Bucketlist Bombshells Review: The Work Online & Travel the World Course

With so many opportunities to take online courses, especially in the “start your business” realm, it can be hard to sift through and find one that might actually be helpful. 

Having purchased and taken many courses in the past two years, I can say that The Work Online & Travel the World Course is EASILY one of the most helpful things I’ve done as a new online business owner. Hopefully my Bucketlist Bombshells review will inspire you to take action on your business dreams, too! 

Full disclosure: I have been paid to do a review. That being said, this is a course I 100% believe in and everything I’m sharing is my own opinion. If you’re interested in starting an online business, it could change your life. 

Where it All Started

In April 2019, I started a blog. I wasn’t happy at my day job, and it’s been a lifelong dream to be a “real writer.” I was determined to make that happen...somehow. 

I quickly learned that there are SO MANY opportunities for writers online, but blogging to make income really wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell stories and make a bigger impact - to help people like me who struggled with creative confidence for many years before finally breaking free of self-doubt to pursue my dream. 

Fast forward to April 2020 when I purchased The Work Online & Travel the World Course. I’d been on The Bucketlist Bombshells - Cassie & Shay’s - email list basically since the beginning of my journey. I think I saw a Facebook Ad one time and thought: “Oh, they’re doing cool things while they travel the world, I want to know more.”

What appealed to me was that these ladies had started their business so young and had been doing it successfully for years! It wasn’t their first rodeo, even though we’re about the same age. I also thought “They look so normal!” That probably sounds silly, but some of the courses you see ads for are so glamorized that it’s intimidating to a beginner - at least it was for me. 

While I didn’t want to travel full time - and still don’t - the idea of being able to create stable income while being my own boss greatly appealed to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked with some fantastic people in corporate jobs, but none of the jobs made me as excited as the thought of being able to be a writer. 

And so I became one! 

These days, I am a writer, as well as a writing coach. Much of how I’ve learned & built my business started with this course. After so many options, this is the one that finally helped me narrow down what to offer, how much to charge, and how to keep track of the money (because that’s SO important, but not something that most other “start your business” courses are offering, even still!).  

What’s Included in The Work Online & Travel the World Course?

Inside the course, there are plenty of resources: 6 full modules, plus some fun bonuses. 

Each module is packed with helpful information, and the format is video tutorials + self-paced workbooks. I particularly like the way the videos do tutorials, but don’t “give you an answer” about your own business. In other words, the tools are available, but you have to do the work in order to be successful. 

The course is broken down like this:

Productivity & Goal-Setting - Getting Started

At the beginning, there’s a short introduction to the course, materials, and how to use everything in the course.

It’s nice because you can quickly see approximately how long the lesson is going to take, and the resources are linked right next to the videos so there’s no confusion about what you’re supposed to be working on after the video.

Module 1 - Define Your Online Skills

The very first module sets the stage for the whole course. 

It includes some pretty major topics, such as: 

• Defining Your Online Skills

• How to Use Your Past Experiences

• Choosing Your Online Skills

There’s no fluff. This module will, right off the bat, get you thinking about what the heck you can do online - based on what you already know! The materials give you plenty of space and ideas for thinking about what you’ve already done and how that can translate into online work. 

Module 2 - How to Rock the Freelancing World

The next module is about freelancing and how to define your skills. It also shows you how to get set up in the freelancing world. 

It includes topics like: 

• Defining Your Freelance Services

• How to Choose a Quality Job Posting & Write a Killer Proposal

What I liked most about this module was that it provides the ideas (like defining your skills), but also tech how-tos about getting set up on different freelance websites because they’re all a little different.

Module 3 - Build & Launch Your Online Business

Module 3 is all about how to set your business up from hourly rate to defining your deliverables. 

It includes topics like: 

• How to Research Your Industry Average Hourly Rate

• Defining Deliverables & Setting Client Expectations

This was one of the best lessons of the whole course because it gives you a way to think about how to start charging for your services. If you’ve been around the online business industry for any length of time, you’ve probably seen the posts on social media and on some coaching websites that advise you to charge “what you’re worth” and “what feels right.”

Now, I’m all about charging your worth! But in the very beginning when you’ve never been in business before, it’s super hard to tell what that might be. It’s so nice to have an actual formula to start off with, and to know how to find out what other people with similar skills are charging! 

Module 4 - Find, Network, & Land Clients

This module is all about making the move from freelancer to “solopreneur” and how to set up your business online. 

It includes topics like: 

• Becoming A Solopreneur & Structuring Your Packages

• Building Your Solopreneur Website

• Finding & Landing Clients

This is the lesson that took me the longest because I redesigned my entire website. I moved to Squarespace and never looked back. It is SO MUCH EASIER than WordPress, and honestly, as a service-based business, I don’t need a lot of the things I was trying to use in WordPress. 

I built my new website in probably about a week or a week and a half, and it’s easily 100x better than what I was doing before. So easy, so professional, and with a clear business focus.

Module 5 - Running & Rockin’ Your Online Business

This module is about how to create a streamlined workflow and different tools you can use to make your business professional and manageable to maintain. 

It includes topics like: 

• Establishing & Streamlining Your Workflow

• Tutorial: How To Manage Projects & Clients Using Asana

• Tutorial: How To Track Your Time & Send Invoices Using Harvest

• Managing Your Solopreneur Finances

So, these tools are pretty cool - I tried them all during the course. They don’t all fit into my workflow, but that’s okay! The videos talk about what the tools do and why you need them, which is important because there’s a lot of things about business that you don’t know about when it’s still brand new. 

My favorite part of this section was the finance piece. It was something I’d been struggling to figure out before this, but the BB Finance Sheet makes it super easy. I still use a version of it today! 

Module 6 - Run Your Biz & Jet Set Around the World

The final module is about how to travel while you’re a solopreneur. 

It includes topics like: 

• How To Choose The Best Cities While Globetrotting

• How To Create Your Ideal Lifestyle On The Road

This was probably my least favorite section, only because I don’t have any intention of traveling full time. The tools are interesting, and I think they’re great for people who do want to travel more while owning their own business, but I was in the course for the other materials. 

Bonuses! 

Of course there are bonuses, too. My favorites are access to the BB VIP Lounge Facebook Group and the Guide to Solopreneur Set Up. The Facebook group has been great for getting advice, as well as connecting with other like-minded ladies who are running all kinds of online businesses. 

