Back-to-School for Writers
Back to school. Is there anyone in the bookish space who can hear that term and not think of Kathleen Kelly and her bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils? Me, I have always loved back-to-school season. I was that kid who, at the end of the summer, pestered her mom about when we could go school supply shopping. I have a vivid memory of buying my first-grade supplies (including a brand-spanking-new Belle lunchbox) and playing make-believe school at the fireplace hearth. (Am I mildly devastated that my own kids aren’t so eager to return to school as I was at their age? Maybe.)
In the years that I’ve been out of school myself, I still love this season of transition from summer to fall, from devil-may-care days to a bit more routine and structure. If you’re like me, I have a few ways for you as a writer to still make the most out of back-to-school season—even if you aren’t technically in school anymore.
Beef up your supplies
Take yourself school supply shopping! Buy a handful of new notebooks, some new pens and pencils, maybe even some highlighters and sticky notes. Writers need to have a reliable stash of supplies at the ready for whenever inspiration strikes. If you remember something that happened as a teenager that has to make it into your draft, you don’t want to have to dig around for a sticky note in a junk drawer. (And I don’t know, maybe you’re different from me, but when I add a note into my phone, that’s where my ideas go to die.)
Don’t forget about the grown-up supplies, either. Make sure you pull out your cozy blankets for early writing sessions and stock up on your favorite coffee or tea. Buy some of your favorite writing snacks so that you are fueled whenever you sit down to write.
Reset your space
One of the most impactful parts of back-to-school for me has always been the physical spaces: the desk in grade school, the locker in high school, the dorms and campus in college. Back-to-school always means a change of physical space for me, and that doesn’t have to change completely once you’re out of school, working, and trying to write on the side.
You may not have a different physical space like for those going back to an actual academic setting, but you can give your own space a little spruce. If you don’t want to string fairy lights like you did in your dorm room, take an afternoon to declutter your office (or desk, I don’t even have a dedicated office yet). You could hit up the thrift store for a quirky lamp or browse Etsy for some inspiring printables. If you’re really feeling motivated, you could even rearrange furniture and create a completely new room.
Even just an intentional tidy will make a positive and noticeable difference in your space. Where you write can have an impact on what and how you write, and you’ll do well to be intentional about it.
Establish a rhythm
By the end of summer, your writing rhythms and routines may be nonexistent. Maybe you traveled and bit and never got back to your groove, or maybe you got a summer cold, and still aren’t feeling like yourself. This transition of seasons is the perfect time to reevaluate both your days and your time, so that you can implement routines that support your rhythms and what matters to you.*
Your writing rhythms and routines could look any number of ways: what your actual writing looks like day-to-day, who you collaborate with in your writing (e.g., a writers critique group or an editor), or continuing education classes. When you establish a writing rhythm you will minimize decision fatigue so that your writing sessions are more productive and produce more actual writing. Our rhythms, writing and otherwise, will shift from season to season. So as the summer winds down and the nights start to cool, consider how you could design your rhythms to support your writing.
Need some extra support?
How many of us went to the TA when we needed help understanding something in college, or created study groups to prep for a midterm? Sometimes you just need some help or support. You could look for writing groups in your area, or even online (you can find basically everything online now), or you could talk to an editor to get a professional opinion. If you want to book a free strategy session to kick off back-to-school, you can schedule one here. I also may have something fun coming later this week for those of us who really do love going back to school. I’ll be posting about it here on the blog, but if you want to be the very first to know, sign up for my email list.
Happy back-to-school, bookworms. Let me know what you need moving into this next season, and I can’t wait to support you however I can.
*I’d be remiss if I didn’t direct you to The Lazy Genius in this matter. Kendra thinks of routines as on- and off-ramps that get you where you want to go, not the actual destination. A routine doesn’t have to be complicated or monumental to make a difference. And a rhythm is a way of moving through a period of time that is predictable. You can buy her first book here. My kids call Kendra the guide of my life, and they’re not wrong.
