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. 

Self-Publishing My Book Was Easy. Here’s Why You Should Try It, Too.

Opinion by Holly Huntress

The wonderful world of publishing is growing and changing all the time. With the ease of access to technology and everyone's growing presence online, it only makes sense that self-publishing is also on the rise. These days, there are many ways to self-publish. 

I’ve tried the Barnes and Noble publishing service, which is called Barnes and Noble Press, and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which is Amazon’s publishing service. KDP has been easier to work with, so I switched all of my books from Barnes and Noble to KDP. 

There are also other ways to self-publish, like with IngramSpark and BookBaby, which both allow you to self-publish to channels other than just B&N or Amazon. But, I haven’t tried those services yet.

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a great service for anyone who wants to publish a book and either doesn’t want to go the traditional route, or isn’t having luck with it. People who may have never been able to publish a book before now have the opportunity because of these amazing services, and you can do it, too!

Why Publish on Amazon?

A lot of authors choose the self-publishing route over traditional publishing because they want more control over the whole process. Often when you are picked up by a traditional publisher, you have to change things in your book that you may not want to change. You are beholden to your contract and that can be a daunting thought for a lot of people. When you’re self-publishing, you choose your own editor, book cover, and pricing. You have complete control over every step of the process.

Self-publishing through KDP can also be a great choice if you’re on a budget. If you don’t want to spend any money, you don’t have to. You can spend as much (or little) as you want! I choose to spend more in certain areas, like book cover design and editing, rather than marketing. I do marketing through social media while I save up enough to start doing ads. This way you don’t have to invest a large sum of money up front. 

When using KDP you get to keep more of the profits. KDP does take a percentage to cover the costs of supplying your book, and printing costs if you sell hard copies, but there’s no other company standing behind you taking a percentage of what you earn. 

When you’re setting the price for your book, KDP makes it clear how much you will actually earn from each sale. Offering ebooks is a great way to get a following because you can charge much less for the ebook versus the paperback since there are no printing costs. 

Using KDP also eliminates the search for an agent. You don’t have to do any more querying! I know how much I dislike querying agents, and I assume many people feel the same way. You’re putting yourself out there over and over again, only to be rejected or ignored. By using KDP, you don’t have to deal with that anymore. For that reason alone KDP is worth it to me.

How to Self-Publish on Amazon: The Basics

What can you expect?

When publishing on KDP, there are instructions every step of the way. First, you create an account, and then you start uploading your books. KDP makes it super easy. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but if you do have any questions, there are a lot of guides and tips to help, or you can always reach out to customer service. 

KDP has a downloadable program called Kindle Create that allows you to format your book as an eBook. This is also fairly simple to use, though it can take some playing around with to really understand all the options and tricks.

What do you need?

All you really need is a finished book! There are a few other things you should have as well, like a title, a blurb for the back of the book, and an author bio and picture. You don’t necessarily need a premade book cover, but I would recommend having one. 

There are some book cover templates that KDP offers that all you need is a picture, so if that’s all you have, it can work. KDP will provide you with an ISBN if you don’t have one (that’s something I never would have thought of needing before I self-published for the first time!).

Where can you find help if you need it?

There is some formatting that goes into preparing your book for publishing, which can be tricky if you don’t know how to do it on your own. But, there are always people willing to help. You can find book formatters on websites like Fiverr, or KDP does have some resources and templates you can use if you’re tech savvy. 

Don’t let the formatting piece of it all scare you away if you’re not tech savvy! You can always reach out to others who have self-published to ask how they formatted their books, or who they used to help them. You’re not alone! Most indie authors I know love to help and give other authors advice. 

Plus, you can always reach out to KDP’s customer service if you need more help.

Self-publishing is a lot of fun and so worth it if you choose to go that route! There’s no right or wrong way to publish your work, so don’t stress over that too much. All that matters is that your writing is being shared with the world, whether that’s through a traditional publisher or by yourself on a site like KDP - it’s up to you!

My challenge to you is to check out Kindle Direct Publishing. 

Have you thought about self-publishing? Have you used KDP or another self-publishing service? How‘d you like it? 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.

Why I Write Morning Pages Every Day

NOTE: This blog contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is whether or not I journal. And if you would have asked me a couple of years ago, the answer would have been no! I mean, maybe occasionally, but not as a regular habit. 