The Guide to Solopreneur Set Up was really helpful, too, because it’s all about business and tax questions. Cassie & Shay teamed up with their CPA to create the guide, which has sound advice and information about getting started legally and tax-wise, which are both really important.

Pros & Cons

Cons

• If you don’t want to travel all the time, there’s a good amount of information that won’t really apply to you

• You still have to take the travel module in order to pass the “quiz” at the end and get your completion certificate

• The videos, while still great, can be a little outdated at times for setting up the tech pieces; the information is still similar, but there are areas you’ll have to figure out by doing a little trial and error

Pros

• Great information

• Self-paced

• Builds your confidence & decision-making skills

• Multiple ways to learn; videos, workbooks, bonus interviews, etc.

• A way to connect with the BB community (through the Facebook group) & ask questions

• Live masterminds with Cassie & Shay once per month

• Reasonably priced for what you can get from it

Overall, I think it’s a great course, and you definitely get good value for your investment!

Is The Work Online & Travel the World Course for Writers? 

To wrap up my Bucketlist Bombshells review, I wanted to talk about who this course is actually for, because you may still be wondering: Could this really help me?

This course is for you if: 

• You’re self-motivated and ready to take action

• You can process information when working on your own & are willing to ask questions when you need help

• You’re willing to do the work it takes to be your own boss

• You have an idea for an online business or you know you want to start a business but aren’t quite sure what you could do

• You’re open to new tools & frameworks you can use to be successful

This course is NOT for you if: 

• You need someone to keep you accountable

• You want someone to tell you what kind of business to start

• You already have a functioning framework for your online business

• Aren’t sure if you want to start an online business 

• You’re not willing to put in the work to figuring out your business

What this means for writers is that this course could ABSOLUTELY be for you!

It helped me launch my writing & coaching business, and there are many other BB Alum that also have writing-related businesses, too. It’s a great place to get feedback on what you’re doing and maybe even make some new business friends. 

If you’re still not sure (I get it - I waited almost a year before purchasing!), you can check out these resources to get a better look:

Student Success Stories & Features

3 Steps to Build A Wildly Successful Service-Based Online Business Free Masterclass

3 Steps to Learn the Skills You Need to Make An Income Online Free Workshop

How to Use a Planner to Make Time for Writing

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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.

Interview with an Author: Robin Wilson

Our February guest is Robin Wilson.

Robin Wilson launched Robin Wilson Home in 2000 and created a conglomerate that covers eco-design, licensed products, interior design and real estate development. Her brand has generated over $82 million in wholesale revenue from sales of cabinetry and textiles. She became the first Black woman with a line of hypoallergenic textiles sold nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond now in Wal-Mart, among other retailers. Her book, CLEAN DESIGN: Wellness for your Lifestyle was #1 on Amazon and focused on the eco-friendly design and hypoallergenic products for consumers. 

She has worked on interior design for the White House Fellows, specifically during the Obama administration. And on the Harlem offices of resident Bill Clinton. She recently furnished the famous Esalen Retreat with eco- based luxury room textiles, products and furniture. INC magazine included Robin in their 2020 Top 100 Female Founders. Robin is an Ambassador to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America.

If you would like to purchase Robin’s book, Clean Design: Wellness for your Lifestyle, you can find a copy here.

Tell us a little about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

A: After college, I created a bucket list, and writing a book was on the list. Now that I have written two award-winning tomes, it is clear that there is something to making your intentions clear so that you can realize your dreams. My parents told me that I was an early reader, and books have always been a friend, allowing escape and relaxation.

“ I have always believed in working with young people who are trying to build their professional book and to learn what it takes to be designers. Now, conversely, I did not go to design school. I have not been professionally trained as a designer. I have traveled, however, many, many places in the world, and I have a very good eye. What I’m really great at though, is project management. ”

— Robin Wilson

Was there a certain point you remember where you felt empowered to call yourself a writer? Or have you always felt like you were a writer?

What a great question! I wrote stories as a child, and my mom kept many of them and bound them in a scrapbook. As the editor of the junior high school newspaper and a frequent contributor to print publications ever since that time, I have never called myself a writer, but upon reflection, I guess that it is clear that I have a message to share. It is interesting that when I look at the process of writing, it is challenging only because I have so much to say – and then the blank page looms, as one tries to figure out the opening line. From that moment, it flows, but there are always multiple edits and revisions – and I am always my harshest critic. After my second book, CLEAN DESIGN: Wellness for your Lifestyle (Greenleaf, 2015) was published, it ranked #1 on Amazon and Kindle. The book started winning awards, it was the first time that I really gave myself permission to be an author!

You have a successful brand, Robin Wilson Home, which is sold in retail stores like Bed, Bath, & Beyond. What inspired you to channel your lifestyle brand into a book?

My eponymous Robin Wilson Home brand was the 2nd Black brand sold in stores nationwide at Bed Bath & Beyond after the legendary B. Smith collection. Currently, we are in the process of launching our new brand, CLEAN DESIGN HOME™ which is focused on consumers interested in hypoallergenic, wellness, and sustainable products. Stay tuned for stores and online platforms where the brand will be sold! I was a new mother when I wrote the book, CLEAN DESIGN, because it was important to share simple tips for maintaining a healthy living environment room-by-room. You should use the book as a reference, as it will be repetitive if you read it cover-to-cover and there is information both about interior and exterior allergic triggers.

“I became a mom, I think that’s a simple answer. I know that so many of us who suffer as I do from allergies, and asthma, have to search for information. One day I said ‘I’m going to write a primer.’ When you read the book, it’s not like The Joy of Cooking. You’re not going to read chapter one all the way to the end. If you have a nursery, you’re going to read the nursery chapter. If you have a kitchen issue, you’re going to read the kitchen chapter. That’s how I tried to set up the book. The key for me is to recognize that one in four people suffer from asthma or allergies - that’s 16 million Americans. ”

— Robin Wilson

Your book, Clean Design, has fabulous snippets of standard design protocols and simple tips that readers can start using today. How did you narrow down which information to include & where to place it?

I had a great editorial team and they kept telling me to narrow it down to the top-level information. Had everything been added to the book, it would have been 500 pages. One thing a good editor will tell you is there is always room to do another book.

The book itself is beautiful and clean – much like your brand and decorating tips! Could you tell us a little about what went into the design process of the book?

