I’m going to be honest with you—carving out the time to write, or, in my case, revise—has been tricky. Mostly because the hedonist’s call for fun has got me in its claws. (That and the added time I’m spending entertaining the kids who are mostly home for the summer.)
My big project that I’m working on is another revision of my YA contemporary romance, which I’m revising with my small group workshop, Revision Confidence. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the craft of writing and story (as usual) and how to do it all in the throes of these busy times of life. How do writers do it when their to-do lists are miles long? How do we push forward and do the work?
Well, for me, there are a number of tools—both craft-related and soul-related—that I lean on heavily to get the work done. So, here they are: Ten things I’m loving for summer writing.
1. ReMarkable
I’ve mentioned this tool before but I just love it. It would be one of my desert-island picks if the proverbial desert island had a way to charge the device. If you’re unaware of what a ReMarkable is, think of a digital notebook. It comes with a special pen, so if you’re a pen-and-ink lover like me, or you sometimes prefer handwriting to typing, then this is a great tool. Instead of having a million different notebooks for a million different things, this one has files and notebooks you can create within the device. So I could have a notebook for each of my WIPs, plus calendars, etc. And this summer I have been using it for pool-side reading of my WIP (versus printing out a 350-page manuscript and toting it around). I also use it to read and analyze clients’ novels. It’s a fabulous tool.
2. The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne
I love craft books. I love studying new ways of developing and thinking about stories. One I’ve been learning a lot from is The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne. It’s a big, textbook-sized writing tome, but it’s simple in its delivery and I’m really enjoying some of the tactics it presents for scene writing, especially.
3. Sun tea
This time of year, especially when it’s 112 degrees out (seriously!), I rely on an icy beverage to get me through the day—and my writing time. My solution: good, old-fashioned sun tea. I get one of those 100-oz beverage dispensers like my mom used when I was a kid, fill it with water, and drop 10 black teabags into the water, letting it steep in the sun. The added jolt of caffeine perks me up, keeps me focused, and keeps me going. If you’re an iced tea drinker, 10/10 would recommend brewing your own sun tea.
4. Notion.so
This one is newer for me, but it’s been fun to use as an organizational tool. It’s a site for project management and keeping track of things. And when you’re busy and afraid of dropping any balls, a good organization tool is essential. With Notion, I built my Heart and Hook framework that I use with many clients to kick-start and/or boil down their book to its essential ingredients. I also have used it on my own WIPs. Notion allows you to create, essentially, a life command center. You can plan and track progress on projects, create a workout or recipe guide, make to-do lists, etc. with a little help from AI. And if you like things visual, it’s good at that too, with many different views. I’ve been using the free version and it’s been working out. This summer, I’m using it to keep track of all of my business, marketing, and writing to-dos.
5. “Artist dates” on the water
In her bestselling book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron claims that one of the pillars of living a creative life is what she calls “Artist dates.” Artist dates are when you take yourself out and allow inspiration to strike. I think of it as refilling the creative well. Though I don’t always have the luxury of going out without the kids or friends, I do allow myself to get out and “play” because I do find that it rejuvenates my creative spirit. I go paddleboarding, or people-watch by the lake or pool. When I’m doing the fun things, the endless to-do sort of slips away and I can dream and noodle and think about my book(s). I can’t tell you how many times a sudden solution to a plot problem has occurred to me simply because I’ve turned off my analytical brain for the sake of fun.
6. A story a friend told me
A couple weeks ago, my mechanic neighbor was over and I was telling him about what I do and he told me an interesting story. He said that a client brought his car to the shop and my neighbor, making polite conversation, asked this client what he did. The client told him he’d just quit his job to be a writer. (I likely grimaced at this because I know how hard it is to eke out a living as a writer, but I digress.) Awhile later, the client returned to the auto shop and my neighbor asked him how it was going. The client told him he was making a killing by self-publishing on KDP. ( You can imagine my shock!) The client went on to say that his trick was investing in a really good cover. He said his books might not be all that great, but sometimes people are just going to buy something for the cover.
I can’t stop thinking about this story. Because while I believe, down to my bones, that if you want to write a book, you should strive to make it great, this gentleman made me see things a slightly different way. Instead of toiling away, he’s jumping right into the ring and putting himself out there. That takes guts, and I respect that. I also think that he’s right—that if you want to self-publish, you better make sure you have a damn-good cover.
7. Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin
Y’all, I am loving this craft book. It’s been a huge piece of my Revision Confidence Workshop, and completely changed the way I look at and think about the stakes of a book. There are so many great craft and story tidbits. I do wish it had an “action items” section at the end of each chapter, but alas, I’m creating my own with my workshop. Anyway, if you’re looking for a book that’s full of revision information, I think it’s a great one to start with.
8. Audiobooks
I think a huge piece of writing a book includes reading what’s out there currently, and analyzing it through the writer’s lens. I do not have the time to sit down and read many books this summer (besides my own and my clients’) so audiobooks help to keep this side of my brain active. They also relax me and bring me joy, which I’m always a proponent of. My most recent listens were Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne and The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, which both came out this week. Overall I enjoyed both, but neither had my heart completely pumping outside of my chest...which gave me an opportunity to ask why, and to figure out what the book was lacking.
9. When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
Though this one isn’t out until September, it was one of the best books I’ve read this year. And it’s one I will keep coming back to, in order to study Nelson’s masterclass of characterization and voice. Though technically a YA, this book definitely has some adult themes and situations. (So if you don’t read YA, don’t discount this immediately.) Jandy Nelson’s last book I’ll Give You the Sun made me ugly cry, so I knew this one—ten+ years in the making—was going to be good. Though I may never write the sort of startlingly beautiful prose Nelson does, this book gives me something to aspire to. Consider adding it to your preorder list.
10. Brainstorming
Hear me out. I love this totally underrated tool for writers. I recently gave my workshop participants an assignment that included brainstorming internal and external obstacles for their character, and when I did the activity, it unlocked some ideas for my own story. Here’s the thing: as humans, our brains want to take the quickest route to answer to a problem.
Have you ever played Scattergories? I love this game! The premise is that there’s a list of categories (girls’ names, things to bring to the beach, cold items, etc.) and a player rolls a 26-sided dice, choosing a letter to play. The players then must write something down beginning with that letter that fits each category. So if the letter were T, you could write down Tina, towel, and Titanic (ha) respectively. The catch is, you must eliminate answers that were the same as another player’s. You wouldn’t believe how many people come up with the same items if you just go with your initial answer.
Brainstorming helps you think more deeply, to come up with better solutions or ideas for your book. By always going with the first thing your brain latches onto, you may be missing an opportunity to make your book really creative and special.
I hope you’re having a productive summer. I’d love to hear about some of the tools (books, podcasts, movies, tech, etc.) that you’re loving right now, and that are making your life easier as you write your book. Reply to this email and let me know!
And, as always, let me know if you need help untangling a plot point. You can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here.
Happy Writing!
Karyn
Ten things I'm loving for summer writing