These days, I’m an avid journaler. I’m hooked. 

Only I don’t call it “daily journaling,” I call it “Morning Pages.”

What are Morning Pages? 

The term morning pages comes from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. It’s an 8 week creativity course that has a book and workbook you read and complete. I have yet to complete it, because at the time when I bought it, I was in a self-help CRAZE. 

If you’ve been around for a little while, you might have seen my end of year reflection blog for 2020, in which I listed the insane number of courses I purchased last year when I was furloughed and later laid off from my job due to the pandemic. It was also during this time that I officially registered my business and began to be fully self-employed for the first time. 

During this hectic time, I did begin The Artist’s Way, and what struck me the most was this idea of writing every morning about whatever you feel like. Whatever you’re thinking and feeling and wanting and hating. Anything and everything that comes to mind. It’s essentially another term, and in my opinion a better word, for free writing. 

So when I say I’m going to do my Morning Pages, I go into my office (or somewhere that has a table surface) and write my 3 pages for the day of whatever I think of.

The catch? I don’t stop writing. I don’t “collect” my thoughts, and I don’t stop to organize them either - they just get onto the page in whatever order they get from my brain to my hand. 

You might also be thinking that 3 pages is a lot. And, for some people it might be! I tried the recommended amount when I first started because I knew it would stretch me, although if you’ve met me you probably know that I have about that many thoughts going at any one time, so it’s really just writing them all down on a daily basis that’s the challenge. 

I’ll also point out that my 3 pages are not standard paper size 8.5 x 11”. I write them in a journal that’s about 6” x 8” give or take a quarter inch. My favorite brand is Peter Pauper journals, and I fill one up about every 6 weeks. It’s a nice incentive to keep writing when I know I get to pick a pretty new journal.

So that’s it! Those are Morning Pages.

Why I Write Morning Pages Every Day

I write Morning Pages every day because I like it. Well, that and it’s had some amazing benefits that I just can’t get enough of. 

It used to be hard for me to commit to writing every day, even as a writer - ironic, right? These days, I find that I actually can tell a difference in the entire day when I accidentally skip Morning Pages or do them later in the day. 

First and foremost, Morning Pages get me writing. It might not be a section of my novel, or a paid client article, or a blog. But they’re my words on the page! And it’s glorious when you can flip through them and see all the words you had in your head living neatly on the page in brightly colored ink. 

They also get me thinking. I don’t know if you have this trouble, but sometimes I get so far into my own head that it’s hard to think clearly about anything, let alone something that’s supposed to be “good.”

Having time to just write freely in the morning allows me space to think about whatever I want, but also gives me space to think about things I can’t get away from. 

It’s a great space for problem-solving! Just the other day I made this great discovery about my business and I was SUPER pumped about it...until I realized that it was so different from what I’ve been working on that I kind of went into panic mode. Like…a business identity crisis. 

Thankfully, when I did Morning Pages that day, I was able to take time to think through those troubling thoughts (that actually weren’t that different from what I’m doing, they just felt like it at the time). Then, because I was able to clarify my fears, I could express them to someone else who kindly talked through it with me. Problem solved! 

Clearly, doing Morning Pages offers me an unprecedented opportunity to dump all of my unwieldy emotions onto the page before they begin to affect others around me...well, usually at least. If I’m angry, it’s a safe place to rant. If I’m sad or anxious, I’m free to wallow for a little while and figure it out before I get assistance or move on with the day.

When I began doing my Pages every day last April, we were firmly ensconced in pandemic lockdown. As in, we could barely even go to the grocery store. So, finding alone time was a valuable asset to me in a small house with my husband and dog when we were together 24/7. I treasure time alone with my thoughts, and although I love my husband and my boys, there are just some things you don’t say to other people! 

Looking back now, I’m also glad to have a record of the whole year - or, most of it at least. It’s really amazing to me the changes I’ve seen and, quite honestly, the sh*t we went through. I mean, everyone’s got their stuff, right? But seeing in on the page really does give a different perspective. In my writing and business, I’ve also been able to identify key moments, almost down to the day, where huge mindset shifts happened, which is pretty neat. 

Journaling really offers the unique chance to record the “right now” in a way that most other forms of expression don’t quite match up to.

Plus, it’s a pretty sweet perk that I get to regularly pick out a pretty new journal to write in.