Until you write a book, you may not know that there are people who actually do book layout – and that there is an art to this type of design work. For example, each chapter start page has the same look and feel in the CLEAN DESIGN book. When you work with a good book editor and layout designer, your book will feel cohesive. And it makes it easier for the author to determine what is missing. Working with a team makes you feel a bit more secure so that you can focus on the words. All of the images in the book are from my portfolio of work, so it was also challenging to select from thousands of images.

Describe your writing and/or creative process.

Write whenever you can for at least 30 minutes. The first few minutes allow you to settle into your zone, and then the words flow. Just write. You can edit later – and my rule was one week of writing and one hour of editing. It gives you permission to move forward.

“One of the books that I was very influenced by was Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point.”

— Robin Wilson

Your design & cleaning strategies are not just allergen- and asthma-reducing, but also eco-friendly. How did the environmental factor become such a significant part of your brand?

I have a lifelong personal medical journey with asthma and allergies. Thankfully, my parents selected a holistic pediatrician who had a mantra, “…raise a strong child, or raise a child on strong medicine…” and his viewpoint was that diet, environment, allergic triggers, and exercise were the four keys to be aware of on a wellness journey. So, that meant the shag carpet went out, and hardwood/tile and rugs came into my childhood home. And we shopped at the early iteration of Whole Foods in Austin, Texas which is my hometown.

What was your biggest writing obstacle and how did you overcome it?

When writing CLEAN DESIGN, I was a new mother and my writing time became narrowed to the time when she took naps and went to bed early.

What is the part of your published work or writing process you are most proud of?

I am most proud of the fact that the book sold, and the national book tour audiences and corporate sponsors (Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams and FLOR) showed me that there was strong interest in the topic from a broad consumer demographic.

Do you have any plans for another book or writing project? If so, could you tell us about them?

I am mulling a new book right now, but just need some extra time in my daily schedule.

What motivates you to keep writing?

Writing is a wonderful opportunity to share your thoughts and expertise, and most people have at least one book that they could write about themselves or a subject in which they have an interest.

“We kept the things we thought were simple tips and tricks that people can use on a day-to-day basis. I think that’s the most important thing to know, is that wellness is simple steps. Your home, your style - they’re simple steps. You know, if you look at an Instagram photo, and you’re like, ‘Oh, my house has to look like that tomorrow,’ you’ll be sorely disappointed unless you spend a lot of money to hire a professional to make that happen. But, if you took a simple step, it could be just painting the wall today, and then getting the chairs and floor coverings the next year. Then, your accessories over time.”

— Robin Wilson

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

Just write. Every single day. Set aside 10-30 minutes to just add to the stories that you start. Within a year, you will have something that you can edit – and maybe it will be a short story, or a screenplay or a non-fiction book. You will be surprised at how a daily practice can yield a focused manuscript.

If you would like to purchase Robin Wilsons’s book, CLEAN DESIGN, you can find a copy here.

If you know an author (or of an author) you would love to read an interview with, email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com or submit a suggestion here.

“It is as simple as choosing a path”

— Mira Nair

5 Hacks for Outlining Your Writing

Outlining is more than just a tool for writing essays in school. I remember how annoying it used to be that we had to go through all the steps when writing essays. As it turns out, when it came to actually writing the essays, the outlines were a godsend! 

It works similarly for writing books, short stories, or any other type of creative writing. If we have a basic outline or skeleton for our project, a lot of the work is already done when we sit down to write. 

An Outline in Writing is: 

...a flexible source of organization  

Outlines can be constantly changing. They never have to be set in stone. Another way to describe it is a living document. We may start with one idea that morphs into a whole new project as we go along. Don’t fear change when it comes to writing.

...a handy guide

Outlines are nice to fall back on when we’re lost in a sea of thoughts, or maybe a lack thereof. They work to refocus our minds when there are so many other things working to distract us. These guides will keep us on task and keep us moving forward.

...a way to organize our thoughts

It’s easy to lose track of our thoughts, especially if we’re writing them down on random scraps of paper as they come. Having an outline gives us a place to compile all these thoughts and keep them somewhat organized. If we need to go back and reference a certain idea, it makes it that much easier to find what we’re looking for and get back to work!

...NOT an exact template (unless you want it to be)

Outlines are FLEXIBLE, they’re living, working documents. We each choose what we want to include, and no two outlines will look exactly alike. However, some of us enjoy more rigidity when it comes to planning/outlining and there are plenty of templates out there that we can use! Here’s what I use to organize my writing.

...NOT a cut and dry thing that will never change again

When we create an outline, it’s just the base for whatever we’re writing. As we continue to work on our writing project, new or changed ideas come to mind and we may need to adjust our original outlines. That’s okay! In fact, I might even go as far as to say outlines usually do change over the course of a writing project. There’s no rule that we have to stick to our outlines - they are, after all, only guidelines. Make changes as you go, and all will be well. 

...NOT a “requirement” to write well

Not everyone needs an outline. They’re not required for quality writing, nor are they always necessary. There are two terms, “pantsing” and “plotting,” that refer to this idea: Everyone is different and not everyone outlines. 

To be a ‘pantser’ means that you don’t use outlines, you do everything by the seat of your pants. To be a ‘plotter’ means you utilize outlines and plot out your details before beginning to write. Whatever mode you choose, we’re all capable of writing amazing creative pieces. 

5 Hacks for Outlining Your Writing

1. Create a table of contents

We’ve all seen tables of contents in one form or another. It looks a little like this: 

Table of Contents

Title

Intro…What is an outline?

Ch. 1… How to write an outline

Ch. 2…Different types of outlines

Ch. 3…Uses for outlines

Works Cited/References/Acknowledgements

It’s a great tool to keep track of how our writing piece will be organized, and to view our work as a whole. It makes life easier so we’re not always flipping back and forth between pages or tabs.

2. Make notes & keep them handy

Keeping a notebook at the ready helps ensure we have a spot to jot down any random writing related thought that pops into our mind. The Notes app on our phone is a great digital option, or the Journey app.

Writing ideas don’t always strike at the most opportune times, so it’s important we write them down when they do come. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck scratching our heads trying to remember the idea once we sit down to write. 

If we keep all of our notes together and easily accessible, it will be easier to refer back to them when we’re writing. We won’t have to waste any time scouring our brains, or our writing space, for ideas. Time is precious when it comes to writing, as all writers have felt at one point or another.

