You don’t have to remain trapped in this endless cycle of unsatisfying writing sessions forever. In fact, you can break free in as little as three simple steps.

These steps aren’t designed to help you optimize your writing sessions. There are plenty of strategies for achieving that goal, such as writing when your creative energy peaks and recreating the environment in which you write best.

Creative are knowledge workers who rely upon information and ideas to create fantastic work. So it’s no wonder that our heads are often chaotic or in the clouds, brimming with all sorts of thoughts that we struggle to organize and employ.

That's where a second brain comes into play. By taking the time to create a unified system for knowledge management, we can organize our creative work and get serious about writing with clarity and focus.

In today's article, Kristen breaks down her preferred knowledge management system, why she loves it, and how you can set up your own!

Storytelling is both an art and a craft — and like any craft, the skills required to write great stories can be taught and learned.

What are some of the other steps you can take to improve your skills and stories beyond simply consuming how-to content? And how can you best apply what you learn to truly level up in your craft?

In today's article, Kristen breaks down the six essential strategies you can put into practice to pave the way for incredible growth in your writing life!

Can you visualize an ideal day in your writing life?

If you’re like most writers, then I imagine that day looks something like this: You sit down with your beverage of choice, crack open your manuscript, and slip into an easy creative flow. Words fly from your fingertips as you lose yourself for hours in a deeply fulfilling, highly productive writing session.

Isn’t this how you imagine your writing practice should unfold? It’s certainly the image that society has sold us concerning what a “real” writer’s creative work should look like.

But if that’s the case, then what happens when you don’t crank out words with ease? When writing proves painstakingly difficult? When you turn to avoidance and procrastination rather than doing the damn hard work? There must be something wrong with you. Right?

Every writing journey has its bumps in the road. Sometimes those setbacks are of our own making, while other times they aren't our fault in the slightest.

Either way, there’s no doubt that setbacks can drain your mental and emotional energy.

Thankfully, there are steps that every writer can take to not only minimize the number of setbacks they experience but to weather creative turbulence with resilience and strength. What must you do to begin cultivating a little of this creative fortitude?

Creative comparison often gets a bad rap. Like self-doubt, comparison can be a lens through which writers can identify the strengths and weaknesses in their work, ultimately helping them improve the quality of their skills and stories with intention.

But without the right attitude in place, ego and insecurity can blind writers to the insights that comparison can provide, warping constructive comparison into a dangerously destructive act.

So, how can you overcome unhealthy creative comparison?

Have you tried and failed to build a lasting writing habit time and time again?

You aren't alone. In fact, maintaining consistency in the face of creative turbulence (and the rollercoaster that is life) is something I've long struggled with myself.

Taking a break from writing when life gets tough is one thing. But when the slightest hint of upheaval repeatedly sends your creative practice into a tailspin, you know you have an issue on your hands — and that is issue is almost certainly a distinct lack of self-trust.

Want to create a better, stronger writing habit?

Here at Well-Storied, I often talk about the many reasons writers fail to put pen to paper or fingers on keys, including:

• Time

• Doubts

• Creative Resistance

• Perfectionism

• Imposter Syndrome

• Burnout

But what about those of us who are looking to maintain (or even improve upon) the writing habits we've worked to build? Today, I'd like to share the easiest way to double down on your commitment to the craft: habit tracking.

Wish you could crank out your stories more quickly? You aren’t alone.

Run a quick Google search for “how to write faster,” and you’ll find hundreds of blog posts detailing writing productivity hacks ranging from disabling your internet connection to dictating your first draft, practicing your typing speed, and writing while groggy to smother your inner critic.

These tips may prove helpful for some (or even many) writers, but the hack-centered conversation around writing productivity often fails to account for the full complexity of this topic — and in doing so, fosters an unhealthy approach to getting words on the page more quickly.

Popular writing rules exist for a reason. Or do they? Writing is both an art and a craft. While language and storytelling serve as forms of self-expression, one can also learn structures and techniques that can help them become a better writer. Such guidance exists in every creative art, from painting to dancing, playing music, and beyond. Why, then, might it be problematic to follow common writing rules?

Inside every writer sits a creative well. Whenever you sit down to write, you dip your bucket into this well, drawing the energy you need to attend the work at hand. 

The energy in your creative well is a renewable resource, but the rate at which it renews depends on many factors. When surrounded by sources of inspiration, your well overflows, leading you to create at a frenzied pace. But when life becomes stressful, your creative well fills more slowly, with much of its energy diverted to other priorities. On most days, however, a writer’s creative well renews at a rate somewhere between the two extremes.

If part of your personal definition of writing success includes making a living from your writing, here’s the good news: you can build a successful career as an author in many ways. To do so, you must think of your work as a business. Your books are your products, and your readers are your customers—and books don’t sell themselves. Are you willing to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit to make a living from your writing?