 I’m not sure what I’ll do when I run out of designs with my favorite journal company (which, by the way, is actually pretty affordable!), but until then, I enjoy my trips to Barnes & Noble, or a good look around Amazon. 

I’m sure the list of Morning Pages benefits could be longer, after all, I’m a lifelong devotee now, but those are my favorites.

Space to think on paper is invaluable to writers, and I highly recommend it, even if you don’t want to do 3 pages worth! 

My challenge to you is to do Morning Pages for a week (including the weekend) and see how you feel afterward. 

Have you tried Morning Pages? How did it go? Do you do another form of daily journaling that helps you as much as Morning Pages helps me? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

5 Pieces to Include in Your Writing Notebook

Depending on your writing process, you may have a place where you keep the notes related to your books and other writing projects. 

But if you’re a new writer, or if you’re just starting to get serious about writing, you might have heard the term “writing notebook” and wondered what the heck that is. 

Good news! 

Today’s post is all about great pieces to include in your writing notebook, with simple steps about how to include them. 

What is a Writing Notebook? 

A writing notebook is simply a place to keep all of our ideas, plans, and goals for our writing projects. It can be in a binder, journal, digital format, or any other preferred format. 

The main point of a writing notebook is to keep ourselves organized while writing and to help expand upon our ideas.

The main point of a writing notebook is to keep ourselves organized while writing and to help expand upon our ideas. They can include a multitude of helpful tools and pages depending on the writing project. Here are some ideas for great pieces to include in your writing notebook.

5 Pieces to Include in Your Writing Notebook

When you’re setting up your writing notebook, these are great items to include.

General Plot Outline

A general plot outline is an overview of what will be included in your book or story. It answers the question: What are the main goals of our writing project?

A plot outline should include ideas for:

• Major events (Sometimes major events may not be large battles or huge crises. They can be smaller, internal or external, conflicts that directly impact our main character.)

• Turning points for our characters

• Setting (when & where our story takes place)

• Themes

• Lists of characters/name ideas

• Any information we already know we want to include

It’s also important to have an idea of what the beginning, middle, and end of the story will look like. This helps to keep us on track and ensure we don’t stray too far from the main purpose of our story. 

It’s okay to change our mind along the way. Sometimes we need to switch up the ending, or go back and rewrite the beginning. As long as we know what direction we’re headed, we will be in much better shape when it comes to writing our stories. 

Main Character Page/Character Profile

The main character page is dedicated to the protagonist/main character (MC) of your story. Once we decide on our main character’s traits, it’s important to stay consistent throughout the entire story. A great way to keep track of this is to create a character profile for our main characters.

A character profile should include the MC’s:

• Physical traits

• Strengths 

• Weaknesses

• Motivations

• Obstacles

• Anything that will come up multiples times in the story

• Description of the antagonist or “enemy” and the reason they’re at odds - if the MC has a notable foe

We can also include important relationships on the main character page, for instance: 

• Their parents’ names

• Significant other

• Best friend etc. 

Essentially, this page (or few pages) is meant to give you a space to include all important details about your MC so you can reference it when you need to. Creating this page will also give you valuable insight into your character and their unique qualities. 

Character Chart

A character chart is helpful to keep track of side characters. 

Important information to include on the chart is: 

• Each character’s relationship to the main character

• Physical traits

• Why they are necessary to the plot. 

Having a visual like this will help ensure we don’t have characters that aren’t adding anything to our stories. 

Character charts are also useful when we have many characters because we can go back to it and remind ourselves of who each person is. When we take a break from writing and come back, it’s easy to forget names (especially if you’ve recently changed them) and descriptions. Having the character chart makes our writing lives easier.

Book Timeline/Character Timelines

Creating timelines help us to keep perspective while we’re writing our story. A book timeline ensures that we’re staying on track and each event makes sense as it’s happening. It also serves as a reminder, as we’re writing, of what’s going on in our stories if we need to take a break.

Character timelines are useful to keep track of divergent character lines. 

For example, we can create:  

• A main character timeline 

• A villain timeline 

This ensures their actions line up with each other; a cause and effect type of relationship. Character timelines also help us see if there are any holes in the character’s life that need to be filled.

Goals Page

A goals page helps to keep us on schedule. If we don’t set goals, we may never finish the project! 