3. Visually outline (or storyboard) the timeline & characters

Visual outlines help us envision how our writing will all come together. Most often we call these visuals storyboards. They can be physical or digital, and can include a whole host of things. For example: timelines, character charts, photos, writing schedules, word counts, and breakdowns of each chapter/section. They are a place to figure out if our plans make sense chronologically, if there are any holes, or if we need to head back to the drawing board.

Something we can incorporate into our storyboards, or that can become our storyboard, is a vision board. Vision boards are usually more photo-based, but can also be useful for imagining our writing coming to life. To learn a little more about how to create a vision board for your writing, read this.

4. Start your living document (your outline) & add to it as you go

Creating a living document is easiest to do digitally whether on a computer, tablet, or even phone. Once we have a document, we can just add and/or delete our ideas as they come. You can also use pen and paper to create a document for your writing - a journal of sorts. Just be sure that it’s something that won’t be lost or accidentally toss when you tidy up your writing space!

This is where we decide what type of outline to make. We can choose to follow a template, or come up with our own approach. There’s no right way to create an outline. Some common types of outlines include: 

• Web diagrams

• Tables

• Charts

It is up to each of us to decide what best suits our needs and is most useful. You can read more about specific descriptions of many different outlines here - and see some famous writers’ outlines in action!

5. Start writing!

Don’t get so caught up in the details of outlining that you forget to write. Sometimes it’s easier to stay in that pre-writing honeymoon phase, but we’ll never know how well our planning works until we put it to the test! If you’re a little stuck on where to start, read this - it will help.

As we go along, we can always refer back to our outline, changing and rearranging it as needed. Our writing often develops a mind of it’s own and strays from the path of our original outline, and that’s okay. Make new notes, adjust your outline, and keep pushing forward.

Next Steps

Don’t stress too much over creating an outline. Writing is meant to be a form of expression, and what’s most important is that we enjoy ourselves while doing it. Outlining is simply a tool that we can utilize to make the most of our writing. If it’s not something that works for you, no sweat. Do something that does work for you, even if that’s just going with the flow.

What now, though?

1. Gather all your notes on your current project (if you don’t have a current project, start fresh!). It doesn’t matter if it’s sticky notes or a binder filled with notes, or the messiest Google Doc you’ve ever seen: make sure to gather all of it into one accessible place. 

2. Try out a method or two of outlining to see which one best  fits your style. Remember, you don’t have to stick to this outline forever! If you decide along the way it isn’t working out, change it up. 

3. Outline your work as best you can at this point. Remember, this is a living and flexible document and can change as necessary. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get something written down that you can refer back to when you need.

4. Get help taking action! If you’re stuck and need help, click here to learn more about how to get writing coaching. Sometimes it’s hard to get the ball rolling and we need a little extra motivation or guidance, and that’s perfectly okay! Help is there if you want or need it.

I challenge you to create an outline for your next or latest writing project. 

Did you use an outline template or create your own? How did it go? Was it helpful? 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.

Classics Series Book Review: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

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.

Trigger warning: sexual assault

Overview 

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a classic in American literature and when you read it, it’s not hard to figure out why. The tale of Celie, who’s married off to an older man at a very young age in the deep South, and her sister Nettie who goes off to be a missionary in Africa is at once heart wrenching and eye-opening. It’s a true tale of survival and making the best of hardship. It’s also about love, not just between partners and sisters, but love for yourself and how hard that can be.  

Content & Message

Written entirely in the epistolary style - writing in the form of letters - Celie initially writes to God. Her faith is unwavering despite being 14 years old and having been raped by the town doctor and gotten pregnant. By the time she’s 20, she’s had two babies, but she’s not allowed to keep them. 

She’s married at 20 to a man, Mr. _____, who takes months to decide if he wants her because “She ain’t fresh,” “She spoiled. Twice,” and “She ugly” (7-8). The immediate reaction is one of incredible want to free her of the situation she’s in that really doesn’t have an escape. At least not for many years. 

In the end, Celie is happy. I won’t spoil it, but the book ends in a way that feels good for Celie

Meanwhile, her younger sister, Nettie, leaves for a mission trip in Africa with a couple named Samuel & Corrine. The letters are now for Nettie. The couple takes care of her, and she writes to Celie often - except Mr. _____ hides the letters and makes Celie believe Nettie has abandoned her, or worse, died. It isn’t until famous musician Shug Avery comes to town - and falls in love with Celie - that they learn of Mr. _____’s treachery. 

Celie finds years of letters from her sister, and it’s at this point that she decides she’s going to leave to be with Shug. She finally has an escape, and the love she’s always longed for. With Shug, and their life together in Shug’s big house, Celie can finally think about herself and learn to love herself. Shug even helps Celie begin a small sewing business - pants for women. Celie writes letters to God and Nettie. 

In the end, Celie is happy. I won’t spoil it, but the book ends in a way that feels good for Celie: “I don’t think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt” (288). 

Biggest Takeaway

The most powerful thing about this book is Celie’s story of her experience as a young black woman in the South. It’s not set in the present-day, as there are clear mentions about segregation throughout, but hearing about all the terrible things that happened in her life, in her words, makes the book tremendously moving. 

Not only does Celie grapple with her own trauma, but she also has to navigate life experiences and her faith. Walker is a masterful storyteller, and this book tells an important story not just about one woman, but about how being African American, and a woman on top of that, was - and still remains - a complicated business far too often. 

Overall Impressions

I love The Color Purple. I’ve read it at least 3-4 times, and while I won’t say it’s an easy read (because it’s not) I keep going back to it over and over again because Walker so fully captures the voices and experiences of Celie & Nettie. 

From the first page, the reader begins to feel the scope of Celie’s tragedies in her own voice. I love epistolary novels and this remains one of the best examples I can think of to represent how powerful first person voice can be in a novel. 

This book is a hard read, but a necessary one.

The topics and ideas are also important, even if they’re hard to read about. The book isn’t hard in the sense of academic language or long sentences (like many other classic books), but hard in the mental & emotional sense. It’s hard to read about these experiences knowing that real people lived like this - and not just one person, either. For the same reasons it’s hard to read, it’s a book that must be read. 

