Self Care Tools for Writers

Self Care Tools for Writers

February has become self-care month for me--I think it’s because it’s after the craziness that is the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. Plus, February is all about love and I believe that self-care is how you love yourself and others well.

In honor of this, I wanted to collect my favorite self care tools for writers. These range from fun to practical (and would make an amazing Valentine’s Day/Galentine’s Day gift for a writer in your life ;) So without further ado…

My Top Twelve Self Care Tools for Writers

Writing Down the Bones: This book changed my life. It reframed my ideas about what the writing life looks like and gave me the courage to be brave and claim my identity as writer.

Cute Notebook, Pens, and Stickies: Because you need writing tools that aren’t just a computer! It makes a world of difference. PLus, you have less excuses about not having time to write. The other day I took my notebook and a pen to Chick FIl A and sat in the play area with a lot of screaming children and figured out four major plot problems. It was a win win for everyone.

Story Genius: This book doesn’t have all the answers and truth be told I break many Story Genius rules. But it’s the best planning system I found that supports my pantsing tendencies while also giving me guidance about how to write a good story. It’s my go-to resource when I’m stuck with my story.

The Story Genius Checklist: This is a list of all the questions and exercises from the Story Genius book in list format. It’s SOOOO helpful. I have a dog-eared copy tucked into my writing notebook that I reference regularly.

The Emotional Craft of Fiction: If you ever struggle with telling the inner story, this book is for you. It’s got helpful exercises and incredible examples. It’s one of the books you need to own, not just read once--you will find yourself referencing it again and again.


The Mom Writes Podcast: This podcast is fun, funny, and also VERY helpful. Plus I love that it’s a podcast by mom writers for mom writers--because it’s hard to be a writer, but it’s even harder to be a writer and a mom at the same time in the same day.

The Author Accelerator 7-Day Writing Challenge: This email “course” is completely free and walks you through the basic exercises that I (and all other Author Accelerator coaches) use with our clients. They are incredibly helpful and fun.

The Build Your Writing Life Course: I know that online courses are like blogs were in the early 2000’s--EVERYONE has one and they all want you to read it (er, take it?). But I created this course after listening to SO MANY writers who struggled to really make time for writing. And I understood why because that had been my struggle for YEARS. And then four years ago everything changed. And the secret had nothing to do with time management.

In this course, I take you deep into the reasons you don’t write, the inaccurate beliefs you have about writing and being a writer, and then we dig into how to build a habit using proven habit-setting strategies. Then we create a writing practice blueprint where we home in on your why, what you love to write about, and your goals. It’s got everything you need to really make writing a habit--for real this time.

Clean Mama: Ever feel like you can’t write because the dishes are stacked to the heavens and you are wearing your last clean pair of underwear? Visit the Clean Mama website for a fantastic solution that will have you keeping your house clean in about 30 minutes a day--total. The founder of Clean Mama also published an amazing book called Simply Clean if you prefer to have something you can hold. I’ve been using her system for the month of JAnuary and it’s AMAZING. I don’t have to think about my housework anymore which frees up time and precious brain space.

Hello Fresh: Do yourself a favor and sign up to get a few meals delivered to your house to make your life a little easier. Maybe the nights you make a Hello Fresh meal are the nights you also get to write--the recipe is right there, the brain work is taken out of it. You can write until 5 and trust that dinner can still be on the table by 5:30.

A Book Coach: I so firmly believe that book coaches can change the course of a writer’s writing life and can help writers tell great stories. Plus there are many ways to work with a book coach--you can work with a coach for six weeks just to get your story planned so you have a solid foundation to draft on. You can schedule a coaching call to ask for help with specific areas where you are struggling. You can get feedback on the first ten pages of your manuscript to see if you are on the right track. Or you can go all in and get accountability, teaching, and support of your story with weekly or bi-weekly coaching. I promise there is nothing like getting direct answers about YOUR specific story instead of just general advice. It’s a total game changer.

A Cute Mug: I wasn’t going to put this one here, but I couldn’t help myself because I love mugs. And they are physical reminders of writing, which I advocate having as many as possible of in this post. So it works! My current favorite mug is this one by Carrot Top Paper Shop.

XXXX


Note: Some (not all) of these links are affiliate links which just means I get a small kickback if you purchase from the links at no additional cost to you! ;)

What is your favorite writing self-care tool?



Ashly HilstComment