There are multiple formats we can use to create our goals page: 

• Time-Related Goals: Goals we plan to finish by a specific date. For example, a timely goal might be “I have written (#) chapters so far, I intend to write two more by (date). Then, I will write (#) chapters every (#) days.”

• Word Count Goals: Goals for how many words we want to write during each writing session. Word count goals can be something we do every time we write, or more sporadically - for instance once a week or once a month. For example, “This week I will write (#) words a day,” or “This week I will write a total of (#) words.” 

Creating a chart for these goals, or using a planner (or both!) is very useful. We can make a table for ourselves in our writing notebook, or create an Excel sheet for our goals. Whatever format best suits our needs. 

Interested in downloading some writing notebook sheets? Check out this writer’s bundle available on our Etsy Shop: The Confident Writer Shop!

My challenge to you is to try creating a writing notebook. 

Do you already use a writing notebook? What will you include in your writing notebook? Do you set writing goals for yourself? 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 Use a Planner to Make Time for Writing

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

Sometimes, amid the hectic day-to-day lifestyle that’s common for most of us, it can be difficult to find the time to write. Even if we write for a living, there are many other events, appointments, and tasks we need to do on an average day. 

Writing tends to be pushed to the side to make room for everything else. A great way to help combat the issue of not having time to write is to use a planner. 

3 Great Tools to Plan Your Writing

Google Calendar

Google calendar is one option to use as a planner. It’s a useful tool because it can link directly to your phone and email. If someone emails you a date you need to remember, you should automatically receive the option to add it to your Google Calendar (as long as you’re using Gmail). Once it’s added to the calendar, reminders show up on your phone when a scheduled event is happening. 

In a world where we’re all on our phones so much of the time (too much sometimes), these reminders can help us put our phones down and get back to work!

In a world where we’re all on our phones so much of the time (too much sometimes), these reminders can help us put our phones down and get back to work! We can also use Google calendar to block time and set reminders when it’s time to write, read, edit, or whatever other writerly tasks we need to get done.

Dry Erase Calendar

A dry erase calendar can be something small that sits on our desk, or it can be larger and hang on the wall. They are handy because we can use them as many times as we want without having to replace them every year. 

A bedroom or office wall is a great place to use a dry erase board because you can see it when you wake up or begin work in the morning and before you get done with work or go to sleep at night. You’ll be able to clearly see what you have going on each day. 

The best thing about dry erase boards (or dry erase anything, really) is that if we need to change up our plans, we simply erase and move around anything that needs to be changed. It’s also fun to use different colored markers to keep things organized, or just for a bit of flair.

Paper Planner

A paper planner is very useful when it comes to staying on track with our writing. You can get them pretty much anywhere, but we love Barnes & Noble and Amazon. 

Whether or not you love a pretty cover, what’s inside the planner is what’s important. A day planner, rather than a monthly planner, will be the most helpful in terms of getting writing done every day. When you can see each day on a micro level, you can plan out when to do your tasks, including writing, and see that there’s enough room for it all. The Happy Planner (shown to the right) is an excellent paper planner!

The Happy Planner

Monthly planners can be helpful, too, especially for goal-setting. Many planners have both pieces, which means you can chart your goals and get there with small tasks in one handy place. 

How to Use a Planner for Writing

1. Fill out your planner with non-writing events first. It’s important to start with this because sometimes there are events or appointments we have that are necessary, but non-writing related (like going to the dentist). If only we could spend every day writing, that would be the dream! Alas, we all have “real life” stuff to do, too, so we need to make sure that when we’re filling out our planner for the week/month, we start here. 

   When we start here, we won’t accidentally schedule writing or reading time for a day when we already have many back-to-back appointments or meetings. It’s better to set ourselves up for success and plan our writing times for when we know we will be able to dedicate our full attention to it, even if it’s only for half an hour. 

2. Plan time to read. As writers, it’s critical that we read. It helps us to continually learn and grow as writers. Reading in the genre that we write is also a great way to learn about our own preferences and figure out which writing styles we want to use. It can be a great way to unwind and destress from a crazy day, too,

   Personally, if I don’t put reading on my schedule, I hardly ever get to it, so I made it a goal to read at least three chapters a day. It’s the perfect amount for me, not too much, but not so little that it takes me months to read a single book. We each have to find whatever pace works best for our schedules and our goals.

3. Plan time to write. The main goal in using our planner for writing is to make sure we plan time to write! Once we’ve filled in all the major events, appointments, and meetings, then we can get to the good stuff - writing. 

   Some of us want to write every day, which can seem like a lofty goal. If we break it down, it doesn’t seem so out of reach. I try to allot one hour a day in my schedule for writing. This is another flexible idea that depends on each person. There are some days when we may have a couple hours to write, or maybe just a few minutes. Either way, I try to write at least a little bit every day.

4. Plan time to edit. Editing is an important piece to start scheduling once we have a complete draft to edit. Some writers may edit as they go, but others, like me, edit at the end of a project/book. To avoid the trap of over-editing (because our inner critic feeds on that), we find that it’s generally best to get through most of a draft before doing major editing. 

   When I schedule editing, I still like to work on writing too, since I have a few projects going at once. I’ll schedule times for writing, and separate times for editing. 

   Not everyone works this way! It’s absolutely fine if you remove writing from your planner to make room for editing a project. The reason it’s important to add editing to our planners is because it’s another thing that may fall quite far on our list of priorities if we’re not proactive.

5. If there’s time…In some planners, there are sections each week for extra tasks. In my planner it’s called “If there’s time…” which is a great addition when you can find a planner that has one.

   This area is where we can put the tasks that aren’t as important, but we’d still like to if we have spare time. Like most people, I find that I often forget even the simple things if I don’t write them down, so it’s nice to have a space in my planner that helps me remember the tasks I wanted to do if I have time.

6. Use color coding. Color coding can help with organization, as well as add a bit of fun to planning. For example, we can choose a color to go with each type of task. 

   For me, anything I need to do with writing is written in pink, anything about reading is written in green, and any appointments are written in orange. But you can create whatever kind of color code you want!

   Stickers and tabs are also helpful and fun because they can be a cute reminder or pick-me-up that also helps you separate out tasks that need to be done. We find that making our planners fun and colorful makes our to-do lists both more functional and less imposing (especially when it’s a long list!).

7. Give yourself small, bite-sized tasks. When we put too large of tasks on our lists and don’t finish them, it can put a damper on our spirits. Breaking larger tasks up into a couple of smaller ones makes finishing much easier. We get to check off multiple tasks on our list, and we feel accomplished because we at least started our project, or maybe even finished it. 

   For those of us who lack motivation or just need a little extra push, it’s also okay to include day-to-day tasks like brushing our teeth and eating breakfast in our planners. Even if it seems trivial, we need to make sure that we can get through our day as best we can - sometimes that means crossing things off of our list! 

8. Give yourself small rewards for completing tasks. Small rewards are a great way to make completing our tasks more fun & exciting. Rewards can be anything from a ten minute break to a special snack to using a fun pen to check the task off the list. 

   Personally, I use a fancy gel pen to check off my completed tasks and it creates a feeling of satisfaction and I don’t need much else to keep me moving. If a task seems more daunting or cumbersome, Sometimes I need a bigger reward for completing it like buying a new pen or notebook. It all comes down to staying motivated. After all, you know yourself best - what will keep you going?

My challenge to you is to start using a planner - any kind of planner. 

Do you already use a planner? What type of planner works for you? How do you stay motivated? 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 Know When to Walk Away from a Writing Idea

As writers, we know that ideas come and go, and are never predictable. Whenever a good idea comes along, we have to latch onto it so it doesn’t escape us! However, sometimes, even after a lot of time and hard work, we may need to make the decision to walk away from a writing idea. The real question is: how do we decide if we need to walk away?

Why People Don’t Want to Walk Away

When we’ve spent hours upon hours working on a project or a writing idea, it can be hard to walk away from it, even if we know it’s the right thing to do. 

Here are some excuses we may be using to justify continuing a project that’s run its course:

I’ve been working on it a long time

When you have a lot of time invested in any project, writing related or not, it's easy to feel as if it was time wasted if you decide to walk away. It’s important to know that any time spent on writing is never wasted time. In every moment spent writing, you are improving your skills and learning new techniques.

I’ve already written so much

Awesome! Now you have material you can either repurpose, or rewrite for another idea! When working on a writing idea, we always have the option of pulling from our previous projects. If you’re letting this hold you back from moving on, don’t worry! This writing is not wasted material: we can always come back to it or use it for writing ideas in the future. 

I love it but I can’t figure out how to make it a priority

We can enjoy something and sometimes do it, but not make it a priority. If you have too much on your plate, you can take a break from whatever isn’t the most important. For example, I have a new puppy, so she is my main priority right now, and writing has to come second. 

If I don’t have time to write for a day, or a week, I don’t beat myself up about it. I know I can always go back to my writing. It’s okay if you can’t make something a priority. When it’s something we love, we can make small amounts of time for it with the realization that we need to focus on our most important tasks first. 

Won’t I be a “failure” if I switch topics?

There is a lot of fear of failure as a writer. We have to worry about people criticizing our writing, rejecting our submissions, or our work just falling flat. Fear of failure doesn’t have to keep us from moving on to bigger and better ideas. Switching topics just means you have enough self-awareness to know when a project isn’t working out any more.

I’m not a  “real writer” if I can’t finish an idea

If you write, you’re a real writer. Don’t let anyone else define that for you, and don’t let your perceived failures dictate it either. Real writers write. If you decide halfway through a project that your idea isn’t as good as you once thought, or you just don’t have the same passion for it as before, it’s better for you and your readers to walk away from that idea. 

How to Know When it’s Better to Walk Away

The hard part of all of this is how to know when it’s time to walk away. Sometimes it may be an obvious decision, other times not so much. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to walk away from an idea forever. We can always go back to an idea later, or reuse some or all of what we’ve already written. 

Here are 3 ways to know when we need to walk away or take a break: 

1. You’re no longer interested in or passionate about your idea

   If you’ve lost interest in an idea, or lost your passion for it, it may be time to walk away. It might still be a great idea, but maybe it would be better suited to someone else. If we no longer feel the same passion we did when we started, it’s going to be hard to finish the project. It will also show in our writing if we are trying to force interest in our ideas just to finish them.

2. The idea is not serving you/helping you grow & get better

   Writing is a lot of work and usually takes a lot of time. If an idea isn’t doing anything for you, or helping you grow in some way, it may be time to walk away. It’s important that our writing has a purpose, whether that’s to better ourselves, or to help better others. It’s important to keep sight of our “why.” 

   Once a writing idea loses its usefulness, it’s hard to justify continuing work on it. People pick up a book or read an article with the idea that they are going to get something out of it. Make sure to keep that in mind. Whatever we’re trying to convey in our writing reflects our vision and communicates our message. 

3. The idea feels like work

   If you’re no longer having fun with a writing idea, it may be time to walk away. If it feels like work, it’s going to be that much harder for us to finish because all we’ll be able to think about is how much we’d rather be doing something else. Take a break or find a new idea that brings you joy.

Next Steps

There are many different reasons we may have for walking away from a writing idea, and some may be more pressing than others. In any case, it’s important to remember, whether you see it through or walk away, you are or can still be, an accomplished writer! Don’t let self-doubt and fear hold you back from new ideas, or from walking away from an unfinished project. 

1. Review what you have. Take a look at what you have for your writing idea so far. Do you still have passion for or interest in the idea? Does it have a purpose or goal? Is it still enjoyable?

2. Decide whether it’s worth continuing the idea. If you said “no” to any of the above questions, then it may be time to walk away or take a break. 

3. Get help working on your idea or starting a new one. Sometimes all we need is another set of eyes to help us decide whether it’s time to walk away from an idea. Click here to read more about working with Rachel & Holly.

My challenge to you is to have the courage to walk away from a writing idea that isn’t benefiting you. 

Do you think you need to reevaluate a writing idea? Have you had to walk away from a project? If so, what helped you make the decision to walk away? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find us on social media or drop a comment below.

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

7 Reasons Introverts Make Awesome Writers

All writers are different, and we all have varying methods for preparing, planning (or not planning), and executing our writing. Writing can be an escape for some, therapy for others, or just plain fun!

As a writer myself, and after connecting with many other writers, I’ve learned it’s quite common for writers to be more introverted.  Being an introvert can be a great asset for a writer! There are many different qualities of being introverted that are helpful if you want to be a writer. This helps make introverts awesome writers!

So, you may be wondering, what exactly is an introvert?

Introvert

Introverts are people who much of the time, prefer to be left alone. Social gatherings or interactions can be very draining for an introvert. They are quieter, reserved, and prefer observing over engaging. If you don’t quite fit into this category, you may find yourself leaning more towards the extrovert or ambivert categories. 

Extrovert

An extrovert is considered the opposite of an introvert. They thrive in more social settings and don’t need a lot of alone time. They’re friends with a lot of people and love chatting. They’re more outgoing overall and tend to be bigger risk-takers. 

Ambivert

Ambivert is a personality type for the outliers. There are varying degrees to each trait, and the labels themselves are not a one size fits all kind of deal. 

An ambivert would be someone who finds themselves somewhere in the middle of an introvert and an extrovert. They exhibit traits of both categories.

An ambivert would be someone who finds themselves somewhere in the middle of an introvert and an extrovert. They exhibit traits of both categories. An ambivert may relate to being outgoing and talkative, but still be in need of alone time to recharge. Or, they are quiet and reserved but need socialization to recharge rather than isolation. 

7 Reasons Introverts Make Awesome Writers

We all don’t have to be introverts to be writers, but it can certainly help. 

For instance, I would label myself as an introvert and identify with many of the following reasons why introverts make awesome writers! Most times, in large groups or at get togethers, I tend to sneak away for some alone time to recharge.

It can be very overwhelming for me to spend long periods of time in crowds. Writing is my happy place because I am able to be alone, while pouring myself into the pages. People often mistake me as shy, when in reality, I enjoy sitting back and watching my surroundings rather than engaging with them. 

Which brings me to the 7 reasons that introverts make awesome writers:

1) Observant of Surroundings

As introverts, we’re not as likely to engage with others, and so probably spend more time observing our surroundings. This can fuel imagination. Being observant of not just what is happening around you, but of architecture, nature, and an overall setting, can give you ideas for your writing. 

Many authors draw inspiration for their scenes from places they have been or certain buildings that they found to be interesting or noteworthy. Spending time in nature also lends to scene building in the same way. If you are describing a certain area of a forest or a beach, it will be easier to make it believable and tangible for your readers if you are describing somewhere you have actually experienced.

You’ll know the feel of the wind against your face, the branches scraping your skin, the smell of pine, etc. All of these observations that you have collected will only strengthen your writing and entice your readers. 

2) Observant of Interactions

Because introverts tend to be very observant of their surroundings, they also tend to be more aware of other people’s interactions. Watching people interact is not only entertaining, but it can also lend aid to your writing abilities. Some writers have a difficult time with dialogue - making it believable or realistic. 

Watching the people around us: the way they speak, gesture, move, interact, etc. gives great insight into how our characters might interact.

Watching the people around us: the way they speak, gesture, move, interact, etc. gives great insight into how our characters might interact. We have to think about the setting we’re creating for our characters and how that will change their dialect or body language. If you’re writing a story that takes place in medieval Europe, they wouldn’t be interacting as we see people do now. However, if you’re writing a story that takes place in modern day, or close to it, using what we see in everyday life will be extremely useful. 

Even if you are writing that old-timey novel, watching people’s emotional responses can still be very helpful. Facial expressions are something that stays pretty consistent over time, not necessarily changing with each era. Anger will lead to reddening faces, wrinkled brows, clenched fists, etc. Joy will lead to grins, laughter, glowing, etc. 

3) Dedicates Significant Energy to Being Thoughtful

As introverts, we tend to find ourselves with a lot of time for thinking. This is useful for processing those observations we made all day. We may spend time ruminating on events that occurred, or things that were said, and though that’s not always helpful, it can be when you’re a writer.

If you find yourself thinking, if I’d only said… or if I’d just done this... then writing can help you flesh out those thoughts! Use those instances to fuel new stories. How would it have played out differently if you’d said something else? How would your characters have handled the situation? 

Any experience you have can be used to your advantage when writing. Being thoughtful helps you to rewrite your experiences and create stories from them. 

Dedicating energy to our thoughts also helps keep our imagination alive. If we’re constantly thinking of new ideas, eventually we will come up with one that would make a great story or book. Not all of our ideas are equal - some don’t make sense, and that’s okay! You can start writing a story and discover it isn’t really turning out how you thought or wanted, and start over, or go back and fix it. Being a thoughtful person means never running out of ideas; the well is never empty. 

4) Spend Time on Self-Reflection

Being introverts, we most likely spend a lot of time alone, or if not alone, simply keeping to ourselves. This gives a lot of time for self-reflection. Looking inward can present us with many opportunities to enhance our writing. 

Looking inward can present us with many opportunities to enhance our writing. 

Since you spend more time thinking about your own character and why you do the things you do, it will help develop motivations for story characters. Reflecting on what makes you upset, sad, happy, excited, etc. will help you recreate those emotions in your stories and your characters.

5) Are More Reticent

Being more reticent means that we aren’t as willing to reveal our thoughts and feelings. We are more likely to keep things to ourselves, and a great way to let out all this built up energy is to write! Keeping things to yourself is not always a bad thing. You’ll have a lot more to offer to your own stories and writings. Divulging your thoughts and feelings into your writing will make it that much more potent and often more relatable. 

Being a writer doesn’t always mean writing stories, books, poetry, etc. It can also be journal writing. Pouring yourself onto the page of a journal can be very cathartic. Then, you can always go back to those entries and find inspiration from them.

6) Are More Empathic

Introverts tend to be more empathic. This means that we can more easily understand and share the feelings of other people. Being able to pick up on subtle changes more easily than non-empaths can be very helpful in identifying emotions that another person is experiencing. We can transfer these skills into our writing and make the interactions between our characters that much deeper and more meaningful. Seeing the subtle cues and being able to describe them helps readers really put themselves into a piece/story/book.

Being able to pick up on subtle changes more easily than non-empaths can be very helpful in identifying emotions that another person is experiencing.

Being an empath also helps to make sure that we’re writing in a sensitive way. We’re good at ensuring people won’t be offended by our writing. We can understand why people are upset about certain topics, or which topics are touchier, and adjust our writing accordingly. There’s no way to ensure that we’re never going to offend anyone, but being able to empathize more deeply than others, it’s easier to know what will be better received.

7) Like & Need Alone Time

A major part of being a writer is spending a lot of time alone. We need space and limited distractions to be able to sit down and write. As introverts who enjoy alone time, this is a great combination for us! We can go to our writing area, be alone, and recharge while doing what we love.

We won’t always have the luxury of being alone when we’re writing, though. Sometimes a partner, child, or pet will be around and that’s okay! We don’t have to be alone to write. However, it makes a big difference in the amount we’re able to get done.

If you’re someone who doesn’t do well spending a lot of time alone, writing may come harder for you. Even if you like being alone, you don’t want to isolate in your writing corner too long. That’s why introverts can make awesome writers. They already like being alone, so spending that alone time writing just makes sense.

Next Steps

There are many reasons introverts make awesome writers. But what do you do with that information? 

1. First and foremost, find out what type of personality you have! Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or an ambivert? Take a personality quiz and find out!

   The most common test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument which determines which of sixteen personality categories you fall into. Eight of them are based more firmly in the extrovert category, while the other eight are considered forms of an introvert. If you want to find out more about that, check out The Myers & Briggs Foundation website here! 

   There is also a test called the Enneagram Types test that places you in one of nine categories. It is similar to the Myers Briggs test, but it divides people into Heart Types, Head Types, and Body Types. You can take that test here. 

2. Think about what recharges you and makes you feel good. If you’re an introvert, that may be spending some time alone, watching a movie, or doing an at home spa day. If you’re an extrovert, it may be spending a day with friends, going out to dinner, or participating in a sport/gym class. Whatever it is, make sure you make the time to recharge often. We’re at our best when we take care of ourselves and it shows in our work and writing.

3. Think about how your passion and personality shapes your writing. Does your passion shine through your writing? The more passionate you are about it, the more your readers will sense it. Your personality may come out through your characters, whether you create them in your image, or opposite of yourself. 

4. Work with a fellow introvert to start or progress on your writing project! Reach out and find someone you can work with. Social media is a great place to do this. You can find someone with similar goals and ideas, then you can help to hold each other accountable for those goals. You can also work with Rachel - read more about how here.

My challenge to you is to take one of the personality tests! Find out what type you are and focus on how it directly influences your writing.

Are you an introvert who loves spending time alone writing? An extrovert who loves having people around in order to feel at your best? Either way, how are you planning to recharge this week? Making sure that you recharge yourself helps to ensure that you continue to be an awesome writer. 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.