For many of us in the modern day world, this book is a reminder that reality isn’t the same for everyone, and despite the many ways we’ve moved forward, not that many years ago public places were still segregated & Jim Crow laws were very much a part of everyday life. Not that many years ago it was still legal to discriminate against people based on race and gender. 

This book is a hard read, but a necessary one. It’s beautifully written, and I think you’ll find that when you pick it up, you’ll keep turning page after page because you just have to know: what’s going to happen next? And how in the world can this woman survive, let alone have a happy ending?

Why Writers Need this Book

If you’re a writer, you need to read this book not just because of the way the book handles heavy themes and ideas with grace & clarity, but also because the language is incredible. You’ll be transported into Celie’s world, and that’s the ultimate goal of a book, but especially an epistolary style book. 

The letters aren’t written in “proper English” as we usually think but in Celie’s voice as she would speak to you in a normal conversation - up to and including very direct language about bodies and love and faith. 

Next Steps

There are a few steps to take next: 

1. Get the book here. (Or here or here). Better yet, check your local library! Easy peasy.

2. Read the book & take it in. 

My challenge to you is to read the book and think about the voices being represented.

Have you read the book? What did you think? What was your favorite part? 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 reading & writing. 

Interview with an Author: Jarnell Stokes & Howard Flamm

Our surprise February guests are Jarnell Stokes & Howard Flamm. We were excited not just to talk about this awesome book, but also to highlight Jarnell & Howard for National Children’s Authors & Illustrators Week!   

Jarnell Stokes grew up in the inner city of Memphis. He experienced many failures before changing his mindset to achieve the success he has since high school and becoming a professional basketball player. In his personal life, he focuses on developing healthy habits for his mind, body, and soul. He has expanded his athletic success and this philosophy into building a health and consciousness-based business he named Stoked. 

Howard Flamm has been engaged in the creative arts for many years. He has worked as a stand-up comedian, commercial & television actor, screenwriter, and film producer. He is known for his feature film release Shut Up and Kiss Me. As a natural health practitioner, Howard also operates wellness centers in the West where he’s helped transform many lives. He is most gratified by this opportunity to light the path for patients to reverse chronic disease. Howard believes that life is a journey, not a destination.4

Jarnell & Howard share a dream of helping kids find success in sports and life.

If you would like to purchase Jarnell & Howard’s book, Wings to Fly, you can find a copy here. 

Tell us a little about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

Jarnell (J): It started in the NBA as a blog writer. My mom always told me that I had the imagination of a writer, but the engine of an athlete. 

Howard (H): I’ve been writing for 20 years. I wrote the screenplay for the feature film Shut Up & Kiss Me in 2005. Jarnell brought a championship mentality as a professional athlete to the book project and we’ve started writing several more future projects.

Was there a certain point you remember where you felt empowered to call yourself a writer? Or have you always felt like you were a writer?

J: Personally, I think everyone has the ability to be a writer at any level and create content that could positively impact and last for lifetimes. Storytelling is a skill that brings fulfillment.

H: It has ALWAYS been either a wish, or an active pursuit dating back to childhood.

Your book, Wings to Fly, has an amazing message and does a great job of speaking to children who may not be confident in themselves. What inspired you to write the book?

J: As a kid, I did not have much charisma and skill. No one could’ve convinced me that I would be where I am today. I believe I owe many guardian angels for this. 

H: The initial impetus was a quote from Michael Jordan- in his autobiography- showing humility and not being afraid of failure.

Since there are two of you, what was it like to collaborate on Wings to Fly? How did you work together to create the uplifting tone & message throughout the book?

J: Working with Howard has brought tremendous joy. He’s such a brilliant and open mind! He was my health advisor before business partner, so we were already used to hanging out often.

H: Well, it actually came very naturally with the chemistry that we had. We started by just bouncing ideas off each other.

Describe your writing and/or creative processes.

J: I like to go places where I can escape reality and enter a new world full of positive outcomes.

H: Well, we first came up with an overall concept. After we have the concept, we develop smaller scenes that help to build the story. Sometimes they’re even done out of order, as inspiration occurs. By storyboarding the pages - often on notecards - we start to get the beginnings of a completed “book idea.” Then it becomes almost ready for the illustrator! 

Never, ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do something.

- Howard Flamm

The book won a Purple Dragonfly Book Award and is going to be adapted into a movie and a TV serial – that’s incredible! Could you speak to how that came about and what it means that your message will be so widely shared and accessible?

J: Keeping this disclosed for confidentiality purposes. We can let you know when we’re able to share news.

H: From the beginning, we thought that the message was very much universal and that we would be able to pursue other platforms. We really do feel quite blessed to expand the media presence surrounding this story.

What was your biggest writing obstacle and how did you overcome it?

J: Improving for God, and not personal gain. No one sees the hours spent on the craft.

What is the part of your published work or writing process you are most proud of?

J: My first blog “A Painstaking Transformation” that received over 100k+ views and “Wings to Fly”. 

H: The opportunity to positively impact kids.

What motivates you to keep writing?

J: My best guess is that tingly feeling within.

H: It becomes such a great way to express yourself and winds up becoming a necessary outlet to feel that “creative buzz.”

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

J: Life is simple. Input = Output. Grow your mind, body, soul, and skills and let the chips fall where they may. In the game of life, you train your hardest for that chance, but nothing’s guaranteed except that tingly feeling within.

H: Never, ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. Writing & creating should first come from the heart, from pure passion.

Grow your mind, body, soul, and skills and let the chips fall where they may. - Jarnell Stokes

If you would like to purchase Jarnell Stokes’s & Howard Flamm’s book, Wings to Fly, you can find a copy here.

If you know an author (or of an author) you would love to read an interview with, email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com or submit a suggestion through the contact page!

Interview with an Author: Jan Eliasberg

Our January guest is Jan Eliasberg.

Jan Eliasberg is an award-winning writer-director devoted to telling the stories of exceptional women robbed of their rightful place in history. Eliasberg is a graduate of Wesleyan University, the Yale School of Drama, and the Warren Wilson MFA Program. Hannah’s War is her first novel. She lives in New York City.

If you would like to purchase Jan’s book, Hannah’s War, you can find a copy here.

Tell us a little about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer? 

I grew up in Manhattan, in a family that valued culture, education, and literacy. I read the doorstop-heavy edition of the New York Times every Sunday morning. I believed that the greatest thing in the world would be to have a novel in the Book Review section. I knew I was a storyteller from a very early age, but it took me a number of years to consider myself a “real” writer.

