cookbook! Try the Salted Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I made them in May, and I think they might be the reason I got anything done that month.
  • 5-Minute Yoga by Adams Media: Let me be honest, this is more of an aspirational book for me. I always plan to do yoga, and then I never do. BUT my wife does, and she highly recommends it. So, let’s all make a vow to relax and finally start doing yoga this week, okay? And I’m making it easy for us because this book only requires you to dedicate five minutes to it a day. We can all find five minutes, right?
  • Meditation Made Easy by Preston Bentley: Another aspirational book for me.… But I can say that I officially started trying this today! So, if you’re new to meditation (or if you’ve refused to meditate for years—not that I would ever do that), consider starting with Preston Bentley’s Meditation Made Easy. It’ll be…easy.
  • Knitting for Dogs by Kristi Porter: Please, please knit some clothing for your dog! I do not have a dog. I do not know how to knit. But I would absolutely love seeing any pictures of your dog in sweaters on social media. So, help yourself relax and make others smile with pictures of your dressed-up dog. It’s a win-win.

5. Talk to other writers.

Everyone’s having a hard time right now, but sometimes that’s easy to forget when you’re alone in your apartment. Or maybe you’re not alone, but you currently want to lock your spouse and children in a closet so you can get some peace and quiet. That’s okay. (I mean, holding your spouse and children hostage isn’t okay, but…you know what I mean.) So, reach out to your writer friends. And if you don’t have any writer friends, consider exploring the #writercommunity hashtag on Twitter or joining the NaNoLand group on Facebook. Both will help you find your group and see that you’re not the only one struggling to write right now.

6. Be kind to yourself.

I’m still struggling with this myself, so I want this post to serve as both a reminder to you and a reminder to me. It’s okay to not write right now. It’s okay to get only a hundred words in a day or a week or whatever. It’s okay if you’re not producing your best work. If you can’t make a scene or a chapter or a plot work, don’t beat yourself up. Just try again tomorrow. Or next week. Or whenever. Whatever you’re managing to produce (or not produce) as a writer right now is fine. We have other things to worry about, and that’s okay. Keep telling yourself it’s okay.

7. Return to the basics.

It’s okay if you normally don’t struggle with dialogue. Or maybe you’re really great with plot. Or maybe (if you’re particularly blessed) you absolutely love world-building. And yet, right now, you can’t seem to do that thing you’re normally good at. I get it. I’m usually a voice-y writer. Voice-y characters are my thing, and yet, for the past few weeks, my characters’ voices have been drier than the Arizona desert in June. (If you’re not from the Southwest, believe me, that’s dry.) So, I’ve had to return to the basics a bit, and if you’re struggling too, consider checking out some of these books on writing:

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

On Writing
by Stephen King

I haven’t read this book in years, but it was one of the foundational craft books for me as a young writer. And it does have some parts that will remind you that even the master of storytelling struggles to write sometimes.

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On Writing
Stephen King

Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

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How Not to Write a Novel
by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

This book will make you laugh so hard while teaching you a thing or two. I first read it as a baby novelist in high school, and I still have it on my shelf.

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How Not to Write a Novel
Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

This book will make you laugh so hard while teaching you a thing or two. I first read it as a baby novelist in high school, and I still have it on my shelf.

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Writing Tips and Book Recs to Keep You Motivated

By Erin Madison | July 17, 2020

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The Way of the Writer
by Charles Johnson

This National Book Award–winning author shares insights on the craft and art of writing. It’s a perfect choice if you need a bit of inspiration to keep you going.

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The Way of the Writer
Charles Johnson

From Charles Johnson—a National Book Award winner, Professor Emeritus at University of Washington, and one of America’s preeminent scholars on literature and race—comes an instructive, inspiring guide to the craft and art of writing.An award-winning novelist, philosopher, essayist, screenwriter, professor, and cartoonist, Charles Johnson has devoted his life to creative pursuit. His 1990 National Book Award-winning novel Middle Passage is a modern classic, revered as much for its daring plot as its philosophical underpinnings. For thirty-three years, Johnson taught and mentored students in the art and craft of creative writing. The Way of the Writer is his record of those years, and the coda to a kaleidoscopic, boundary-shattering career. Organized into six accessible, easy-to-navigate sections, The Way of the Writer is both a literary reflection on the creative impulse and a utilitarian guide to the writing process. Johnson shares his lessons and exercises from the classroom, starting with word choice, sentence structure, and narrative voice, and delving into the mechanics of scene, dialogue, plot and storytelling before exploring the larger questions at stake for the serious writer. What separates literature from industrial fiction? What lies at the heart of the creative impulse? How does one navigate the literary world? And how are philosophy and fiction concomitant? Luminous, inspiring, and imminently accessible, The Way of the Writer is a revelatory glimpse into the mind of the writer and an essential guide for anyone with a story to tell.

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Writing Tips and Book Recs to Keep You Motivated

By Erin Madison | July 17, 2020

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The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer
by Kevin Larimer

The title says it all. From craft to inspiration to agents to editors, this book will tell you everything you need to know about being an author.

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The Poets & Writers Complete Guide to Being a Writer
Kevin Larimer

The definitive source of information, insight, and advice for creative writers, from the nation’s largest and most trusted organization for writers, Poets & Writers.

For half a century, writers at every stage of their careers have turned to the literary nonprofit organization Poets & Writers and its award-winning magazine for resources to foster their professional development, from writing prompts and tips on technique to informative interviews with published authors, literary agents, and editors. But never before has Poets & Writers marshaled its fifty years’ worth of knowledge to create an authoritative guide for writers that answers every imaginable question about craft and career—until now. Here is the writing bible for authors of all genres and forms, covering topics such as how to:

-Harness your imagination and jump-start your creativity
-Develop your work from initial idea to final draft
-Find a supportive and inspiring writing community to sustain your career
-Find the best MFA program for you
-Publish your work in literary magazines and develop a platform
-Research writing contests and other opportunities to support your writing life
-Decide between traditional publishing and self-publishing
-Find the right literary agent
-Anticipate what agents look for in queries and proposals
-Work successfully with an editor and your publishing team
-Market yourself and your work in a digital world
-Approach financial planning and taxes as a writer
-And much more

Written by Kevin Larimer and Mary Gannon, the two most recent editors of Poets & Writers Magazine, this book brings an unrivaled understanding of the areas in which writers seek guidance and support. Filled with insider information like sample query letters, pitch letters, lists of resources, and worksheets for calculating freelance rates, tracking submissions, and managing your taxes, the guide does more than demystify the writing life—it also provides an array of powerful tools for building a sustainable career as a writer. In addition to the wealth of insights into creativity, publishing, and promotion are first-person essays from bestselling authors, including George Saunders, Christina Baker Kline, and Ocean Vuong, as well as reading lists from award-winning writers such as Anthony Doerr, Cheryl Strayed, and Natalie Diaz. Here, at last, is the ultimate comprehensive resource that belongs on every writer’s desk.

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