Was there a certain point you remember where you felt empowered to call yourself a writer? Or have you always felt like you were a writer?

I was the obnoxious older sister who arranged musicals, and made-up plays casting my brother and sister and neighborhood friends. I told my siblings made-up stories to make them feel safe. So, I knew I was a storyteller. I knew I was a director. I knew I was a screenwriter. But it wasn’t until I wrote Hannah’s War that I was able to call myself a writer.

Your book, Hannah’s War, was inspired by the true story of Dr. Lise Meitner, the real physicist who was the inspiration for the character of Dr. Hannah Weiss. How did you first learn about her and ultimately make the decision to write about her story?

I was in the New York Public Library doing research for a screenplay I was writing for Nicole Kidman and Cameron Diaz about the W.A.S.P. (Women Air Service Pilots) in WWII. I was thinking of ending the screenplay on the day the war ended so I looked up the August 7, 1945 issue of the New York Times. There was a massive, bold headline: FIRST ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON JAPAN; TRUMAN WARNS FOE OF A ‘RAIN OF RUIN.’ 

Below that, I found an article that traced the simultaneously terrifying and wondrous development of the atomic bomb, its scientific history, and the race between the Allies and the Germans to attain the ultimate weapon. Somewhere under the fold, buried in a dense paragraph, this sentence appeared: “The key component that allowed the Allies to develop the bomb was brought to the Allies by a female, ‘non-Aryan’ physicist.” Who was this woman? I wondered. 

Who was the female Jewish physicist responsible for the single most important scientific discovery of the twentieth century whose work had, literally, changed the world? And why isn’t her face staring out of every science textbook? I felt as if the mysterious, unnamed “non-Aryan” physicist reached out of history, grabbed me by the lapels, to insist that I needed to tell her story.

The character Jack Delaney also plays a major role in the story. How did you research both Jack & Hannah’s characters and weave them together so intricately?

Jack’s character is entirely fictional, although there were certainly Military Investigators and William “Wild Bill” Donovan was hand-picking an elite and slightly bizarre team of spies who would become the O.S.S. and, later, the CIA. 

In the original outlines, Jack was more of a literary device – someone questioning Hannah so that her story in Germany could reveal itself. But I quickly realized that I needed the investigator to become a major character. 

Since so much of the book is about keeping secrets, and whether to hide or remain true to oneself, the idea that Jack would be “passing” was irresistible. My father, who is Jewish, had told me how difficult it was for him to get a job, and how entire swathes of the business world were closed to him as a Jew. In fact, he had even considered changing his name. Once I put those pieces together, I was off to the races.

I’m intrigued by the field note confidential sections – I love details like this that break up a lengthy text. Why did you decide to use them, and how did you determine where to place them throughout the book?

There actually were Field Notes (almost like telegrams) and a lot of them were very frank and funny, and filled with pungent language and expressions. So, I loved adding that slightly comic, cynical, and very testosterone driven POV to the book. 

Also, I hate writing bald exposition and I wanted Jack to be cunning and clever in how he went about his business of finding the spy. I realized that the Field Notes could give the reader the exposition they needed and keep them from getting too confused about what Jack was up to. So, they served many purposes. I was originally going to have many more of them but, in the end, I put them where I felt they were necessary to serve the story.

Describe your writing and/or creative process.

I spend a long time doing what we call in film and television “breaking story.” I have a structural template that I use, and I write scenes out on index cards, tracing character arcs, plot points, act breaks, and plot twists. I end up with a massive collection of index cards, which I move around on my wall; they look like the ravings of a crazy person but they’re incredibly clear and cogent to me. 

Many of the cards are filled with research, descriptions, and even lines of dialogue. While I’m creating that outline – the structure of the story – I’m also researching more deeply and incorporating details of that research into the outline. Then I will do a written outline (which is almost like a screenplay version of the story). That’s my way of testing the structure to see if it works, to find the plot holes, the weaknesses, and the missing beats for each character. 

DON’T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT WRITTEN.

By the time I’ve finished that, I’m ready to actually sit down and write a first draft. I cancel all my plans, alert my friends and let them know that I might well cancel plans at the last minute. I put myself in a little greenhouse with very few distractions and write. I have an actual cardboard sign that I tape up on the wall of my office – above all the index cards – that says: DON’T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT WRITTEN. That’s the way I give myself permission to write badly because I know that first draft isn’t going to (and doesn’t have to) be great. 

But, you can’t start to revise unless you have that first draft written. Because I’ve done so much work on the structure and the outline, the draft will often come quite quickly.

I’m a sucker for a good ending, and the novel kept me wondering what would happen throughout. Did Hannah’s story actually turn out like that? Or did you take some creative liberties?

 Hannah and Dr. Lise Meitner’s stories deviate long before the ending. Meitner never went to Los Alamos, so that entire part of the story was a product of my imagination. Although I suspect that Lise Meitner had a creative crush on her lab partner – that kind of collaborative work is extremely intimate, almost like a love affair or a marriage – she was never in love with him, nor he with her. So, the love story, too, deviates completely from Meitner’s life. 

I did always know that I wanted Hannah to have faith in Stefan and for him to validate her faith. I was very much intrigued by the puzzling fact that the Germans never did get the atomic bomb, never even came close. No one has ever been able to give a satisfying explanation as to why they were so far behind when the initial discoveries of atomic fission were made in Berlin at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.

I wanted to put all the characters (and the reader) through the wringer on the journey. I wanted the “happy” ending to be earned and to come at some real cost

I knew I wanted Jack to realize at the very last second that Stefan was a better, more courageous man than he himself had been – that was very much part of Jack’s journey. So, I wanted that “Casablanca” ending, and I always hoped that the reader would want Jack and Hannah to end up together until they, too, understood who Stefan really was, and what a risk he and Hannah had taken out of their love for each other and their shared desire to heal the world. 

But I wanted to put all the characters (and the reader) through the wringer on the journey. I wanted the “happy” ending to be earned and to come at some real cost (in this case, to Jack). One thing I hear consistently from readers is that the ending comes as a complete surprise, so I’m delighted that I succeeded in that regard.

What was your biggest writing obstacle and how did you overcome it?

The biggest obstacle was finding the faith and courage within myself – which means finding a story I cared about so deeply that I simply HAD TO write it. I had to divorce myself from other people’s opinions and from the validation of the outside world. 

In the case of Hannah’s War, I had to get to the point where I felt that, if I didn’t write the book, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Obviously, I hoped someone would publish it, but I felt that I needed to write it whether or not it ever saw the light of day.

What is the part of your published work or writing process you are most proud of?

I’m proud of the complexities, depth, and layers in Hannah’s War; there are stories within stories; and I had to master the basics of nuclear physics as well as the intricate details of that period in history in order to create it. People read it very quickly because of the espionage thriller aspect; it’s a page turner. But it’s also a delicate and highly complex piece of literary architecture which one appreciates more upon reading a second or third time.

I’m also proud of the writing itself on the level of the sentence. I think the language is evocative and vibrant; the language allows readers to be immersed in the worlds I’m creating.

Finally, a little thing that meant a great deal to me: after I’d done my revisions for my editor at Little Brown, the book went through two separate copy edits. Both of the copy editors were extraordinary, catching tiny little details that I wouldn’t have caught in a million years. And both copy editors wrote me personal notes after they’d finished working on the book; they were quite effusive about how beautifully it was written, how proud they were to have worked on the manuscript, how much they had come to care about the characters. That meant so much to me because copy editors read everything – good, bad, and indifferent. I was told by my editor that copy editors rarely want to engage with novelists because they are usually intensely critical of the way a book’s been written. And they should know…so I treasure those responses more than any reviews I’ve gotten.

Do you have any plans for another book or writing project? If so, could you tell us about them?  

I’m currently writing the screenplay for Hannah’s War – adapting my own book for film. And I have a strong outline for my next book as well, which is a companion piece to Hannah’s War; it grew very organically out of the work I did writing Hannah’s War, as well as out of reader’s responses to the book.

What motivates you to keep writing?

I love the process, plain and simple. And there are a lot of stories I want to tell – they’re lined up like airplanes in a holding pattern, circling the airport waiting for the signal to land.

What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

“Don’t listen to advice; listen to your own intuition.” Advice is about how other people did something; you need to discover what works for you. Get very quiet so you can hear those internal whispers; those whispers are going to take you where you need to go. But they are very easily drowned out by the ruckus of the outside world and the concern about what other people will think. Taking a risk is always scary – and that’s exactly when magical things happen.

Taking a risk is always scary – and that’s exactly when magical things happen.

If you would like to purchase Jan Eliasberg’s book, Hannah’s War, you can find a copy here.

If you know an author (or of an author) you would love to read an interview with, email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com or submit a suggestion through the contact page!

A Message to Struggling Writers

Hi, 

Today I’m struck simultaneously by how grateful I am for the life I lead, and also how much I’m still struggling. It’s not just about the pandemic, or having been unemployed for 8 months last year (during which I started a business). It’s also not about the fact that there’s been so much social and political upheaval in the past 6 months, although that definitely hasn’t been easy either. 

No, the primary struggle for me is me. 

It’s about mindset and creativity and overwhelm and priorities. My creative writing has definitely felt the impact of all these things, and not in a good way. 

So today I wanted to share a message for other writers, like me, who are struggling: 

It’s okay to struggle. 

Likewise, it’s okay that not every day is a productive day. While it would be nice if all of us could crank out chapter after chapter of our dream novel, it’s okay that it doesn’t happen like that. Writing doesn’t have to be a game of who’s most prolific or who can write the most. It’s not a competition!

It’s one thing to have goals and celebrate achievements, but it’s another thing entirely to live and breath so much by the metrics that you feel stuck. You feel scared to “get behind” in your creative projects. This mindset can pretty effectively block creative thoughts from coming to us in the first place, which feels even worse! 

There’s too much pressure for writers to mimic the bestsellers in both pace and style. I’m over it, and I’m over it for you, too. Audience is important to think about as your writing, but creative ventures are also about their creators. If you’re not writing about what you love, or you don’t like what you’re writing, your specially picked audience will read right through it..

Editing doesn’t put passion back into flat writing. 

It’s also okay to walk away and take a break. It can be tricky to tell if you’re stuck in a rut or if you need to transition to a new project. It’s also really hard to walk away from something you love doing, even when you know it will help you be at your best for the next writing session. It’s okay, though. 

Taking a few days, or even a few weeks, off of your writing project doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It merely means you’re giving yourself a chance to breathe and create on your own terms. 

When you come back to your project after a break, or even before taking a break, it’s also okay to not know what’s next. Even if you have a detailed outline it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what would be the best piece to write next. For those of us who work a little more abstractly, sometimes we’re pulled in a clear direction of where to go and sometimes we’re not. It doesn’t mean our work is a lost cause, it just means we need to sit with our characters and get in their heads in a new way. 

Most of all, know that you are not alone. 

There are days where I wake up full of energy and creativity that goes straight to my novel. There are also days where I can barely do the writing I’m getting paid to do, let alone trying to have any conversations or think about my main character, Callie. 

No matter what the reasons are for your struggle, it’s okay. You’re not the only one, and it’s not forever. 

If you need help, or just want someone to chat with about the struggle (and just how real it is), reach out. Let’s chat. No strings attached or money involved. I find that often, after talking to other writers, I am not only bolstered about writing, but also just happier in general because we’ve talked about something we both love. 

It’s pretty cool. 

Let’s connect, okay? 

Yours in Struggle,

How to Write Valentine’s Day Poems for the Hopeless Romantic

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, most of us are trying to decide what to give those special people in our lives. Whether friends, family, or significant others, they all deserve to receive something heartfelt. What better gift to give than a poem written by you? 

Here are some great tips on how to write a poem for the hopeless romantic in your life!

8 Tips for Writing Valentine’s Day Poems

1. Think about the person’s likes and dislikes. Start by making a list of everything we know our loved one likes and dislikes. Think about favorite movies, shows, books, foods, games, etc. The more information you have, the easier it will be to write a poem for them. 

2. Think about their personality & the things you like about them. This one goes a little deeper. What do you like about the person? Are they kind, caring, funny, easygoing, honest, exciting, outgoing, or sarcastic? It’s time to add all of the personality traits that you like about your loved one to the list. This will also help you decide which type of poem they will enjoy the most!

3. Think about both of your personalities & your relationship. Why is it that your relationship with your loved one just works? Is it the witty banter, free flowing conversations, or time spent just enjoying each other’s company? Whatever it is, write it down. Think about how you interact with one another and what your relationship is like. How are you together? 

4. Decide what type of poem to write. There are many types of poems. People spend their whole lives working on these things! BUT, for Valentine’s Day, you have a few simpler options. 

Haiku

A haiku is a three line poem that originated in Japan. The first line is made up of 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables and the third 5 syllables.

Here’s an example of a haiku:

Love makes me feel high

Like I’m flying in the sky

Would you like to try?

- Holly -

Limerick

A limerick is a poem containing 5 lines. The rhyming scheme for these poems is AA/BB/A. Limericks are meant to be crude, funny, or whimsical. Here is an example. It incorporates a tiny bit of that crudeness factor and whimsy, without getting really inappropriate. 

Here’s an example of a limerick:

I once met a boy in blue,

handsome and very sweet too.

I thought in my head,

please jump in my bed,

and wouldn’t you know, it was you!

- Holly -

Sonnet

There are different types of sonnets, but Shakespearean sonnets are well known for being love poems. A Shakespearean sonnet follows this rhyme scheme: ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG. The first 3 sections are called quatrains because of the 4 lines and the final section is a couplet because there are only 2 lines. 

Here’s one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets: 

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

- William Shakespeare -

Acrostic

An acrostic poem spells a word or name with the first letter of each line. It doesn’t have to rhyme or have any certain number of lines - just as many as there are letters in the word or name you choose! Each line should describe the word or name in some way. 

Here’s an example acrostic poem by famous writer Edgar Allen Poe:

Elizabeth it is in vain you say

"Love not" — thou sayest it in so sweet a way:

In vain those words from thee or L. E. L.

Zantippe's talents had enforced so well:

Ah! if that language from thy heart arise,

Breathe it less gently forth — and veil thine eyes.

Endymion, recollect, when Luna tried

To cure his love — was cured of all beside —

His folly — pride — and passion — for he died.

- Edgar Allen Poe -

Free Verse

Free verse poetry can be the easiest, but it can also be the hardest. If you choose this style, you can follow whatever rhyme scheme you want, or you don’t have to rhyme at all. Free verse is my usual go-to when writing poems, but sometimes it’s easier if you have a guideline to follow like you do with the other types of poetry.

Here’s an example of free verse poetry from famed author e.e. cummings:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- e.e. cummings -

5. Decide how much information you need & what to use. The type of poem you decide to write, will determine how much information you want/need to include. For example, a haiku could only use three of your brainstormed ideas at most. But any of the others would need more. If you choose a limerick, it may be more appropriate to tie in some of the dislikes you thought of and turn them into jokes (as long as you know the receiver will find them funny, too!)

6. Start drafting. Most poems take a few drafts to get right. If you’re writing a rhyming poem, it may be useful to pull up both dictionary and thesaurus websites. Not all poems have to rhyme, though! If you don’t want to worry about rhyming, you can choose to write a haiku, acrostic, or free verse poem. Sonnets and limericks typically must include rhymes.

7. Read it out loud. A poem can look great on paper, but you don’t truly know whether it flows until you read it aloud. Pick out any words or lines that could be changed to better the poem as a whole. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect - as long as you’re happy with the outcome, and you think your loved one will enjoy it, then it’s ready!

8. Finalize the details. It’s time to make the changes we picked out in step 7 and finalize your poem! Finalizing your poem includes choosing whether you will print it out on fancy paper, with pictures, handwriting, and of course - what you want your title to be! I like to use the first line of the poem as the title, but you can be more creative if you want. Poems don’t necessarily need a title. You can always just use the name of who the poem is for, too. These little details are up to you!

Writing poems can be a great way to show we care for someone, but it can also be a lot of fun! Sometimes we surprise ourselves with what we’re able to create. Though there are many different types of poems, and certain “rules” to follow, in the end, we can write poems however we like. They are a way to express our creativity and have a little fun.

A Free Verse Poem for You, Reader

This blog is for you

those who love to write too,

reading and supporting, 

our work as you do,

means so much and more

than can be expressed,

thank you to all

and Happy Valentine’s Day to the best!

I challenge you to write a poem for a loved one or significant other.

Have you written poetry before? What type have you tried? How did it go? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing (and possibly great romance, if your poem goes well!).

20 Inspirational Quotes to Keep You Motivated

As we wrap up an eventful January, many of us are undoubtedly telling ourselves that everything is “fine” even when it’s kind of…well, not.

When my motivation wanes, and productivity seems to grind to a halt, I always look up inspirational quotes. Something about hearing beautiful words from others who have gone before me makes me look at the world a little differently.

How to Use Inspirational Words to Stay Motivated

Inspirational quotes don’t make the world better, nor do they “fix“ things that are going on around us, but they do offer a temporary change of thought pattern and vision for the future. Sometimes this little moment in time is just enough to rekindle a spark of motivation to continue on.

There are 3 great & easy ways to incorporate inspirational words into your day that can help you get and stay motivated:

1. Write them where you’ll see them every day - whether on your mirror, as a screensaver on your phone, or post-its by your desk

2. Journal with them - take time to really think about what they mean to you

3. Read them in the morning & before bed - soak in the positive vibes and hope they give you

20 Inspirational Quotes to Motivate Writers

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song.” - Maya Angelou

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” - Anne Frank

“I believe myself that a good writer doesn’t really need to be told anything except to keep at it.” - Chinua Achebe

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” - Sylvia Plath

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” - Jack Kerouac

“I believe there is power in words, power in asserting our existence, our experience, our lives, through words.” - Jesmyn Ward

“You can make anything by writing.” - C.S. Lewis

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” - Margaret Atwood

“But please remember, especially in these times of group-think and the right-on chorus, that no person is your friend (or kin) who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow and be perceived as fully blossomed as you were intended.” - Alice Walker

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” - Richard Bach

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” - Langston Hughes

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Be strategic and resilient in the pursuit of your dreams. That sounds like a cheesy quote, right? But nah, I’m serious. Resilience is one hell of a quality to master and not many have the skin for it.” - Tiffany D. Jackson

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” - Anton Chekhov

“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words.” - William H. Gass

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." - Louis L’Amour

“Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.” - J.K. Rowling

“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” - Audre Lorde

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page" - Jodi Picoult

"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison