The last two years have been hard. Not to understate it, there just aren’t proper words to cover the scope of the confusion, stress, and heartaches we all faced. And there isn’t much that’s funny about that.

Which is why I believe many shied away from humor writing and comedy for a spell. 

Some shifted to other mediums to deal with angst and grief. 

While others, those highly skilled in dark humor or well-versed in the ability to still be light-hearted and silly during dark times, kept at it. Making comedy specials. Doing stand-up. Writing comic novels. 

The wheel kept turning. And as a result, so did we.

Now we have this new comedic beast. And it’s an exciting time. Humor is no longer about women who shop and men who spend too much time in the garage and don’t ask for directions.

It’s also no longer humor about nothing. It is very much something. It addresses the pain and anguish we all felt. It addresses the changes to society that confuse us. It addresses the human psyche in a way we might never have been brave enough to do before. 

And it was a pleasure to teach you to do these things with your writing. 

What I Hope You’ve Learned 

I insisted that you still write humor, even if you think you aren’t funny because you are probably wrong. You didn’t even have to take my word for it. Like Levar Burton, I let the famous humor writers who doubt their own talents, speak for themselves. 

Why did I do that? Because humor writers and humor writing have been a thing since the dawn of civilization. And not to beat you over the head with that, but why take yourself out of the humor lexicon? Why insist you’re not funny enough to write humor? You’ll quickly find that writing humor isn’t like eating spinach, and you’ll kick yourself for not trying it out sooner. 

I also told you that introverts aren’t shy and are, in fact, some of the funniest writers and comedians that exist. Not only did I debunk many harmful myths about introversion, but I played with the notion that comedy, humor, and psychology are all tied together. Why did I do that? Because the myth of personality also stops people from trying or even allowing themselves to see what they are capable of.

And this is just step 1: allowing yourself to sit down and write humor.

For those itching and ready, step 2 is the how-tos:

I told you that you can use stand-up as a way to outline your humor writing and to get you thinking about the kind of humor writing people expect to read. I didn’t tell you that, even when you are stuck, improv is a great way to get started. Check out this blog post I wrote after sitting in a session with Chip Brewer where he taught improv for writing. And check out this sister podcast episode all about Improv for Writers.

Remember that writing and performing standup is interchangeable. Comedians need outlines for their sets, just as humor writers need outlines to write their essays. They both need feedback and critique. They both edit and improve their skills. They both need to be fearless and face down potential naysayers.

With this information, you are armed with the ability to think on your feet, to continue making humorous observations, and even get a sense of your own special brand of humor. You can hit the ground running. 

What I Hope You Continue to Learn

The next step is to get started. Here are some tips for goal-setting and looking ahead:

• Set a goal to write a true story from your life every Monday.
• Every Wednesday, go through that story and find the humor in it.
• Every Friday, do whatever you can to highlight and exaggerate the funny.
• Keep doing this until you’ve written five stories.
• Reread them, see what they have in common. Make connections.
• Read them outloud and nail the timing. Bonus if done in front of a small audience.

Humor writing isn’t all that different from other writing. If you’re here, it’s because you love writing. You know your niche, and on some level, you must know what you are doing. I’m not going to talk down to you and act like this is too hard. 

Humor writing requires the same discipline as writing in other genres. The same colorful, empty notebooks, the same timed writing sprints. Maybe the mindset is a bit different, but you are still writing with purpose. Continue to learn how your unique brand of writing is necessary and has its own flavor. Develop it and don’t shy away.

What I Learned

I didn’t try to go into this experience blind. I looked to others more skilled than I and read what they had to say. I took classes and watched people in action. I took their advice and tried it out myself before imparting that knowledge to you. 

The column’s original title was “What’s So Funny?” the idea being that I would write about what was funny during such unfunny times. Or even helping you develop the skill of finding the funny in maybe your own “unfunny” life. End of the day we could work together to develop the dying skills of irony and nuance.

Want to read about a funny experience? I lost my job and found out I was pregnant all in the same week. It feels vulnerable and honest to say that, and guess what, that’s where the humor is. That gut-punch of reality and actively staring it down until you can’t help but laugh. That’s what I ultimately learned from all the experts I watched, read, and spoke to.

The Truth about Humor Writing

The truth about humor writing is that it is truth. 

The thing about fiction is that people can’t debate whether or not it’s fiction. The author says it is, so that’s that. But, like humor writing, it can also come from a true place. Sure you made up the place and time and the character names, but there is a kernel of truth in what you are writing, or there isn’t any point to writing it. 

The same is true of humor writing. Don’t just try to get laughs, teach people something true. What is the purpose of your humor? Why should people laugh? Point to things they might be overlooking or missing. Think about what makes you laugh and then don’t let yourself off the hook. Figure out why. 

Once you start thinking more critically about humor, you give it life again, in a time where I feel humor is dying off. 

Share your voice, and bring it back.

Amy Ayres has four novels in progress and is querying two. When she is not in her office writing about comedy, terraformed planets, multiple personalities, stolen pinwheels, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-savvy hubby, stepson, baby bump, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor.

The post The Ultimate Takeaway: Humor Writing is for Everyone appeared first on DIY MFA.

For those still curious how to write humor and why others write it, read on and I will take you through its history. I will also cover the three essential elements of humor writing and discuss the performative aspect of humor writing today, where the veil between the comedian and the humor writer has become very thin.

Ancient Humor

There is a record of the world’s oldest joke traced back to 1900 B.C. Sumeria. It is considered by today’s standards to be “toilet humor.” Historically, from the Sumerians to the Egyptians until the Ancient Greeks, humor has existed but was not necessarily recorded. 

Much credit is given to the Ancient Greeks for taking a more learned approach to writing humor (komédia) simply by recording it, considering it an artform, and giving it a platform for performance. But in societies both ancient and modern, the idea of humor always existed and was considered essential to both the society’s and the individual’s well-being. 

Historically, humor crosses over class. The wealthy hire humor writers (comedians) to entertain them, the less-than-wealthy typically write the jokes, share stories, and weave humor deep into the bones of their prospective culture then shared in public spaces, behind closed doors, etc. 

But this way of being that went beyond telling jokes was not necessarily recorded or commodified. I mention this as something to consider when we question the validity of our own humor and whether or not we are funny. 

Humor is so deeply ingrained in our heritage as humans, regardless of where we are on the planet. As I said, it was considered a necessity and a form of medicine across many cultures.

Pre-20th Century Humor

Humoral medicine got its start in ancient times, but carried over the idea into the modern era that humor is part of our psychology and personality. Once the “four humors” were established, it was determined that those in the best health (both physically or psychologically) were “friendly, they joke and laugh around.” 

As a result, the definition of the word humor evolved, giving a personality and identity to “those in good spirits” and establishing them as desirable company. A “humorous” individual was no longer just healthy but now a likable and entertaining person with a talent for humor.

Essentially, the idea that having a good sense of humor makes an individual pleasant and “sanguine” in times of turmoil or tumult. It can also include those able to see humor within various situations or even channel their righteous anger into humor. 

So it would be no surprise that comedy and satire were born out of times of political turmoil, and often had the power to change the course of history as much as other genres of writing. The Middle Ages brought us Geoffrey Chaucer, a writer who used sexual and “scatalogical” humor to unapologetically skewer political and religious corruption of the day. 

This kind of humorous take on corruption and political strife created a societal “Awakening” that would carry over centuries to the Revolutionary War era. Benjamin Franklin, while known far and wide as a founding father and a diplomat, might be lesser known for his humorous approach to both art and life. His writing is considered “a uniquely American form of humor filled with clever wit, folksy wisdom, and a generous portion of irreverence.” His most famous publication, Poor Richard’s Almanack, gave him the distinction of America’s first humorist. The Almanack itself gained such popularity that many of the phrases transcended humor and became cultural idioms still used to this day.

Both men were no doubt in a position of privilege and power. But they were channeling both the sensibility and unrest of the masses, expressing the humor widely spread from village to village, town to town. Once again, this was still the humor of the commoner that came out of public spaces and was whispered behind closed doors. This is the universal humor that all of us, despite class and cultural differences, share and is not just reserved for the learned and elite.

20th Century Humor

This foundation is where contemporary humor is built and, like many other schools of philosophy and thought, able to branch out in various different directions. A study of humor reveals three distinct characteristics:

• It has universal appeal
• It embodies the distinct personality of the writer
• The ultimate objective isn’t always just to be funny

When writing your own humor, keep these essential elements in mind.

It is important to ensure we do not bury underserved voices who wrote with humor who shared unique experiences. One such humorist is Langston Hughes. Though Hughes was better known as a poet, those well-versed in comedy writing would consider him an early influence on Richard Pryor. Hughes published The Ways of White Folks in 1934. A series of vignettes revealing the “humorous and tragic interactions between whites and blacks,” it portrayed the lives of the working-class blacks embodying their struggle, joy, laughter, and music. “My seeking has been to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America and obliquely that of all human kind,” Hughes said. Again, another humorist taking to task the unrest of the masses through his own humorous lens. 

Dorothy Parker published a volume of poems called Enough Rope in 1926. This collection sold 47,000 copies and garnered impressive reviews. The Nation described her writing as “caked with a salty humor, rough with splinters of disillusion, and tarred with a bright black authenticity.” One New York Times reviewer dismissed her work as “flapper verse,” but this debut writing solidified Parker’s reputation for “sparkling wit.”

Like Hughes, Parker had the capacity for wit, but was drawing from her unique experiences as a woman of her time. She used the darker side of humor and her critiques of poor practices often pushed buttons of powerful people in the industry. Again humor was being used to expose society’s ills rather than just make others laugh. 

Other humorists of the 19th and 20th centuries worth noting for their unique takes on the artform include Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Oscar Wile, George S. Kaufman, P.G. Wodehouse, Jean Sheppard, Erma Brombeck, Fran Leibowitz, and Sholom Aleicem.

It’s clear that humor writing is not always one size fits all. Depending on your particular voice, cultural background, and medium of choice, you can develop your own unique approach. Nevertheless, you can look further into the lives and works of these great writers and see which ones might influence you. Learning more about the historical evolution of comedy can also be valuable when looking for influences for your humor writing.

Humor Writing Today

Many comedians who got their start in stand-up go on to become humor writers. To name a few: Will Rogers, Cal Stewart, Garry Moore, Victor Borge, Peter Ustinov, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Hugh Laurie, and Brett Paesel. 

Today, the line between comedian and humor writer is very thin. Humor writing has opened itself up to a sort of meta tradition of writing humor for performance or performing humor and then writing it down for publication. Depending on the style of the humorist, it can go either way, making it fluid and sometimes interchangeable with improv and stand-up. 

This might be where things get muddied for many humor writers. Writing other genres is often a reclusive act, but in writing humor it can be tough to know an audience’s reaction to determine if you’re doing it right, or if it’s funny “enough.” Thus, many humor writers find their writing most successful when performed in front of an audience.

But today there are also more genres to play with beyond the humor essay, which is often the humor writer’s go-to. Many have moved towards the comic novel which has always been around but has gained recent popularity. 

There are also many new ways to fuse humor with other genres, such as science fiction and call it comic fantasy. This genre was popularized by Terry Pratchett best known for his satirical Discworld universe. He is said to have been strongly influenced by Wodehouse and Twain.

Essentially your takeaway should be that if you want to write humor, you should write it. You have a voice in which to channel your experience. Comedy is in your bones, blood, and culture, no matter who you are.

Amy Ayres has three novels in progress and is querying two. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-savvy hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. 

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The last few months have been exciting! I have been able to see some big names but also some local comedians at an outdoor venue near where I live. In the same way a writer reads to gain inspiration and to learn technique, aspiring comedians and humor writers can watch other comedians perform and learn how to perfect their craft, not just be entertained. Speaking with these comedians and unpacking how they craft their comedy, I learned a new way of “reading like a writer.” I also learned how easily the structure of stand-up comedy translates to the page.

In reality, most stand-up sets start on the page. The comedian takes shorthand notes, or even writes their jokes in longform and memorizes them. Depending on their personal style, the comedian “writes” their jokes but then continues to fine-tune and craft them in such a way that when spoken their words have the greatest impact. It is crafted the same way as spoken word poetry, creating line breaks and pauses so the words hit harder and making space for reactions. I illustrate this to further point out that comparing humor writing to stand-up isn’t that much of a stretch.

Recently, I crossed something off my bucket list: becoming a Second City player. I took their Standup I course this past spring and it was an amazing insight into several things humor related. But with this experience I went beyond spectating or reading comedy and I tried my own hand at it.

In a group of five diverse individuals, I bounced ideas, brainstormed, and workshopped jokes. We didn’t pull any punches. We told each other what worked and what didn’t. We gave each other ideas on how to reword, speed up, slow down, or expand a joke. We perfected timing. We learned a lot about knowing our audience. We learned who we were as individuals and how that influenced our humor.

Most importantly, we learned three important aspects of stand-up that most, if not all, comedians incorporate into their sets. With these bullet points, and some practice, we were able to cultivate our own set we then later performed.

Here are the three simple ways to create a stand-up set that you can also incorporate into your humor writing.

1. Storytelling

The name itself screams humor writing. Our course instructor used John Mulaney as an example of a comedian who often uses storytelling, rather than standard joke-telling, to get laughs. The best way to start humor storytelling is to think about something embarrassing that happened to you or someone else. It helps if it’s a story you’ve told before. “Remember that time…” Draft the story. Then pick out the details that give the story color and expand them, even exaggerate them for humor’s sake. Read it aloud a few times until you have it almost memorized, that makes it more conversational and less wordy. Share it with someone else and get their reactions to it. Practice this a few times and you might find you’ve put together a collection of humor essays.

2. One-liners

This can be tough if you have little experience with them. My advice is to search for comedians who use them often in their sets and watch how they are performed. This way you can get a knack not just for how they are written but how they are supposed to land. Someone created a list of the best 110 one-liners. One-liners can be a great asset to humor writing. You can throw them in and catch the reader by surprise. Or they can make for great openers and closers of humor essays. Our instructor advised using them as openers and closers of our stand-up sets. 

The structure of a one-liner is essentially the casual set-up, then the play-on-words followup that turns the whole thing on its head. The key is to make the followup rewarding so it isn’t just groan-worthy. My advice is to set a timer and write as many as you can in ten minutes. Then do it again until you have at least fifteen one-liners. Share them with someone else and let them tell you which ones are funniest. If anything, this is a great way to sharpen your writing skills even if you never use any of them.

3. Character work

This can be so much fun to perform, but still easily incorporated into writing. The best character work goes beyond impersonations of famous people, but rather paints a clear picture of someone we all seem to know and love (to hate). With performance we can use makeup and costume to further our embodiment of the character, but the best comedians use their voice and facial expressions. Maria Bamford is an excellent example of someone who does this well. 

But how do we “perform” people within our writing? First, think of common phrases, or “isms” this person often uses. Next, think about scenarios in which their unique personality can cause conflict or tension with other characters. Finally, do your best to perfect their mannerisms and voice in your descriptions. Again, this is a great exercise at perfecting description and using trial and error to see what works.

With stand-up, you have the added bonus of immediate feedback from an audience to show you what works and what doesn’t. Often in writing, we can only get that kind of feedback if we speak directly to our readers or wait for their eventual review. Because of this distinction, it might be tempting to separate stand-up and humor writing which have more similarities than differences. The only thing we learned that would not work with humor writing is “crowd work” in which the comedian breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience, usually in the form of asking a question. Still, I think it would be funny to see a humorist try their hand at one-sided crowd work.

Amy Ayres has three novels in progress and is querying two. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-savvy hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Using Stand-up to Start Writing Humor appeared first on DIY MFA.

Even if we fail miserably, I suppose we can’t help but try to define introversion, since quiet nuts are hard to crack. But in doing so, others misunderstand us further and miss the point. 

So, what is the point? 

The point is, introverts are merely more thoughtful and their thoughts are loud even if they appear quiet. In the time they are not speaking, they are listening and observing, taking notes of the subtleties and nuances in human relationships and life’s oddities. 

Even if not the first to speak up, they are potentially sitting on a powderkeg full of funny ideas that would make a great collection, once polished and put on display. And that’s just step one in our quiet quest for world domination. We might even be capable of more, given the chance to prove it.

Is a tongue-tied, self-conscious artist still capable of making art? Undoubtedly. And further still, is a “quiet” person capable of writing humor? Absolutely!

Read on, fellow introverts and curious extroverts, about how writing humor is something introverts do best:

On being “quiet” vs “loud”

Studies now show that this “quiet type” is only one of the four types of introverts. Being introverted doesn’t necessarily mean shying away from the spotlight. Any thoughtful introvert will tell you that this initial definition does not, in fact, define who they are in the slightest. 

Susan Cain, for example, has been vocal about the fact that introverts are not shy. Others have also said if they are reticent, it’s for a good reason. And finally, I know the author of Don’t Underestimate the Quiet Ones (They’re the Ones Who Actually Think) would be insulted by the insinuation they are only selfishly “concerned with their own thoughts and feelings and not external things.” Many introverted people even admit they are more extroverted than people realize.

If you are an introvert who might still have misgivings about humor writing or whether you are capable of it, you would do well to learn how being “quiet” can benefit you. In my previous article, Writing Humor When You Don’t Think You’re Funny, I dispelled the myth that humor comes naturally to funny people and they never have to work hard or try. 

Famous humor writers collectively admit to being anxious and questioning when trying to write humor and assert that it requires a lot of introspection and time spent. Thinking and listening are two key traits necessary for writing humor. Without them, you essentially lose the ability to express yourself honestly, and without introspection you can’t provide the comedic element of self-deprecation. 

And if you are often the one speaking, it’s more than likely you are not listening. Humor writers, such as David Sedaris, make their living listening, overhearing, and people-watching.

They call it “observational” humor for a reason.

Examples of funny introverts

When people often think of humor and comedy, they think of stand-up comedians. They think of being on a television show or in a funny movie. They burn these iconoclastic images of what is funny into their brain and assume every single one of those people is an extrovert in real life. To be funny is to be a clown, willing to embarrass yourself to get a laugh. To be loud and audacious is to be funny, right?

According to Scott Dikkers, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “How To Write Funny” and the founding editor of The Onion, “Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Conan O’Brien, Ellen DeGeneres, Mitch Hedberg, Steven Wright and Richard Pryor are just a few famous comedians who are or were introverts. The list of behind-the-scenes writers and other comedy professionals who are introverts is probably even longer. It might be easier to make a list of the comedy professionals who aren’t introverts.” How is this possible? Many of the people on that list have been considered loud and outgoing by many of their peers, some even unbearably so. Dikkers also wrote about succeeding in comedy as an introvert  if you would rather take his word for it.

How being an introvert feeds into comedy and fosters it

Now that you may have dispelled your own misgivings about whether you can be both introverted and funny, it’s time to “get out there” and further dispel the myth that introversion = laziness.

The most obvious way a budding humor writer can work on their craft is by writing humor, which in itself is a reclusive act. But they can also benefit by interacting with other humor writers. They can observe Youtube videos, Twitter, and other social media interactions, and other ways they “perform” and create without having all eyes on them at all times.

Improv can also help an introvert be better able to think on their feet. Comedian Steve Hofstetter wrote an amazing book about how his introverted nature changed forever when he started taking improv classes. This book points clearly to how improv is a great medium for introverted people and reshapes their thinking about how to be funny.

Improv can get the funny ideas and thoughts out more quickly for a more reticent introvert. But one of the greatest benefits is learning how to collaborate in a creative process and how it fosters communication. It is a tenant of improv that there isn’t just one funny person in the group stealing the show, but everyone actively works together to be funny as a whole. This can be a beneficial practice in helping extroverted and introverted people coexist within the same funny sphere. 

But fellow introverts, I implore you to not attempt to shove yourself into a box where you are uncomfortable and don’t fit. Rather, find the thing that works for you.

Catharsis for introverts

Introverts consider themselves…introverted, for lack of a better word. For example, a person might prefer to maintain a level of personal comfort to chaotic performance schedules but still enjoy performing. They might initially recoil at the thought of public speaking but then actually be good at it.

So, what do you call a person who does not actively seek out and feed off attention much the way extroverts tend to? Or someone who can burn out from extended periods around other people? A drag? Can a person like that have a sense of humor or even be funny? Of course!

On the surface, introversion seems counterintuitive to humor. But contending with all of this new information, is it?  Could it be that humor is a tool introverts use to cope with how their introversion is interpreted or how they interact with “external things”?

In order to accept that we can be both introverted and funny, we have to dispel some myths about what is “funny.” In the next installment, I hope to share three simple ways for all writers (even introverts) to start writing humor. After that, I hope to define humor as a genre and the evolution of it historically. Stay tuned!

Amy Ayres has three novels in progress and is querying two. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-savvy hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post On Writing Humor as a Funny Introvert appeared first on DIY MFA.

Some people are intimidated by writing humor. They think they just aren’t funny enough. And while it isn’t necessarily easy and some think it can’t be taught, I think it’s a good exercise to at least try. It’s one of those things that gets better with practice. 

Writing humor is an exercise in creativity above all else. It’s an exercise in authenticity and it can ultimately be therapeutic. Even the funniest people in the world admit that they aren’t funny all the time. Or when they are being funny, it’s from a dark place. Or when they sit down to try to be funny they just…can’t.

Speaking of funny people, I compiled a short list of some who are known not only for writing humor, but also are considered giants in that area. I refer to their insights on creativity, writing from a personal place, what they think makes writing funny, and the ways they have struggled to just be funny. All that with some self-deprecation thrown in for good measure. You know, to make them seem more relatable.

David Sedaris

I’ve been taking Sedaris’ MasterClass, which is a good place to start when you want to learn how to “write funny.” Sedaris admits that he doesn’t try writing humor, he just journals and notes observations. Then later he relays a story he believes is funny and lets the story do all of the work. He loathes setups and punchlines and believes the humor lies in the bizarre.

He suggests that writing the story isn’t the hardest part. The difficulty is putting himself in “strange” situations where he knows funny things will happen and then letting them play out without intervening.

Sedaris admits to people-watching and eavesdropping to get most of his story ideas, once overhearing a couple speaking French accusing him of being a pickpocket. Famously, Sedaris did not intervene or explain that he was in fact Davis Sedaris and not a pickpocket because he “wanted to see what would happen next.”

David says he uses three main tools when trying to make an audience or reader laugh: quoting funny people, exaggeration, and self-deprecation.  

1. In reference to quoting funny people: “When the people around you are funny, you can bring them into your work.” 
2. When he exaggerates he practices “stretching a scenario into the most ridiculous version you can imagine.”
3. And when you lovingly put yourself down: “Be harder on yourself than you are on anyone else in a story.”

Sedaris also highly recommends not just writing for yourself, but for an audience, and always trying to do something new. He says, “I never wanted to be the kind of writer who reads one thing that works and then drags it around.”

John Cleese (and Conan O’Brien)

If you are unfamiliar with John Cleese, he is best known as one of the founding members of Monty Python. According to Wikipedia: “The Pythons’ influence on comedy has been compared to the Beatles’ influence on music.” There are two ways to look at this kind of humor: it might be out-dated for some, timeless for others. Like all humor, it is a matter of taste.

Either way, Cleese has been writing comedy and about the act of writing comedy for almost five decades, so I thought it only fair to give him some airtime. 

He has very recently published a book about creativity called Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide. He was also interviewed by another comedy great, Conan O’Brien on his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. In the interview, O’Brien and Cleese go back and forth on what they think makes for funny writing. 

O’Brien believes a lot of his funny writing comes from the unconscious. “I will hit my head against a wall for hours at a time with a legal pad in front of me…I don’t think I’m getting anywhere. Then I go to sleep and when I wake up I see things more clearly, and I have ideas that didn’t exist before.” He says that is essentially what Cleese’s book is about. 

Cleese says it’s “embarrassing that we are of the same mind.” But that ”when you put pressure on yourself to write something funny, you always go for what’s derivative.” 

O’Brien continues to say that “so much of writing is agonizing, wandering around, and procrastinating…making an excuse to buy a new desk… then suddenly the ideas come to you.” He also admits that much of his early writing was an imitation of Monty Python’s style, and that he thinks any good writer of comedy started out by copying someone else.

Both Cleese and O’Brien cite their odd and difficult upbringings for the reason they are so good at comedy.

Ultimately, they both agree that they too have a penchant for the bizarre, and when they let themselves improvise and play, the funny stuff comes out.

Samantha Irby

Author of many hilarious collections of essays: We Are Never Meeting in Real Life; Meaty; New Year, Same Trash, including her most recent (and my favorite) Wow, No Thank You. I can’t say enough good things about that book. It takes all of this writing advice and lights it on fire—not to burn it up, but to shoot it into orbit.

Irby knows that writing from personal wounds, including her struggles with childhood demons, body image, Crohn’s disease, degenerative arthritis, and depression, only gives her more material to work with.

In a recent interview with the Rumpus, called Laughing Through Life, she was asked about her journey from aspiring to sought-after humor writer. She also talks a bit about what inspires her humor and prompts her to write:

Rumpus: Humor can heal a lot. When did you first realize that humor could be a way to get through things that felt inexplicable in life?

Irby: I honestly don’t know. I had a terrible childhood and early adulthood but didn’t have money for therapy so I tried to laugh about things rather than crying over them. I’m sure there’s a therapist out there who’d probably say that my making jokes as a coping mechanism rather than unpacking my myriad issues with a licensed and trained professional is a terrible approach to life and is probably part of the reason I remain deeply depressed. But I’ve been good at it so far and now I’m afraid to stop! Don’t follow this tragic example!

You should follow her example. If you’ve been paying attention, this is what humor writers do: turn their pain, confusion, and anguish into humor writing.

Allie Brosh

Author of Hyperbole and a Half, Brosh is quite possibly known more for her comic illustrations of herself than her writing. But the combination of her depiction of the bizarre inner workings of life and her unique self-deprecating humor as a way to deal with her depression is nothing short of astounding.

In an interview with with Terry Gross on NPR, Brosh says this about her writing style:

ALLIE BROSH: I would describe it as stand-up comedy in book form. I feel like my writing style is sort of the result of me subconsciously trying to replicate the feel of stand-up comedy. I was very frustrated when I first started writing that there wasn’t that physicality to it. There was – it was more one-dimensional than stand-up comedy, which you can rely on tone and facial expressions, body posture, and I wanted to find some way to commit that to the page. And drawing fixed all those problems.

TERRY GROSS: Another solution would have been to do stand-up comedy.

BROSH: Yes. Unfortunately, stand-up comedy is live, and my thoughts tend to come out rapidly and partially deformed. So I don’t know if I lend myself very well to stand-up comedy. I’ve always wanted to try it, though.

GROSS: Would you describe for our listeners who haven’t yet seen your blog or your book how you draw yourself and why you draw yourself that way?

BROSH: All right. So I draw myself with very crude illustrations in a program called Paintbrush. It’s sort of the Macintosh analogue of MSPaint. And I look very funny. I’ve got these buggy eyes, and I have sort of like a tube body and a little, like, triangle ponytail thing on the top of my head, and it’s a strange sort of animal-like creature.

And the reason I draw myself this way is I feel like this absurd, squiggly thing is actually a much more accurate representation of myself than I am. It’s a better tool for communicating my sense of humor and actually getting across what I’m trying to say than, say, you know, being there in the flesh. I feel like it’s – that’s actually one of the reasons why I don’t do stand-up and why I do this instead, because I can use this character to communicate and make it much more accurate and true to what I’m trying to say and true to my tone.

Assignment:
If you struggle to with writing humor, I challenge you to write a bizarre scenario. One that comes from a deep personal place, is self-deprecating, yet feels therapeutic. Even if you only attempt it, you are doing what other humor writers do everyday. Or at least, on the days they feel like writing…

Amy Ayres is the Web Editor & Tech Fairy at DIY MFA. She has five novels in progress and is querying one. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-savvy hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Writing Humor When You Don’t Think You’re Funny appeared first on DIY MFA.

We know them. We love them. They’re our parents, our friends, our partners and significant others. They’re the people in our lives with whom we share everything. 

But sometimes we aren’t always sure how to share this one thing with nonwriters. You know, one of our favorite things! The creative livelihood we enjoy that is completely wrapped up in our identity.

It’s tricky. We might assume a nonwriter isn’t interested. And if they say they are, they are just being kind. Or that since they don’t write themselves they won’t have much insight. 

One of the best things about writing friends, critique partners, small coaching groups, professors, and colleagues is that we can talk shop with them. And if you have this in your life, I don’t have to tell you how rewarding it is to sit with a cup of coffee and have a nice chat about the joys and the perils of writing.

But there is a danger to sharing this part of ourselves only with people who “get it”. We don’t just write for other writers, we write for readers too, and their insight is important to our growth.

It’s so important for writers to have a growth-mindset that will allow for different opinions and get us outside of our echo chambers. Especially if we are writers who wish to share ourselves more and be less interior. 

Here are five simple ways to get together with nonwriters and talk about writing.

Watch a movie or binge a show with them

It can be as easy as saying, “Wow the writing in this is really good/bad.” or “I can’t believe that’s what the character’s motivations were!” I mean you don’t have to be that obvious about it, but definitely feel free to share your opinion.

Recently, my husband and I watched the Queen’s Gambit and we both loved it. Which was cool because I could ask him why. I asked him what it was about the setting, characters, etc that he liked. Though my husband is typically a Sci Fi/Fantasy/Thriller guy he also really likes Historical Fiction, he just didn’t know what to call it and we had a great conversation about it.

Sometimes people have difficulty seeing what we see on the page until it’s put in front of them visually. But when we make connections with people in the moment talking about what makes something interesting or compelling that is likely to open up a dialogue more naturally.

Share your writing playlists with them

I have personal experience with how fun this can be. Somehow when nonwriters hear the songs that inspire your writing, it definitely opens up the door to discussing it. You can talk about your characters and settings and your plot in a way that feels natural and fun. Pour a glass of wine and just gush. People like hearing about things you are passionate about, especially if they care about you. They are also more likely to see the act of writing in a different way if they can connect it to something else that interests them.

Share a secret with them

This one is just for fun, but you’d be surprised how often it works to open up that dialogue. It could be anything from the research rabbit holes you go down: “Did you know that it takes 70 gallons of kerosene to burn down a house?” or something less incriminating, “Did you know it would only take four months to walk across the entire United States?” 

You can also tell nonwriters what you found out about the publishing industry when you did your research or the little known fact about their favorite author that you know because you listen to their podcast. Keep this up and you are having lots of fun conversations about writing, and even showing your nonwriter friends that writing isn’t just about getting words on the page. 

Tell them what you are working on

My husband is a tech guy. He’s a nonwriter. He has self-proclaimed on more than one occasion that he could never write a book, nor does he have the desire to. But when I share with him my blocks and difficulties he gives me ideas and insights I never would have come up with on my own. Sure he is clever at solving problems, and has a great sense of humor, but he also has something I don’t have: objectivity. 

He tells me when things are working and when they aren’t working. And he does it in a way that doesn’t hurt my feelings, but motivates me to try harder. Frustrated writers might find themselves in workshop situations where other writers have narrow thinking and they don’t want to peak outside of their writer-box. A nonwriter (reader) can look at something objectively and say whether or not it is entertaining, or compelling or if it makes sense, and they make it about the writing and not the writer.

Ask them what they like to read

This might be the most obvious one. But if you know your nonwriter friend, parent, etc. is an avid reader, this is easy. Don’t just talk to them about genre, ask what makes them fall in love with a character, what gives them goosebumps, what makes them turn the page. Then talk to them about what you intend to do with your writing, or how you might succeed and fail in those areas. This will definitely peak their interest and if they aren’t already asking to read your pages they might start. 

Amy Ayres is the Tech Fairy at DIYMFA. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com where you can find out more about her private writer’s group Fill the Blank Page. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post #5onFri: Five Ways to Talk About Writing with Nonwriters appeared first on DIY MFA.

Then I wrote Five Ways to Fit Writing into Your Busy Schedule and Honoring Your Writer Identity. 

In this post, I hope to address some of the seemingly insurmountable things on my list that don’t feel like excuses but literal roadblocks. 

I hope that you will be encouraged to no longer see these things as immovable as you try to inch them little by little and get your motivation back.

Loss/Grief

This one is tough, so why not address it first and get it over with?

One of the most difficult setbacks in life is the loss of something valuable. While the death of a loved one is so hard, we can experience similar feelings to varying degrees after the loss of a job we loved or the ending of a relationship. As writers, it’s important we “Honor our reality” and give ourselves space and self-care. 

Yes, we need to take care of ourselves but also remember that our writing can take care of us too. Our writing is an abstract thing that is part of us, and it will always be there waiting for us when we return to it.

For the sake of helping you out, I will put myself out there and say I suffered a loss-setback myself a few years ago. It was one of those really bad ones. But as I was going through my grief, I realized that writing was the only thing keeping me going. 

So I started up again and it was working. But one thing was missing. I felt I needed to interact regularly with other writers. I wanted to go back to school, but then I found DIYMFA, which was a much more manageable route to getting back on track.

By signing up for DIYMFA and embracing my writing life, I was coping much better with my loss. It pulled me out of that grief cycle and gave me something to work on and through which to channel my creativity. It also helped me meet lots of great new people who gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. 

My advice: go through your stages of grief, but don’t give up. Free-write/journal about your experiences until it all comes out. Then shift gears and focus on something new.  Cry and rage, but always come back to the page.

Illness

Another rough thing to experience and address is illness, which can also happen in varying degrees. Whether it’s the shock from an unexpected diagnosis, the coping with symptoms, or even a chronic illness you’ve had for years (been there), it might be tempting to put your “writing hobby” on the back burner. 

Don’t do that. Of course, if you are suffering so much you can’t function, your writing will take a backseat, but like with grief, you can have good days and bad. On those good days, let yourself experience the joy of writing. Say “No” to things that don’t bring you joy and focus on writing. It’s obviously not a cure-all, but like laughter, writing can be great medicine. 

My advice: use a calendar to track the days you feel like writing and the days you don’t. Give yourself a sticker/smiley face/treat or something more fitting to your personality on those days as positive reinforcement for trying. The more you do this the more you will associate your good days with writing and associate the writing itself with positive experiences.

Rejection/Bad Critique

This one is more writer-oriented, and “isn’t as serious” but tell that to any writer who just experienced it. The best way around this one is the mindset shift of realizing that it happens to ALL WRITERS.

Yes, it does. And, once you embrace that getting bad critique or receiving rejection from an agent and so forth is all part of the process of writing, it makes it easier to swallow it and persevere. It also makes you a better writer. Remember, even the best quality writers still aren’t perfect. 

Lots of famous authors have different stories of how they dealt with rejection. No one is an overnight success. Debunk myths around writing and educate yourself with the process. The more knowledgeable you are about this industry and what it takes to be successful, the more resilience you will have as a result. 

My advice: give yourself a reason other than publication to submit something. Sure, that’s your goal, but if you don’t get that, what else do you receive? Free writing advice from a knowledgeable source? A better understanding of your genre and who your readers are? A push to do better and know better and write better next time? Keep asking yourself those difficult questions and hold yourself accountable. 

So those were “the big 3” reasons why writers stop writing. And they happen to everyone.

The moral here: life can really suck, but don’t give up on the one thing that makes it better.

Amy Ayres is the Tech Fairy at DIYMFA. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com where you can find out more about her private writer’s group Fill the Blank Page. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Against All Odds: Writing Despite Setbacks appeared first on DIY MFA.

We’re a team of rule breakers and no word nerd has a single favorite book, so we’ve also included a few runners up.

If you decide to check out the books we recommend, we hope you’ll do so via their Amazon Affiliate links where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you.

Without further ado, here are our picks:

Gabriela Pereira

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me at all. What might surprise you is that this wasn’t always one of my favorite books. In fact, when I first read it as a teenager, I thought it was infernally boring and much preferred the heart wrenching melodrama of Emily Bronte’s  Wuthering Heights.

I think a love for a good book is like a marriage. Sure, you might get swept off your feet at first, or you might not. But what matters is that you keep coming back, that you keep working at understanding it and finding that deep, honest connection. Pride and Prejudice was not my favorite book at first, but it worked hard to earn my love and because of that it stands apart from all other books in my estimation.

Runners up: As a true instigator, I’ll rebel against the norm by having no other runners up. There are too many to count and my tastes change far too quickly for me to give any other book a fair run at the title. Plus, these days most of my reading is dictated by what we have on deck for the podcast.

If you’re curious about what I’m currently reading (and want a sneak preview of books that might be featured on DIY MFA Radio), you can follow me on GoodReads, where I list the books I am currently reading and the ones I have finished.

Lori Walker

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Trying to pick from my favorite books, it was practically a toss up between this one and The Grapes of Wrath. But what I love about this one is how Steinbeck so vividly retold the story of Cain and Abel and masterfully wove in the story of his own family in the Salinas Valley. The storytelling is so rich and poignant. Excuse me—I think I need to go reread it right now.

Runners up: Here’s where I’m going to cheat a bit. The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving; How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran (plus everything else she’s written); Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion (plus all of her other essay collections; I didn’t name my cat after her for nothing); This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett; The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson; and everything by Cheryl Strayed.

Jeanette the Writer

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

When deciding on my favorite books, I decided “favorite” is a strong word, but if you really just need one favorite, it would be this one. The entire Barsoom series is incredible, most notably for its creativity and entertaining writing style.

For my runners up I’m going to give a few different adjectives instead…

Most Imaginative Book: Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World — Two seemingly different stories interwoven in the most artistic of ways.

Most Transformational Book: Who Moved My Cheese — A book so good I buy used copies whenever I see them so I can have a stash to give out to people.

Most Emotional Book: A Man Called Ove — I laughed. I cried. I told everyone in my life to read it.

Amy Ayres

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Obviously I had the same struggle picking a favorite, so I went with the book I read in the last ten years that showed me what great writing is.

Sedaris is renowned for his wit, clarity, and keen ability to express life’s painful realities which are often three things I look for in a good book. I picked this particular collection of essays because it is a great example of stories that on the surface appear to be disparate, but when you see the connection it smacks you in the face.

I also had a mean French teacher once, so I get it.

If you haven’t read it, I won’t spoil it for you, but I recommend that you not only read it but get the audio version and listen to it. You won’t be sorry.

Runners Up:

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Another collection of hilarious “essays”. Samantha’s wit is comparable to David’s so I feel compelled to make sure she gets a mention on this list. This was a recent read for me, so a lot of what she talks about is still fresh. I could only hope to be so talented in narrating my life’s events and cutting through the bull. 10/10 recommend.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

Arguably my favorite classic. Again if you haven’t read this, please do so. I could say a thousand things about Jane Eyre, but I will just say that in my opinion Charlotte Brontë is highly underrated and if you are looking for a book with unforgettable, painfully true images you can’t shake, this is the book for you.

Going Home by Danielle Steel

A guilty pleasure. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for this book, because I stole it from my Mom and read it cover to cover as a teen, and it made me want to be a writer. It was Steel’s debut novel and so it has a different flavor from the rest, and definitely reads like it was written by a hungry aspiring author. The story is also world-shattering and unforgettable. I’m sensing a theme here…

Angela Yeh

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

This was so, so hard. I picked the book of two ways for three reasons 1) I always feel like I’m trying to decide between one of two futures. (And I love Quantum Mechanics) 2) Because I had read it in the last ten years and I judged it against my other favorites by comparing how many lines I underlined and how enthusiastically I recommended it to everyone (including my 21 year old nephew who…I mean…no, he does not want to read this book). Needless to say it was much underlined and many pages folded down because I either loved the way she wrote it or what she said hit me like an arrow right in my mushy old heart. This book WILL make you think and feel the feels. 

Runners Up:

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill – this poetry will kick your butt in a good way.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George – a book about how much the character loves books AND it’s in Paris? Sign me up please.

The Emperor’s Handbook by Marcus Aurelius – My go-to when life gets rough I have read it cover to cover over a dozen times.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – A historian trying to deny her wild and magical side AND a handsome vampire? Where. Do. I Sign. Up?

We hope you enjoyed our book recommendations. Again, if you choose to purchase any of our favorites we hope you do so via their Amazon Affiliate links above.

As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

The post Meet the Team #5onFri—Favorite Books appeared first on DIY MFA.

For others it feels like an act of defiance.

Others still can’t bring themselves to acknowledge their talent and how far their hard work has gotten them.

I recently watched an episode of The Comedians (it’s not a new show, but it’s streaming on Hulu). In it the ill-fitted pair of Josh Gad and Billy Crystal often find themselves butting heads because they are in different phases of their acting career. 

In one scene, Gad gives Crystal a hard time for still wanting to impress people and for attempting to reach for more recognition and fame. Gad says, “You know that Scorsese movie I didn’t get? Well, I still didn’t get it.” Crystal reminds Gad that he was Olaf in Frozen and that he was also in The Book of Mormon, which were both huge successes. He reminds him that he is still trying to get the next thing even after accomplishing those things at such a young age. He then says the line that left me staggering: “What makes you think that ever goes away?”

When we think about our writing life, what do we want it to look like? Why are we doing this writing thing? Do we just love writing and want our words on the page? Do we want it to be a career? Do we want to be hugely successful?

And once we accomplish those goals, are we satisfied? Maybe. Or maybe not. 

It might be tempting to look at what seems like a never-ending ladder and want to give up.

It might also be tempting to climb the ladder halfway and look back to watch the people below you struggling.

Regardless of where we are on the ladder (or–let’s be real–on our journey to find the ladder), it’s time to embrace it and own our struggle. 

They call it lots of things: imposter syndrome, the inner critic. Many famous writers still struggle with this notion and they do remember how hard they worked to get as far as they have.

But when you are just starting out, knowing this can be daunting. You might ask what’s the point? But don’t do that to yourself. Don’t give up!

Here are some ideas on how to work through this:

Discover Your Origin Story

We are big on superpowers here at DIYMFA, so what are yours? If you imagined yourself as a comic book character, what would your origin story be? How did you discover your superpower and what can you do with it? Have fun with this one. Objectively, this is the best way to introduce yourself to where you are in your journey and work backwards to see how far you’ve come. Or conversely, start at the beginning and see all the twists and turns that got you here. Either way, it can be a huge boost just knowing where you are on the map, even if it feels like you are a tiny blip. You deserve to be on the map, so put yourself there. 

Own Your Struggles and Celebrate Your Triumphs

This stuff is hard. They say if it wasn’t, everyone would do it. If it was easy, why do they give out awards for it? Guess what: you are working hard at a very difficult medium that some people are terrified to attempt. Think about it. As you progress, certain things about writing that once seemed insurmountable might not seem so difficult anymore. That’s a big deal. If you think of your goal-reaching as a mountain (or ladder) you are climbing, don’t imagine yourself at the very bottom. You are probably grizzled with skinned knees from all the climbing you’ve done already–own that!

And as a member of the writing community, it’s not just enough to further yourself along. If you can somehow help others in their struggle, that’s also something to be proud of.

Accept Where You Are and Keep Going!

Think about it. “It never goes away.” That realization can be painful, but it can also be freeing. It might help to make a list of your future goals and desired accomplishments. Not just stuff you want to do, but the things you think that will “make it go away.”

Once you’ve figured out what you want that you don’t have, think to the future. Tell yourself you already have those things even if you don’t have the “proof” for your inner critic. Start with “I am…” and consider your future self. 

Also, consider this: how close are you to your goals right now? How far have you come from who you used to be? What tiny thing needs to change so you can keep going? Start today!

Once you do all of these things you will realize your anxiety and angst (which are totally normal!) revolve around grappling with your writer identity and owning who you already are. Give yourself a break. It’s rough enough out there.

Amy Ayres is the Tech Fairy at DIYMFA. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com where you can find out more about her private writer’s group Fill the Blank Page. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Honoring Your Writer Identity appeared first on DIY MFA.

What were our excuses then? 

It’s important to recognize this so we can take stock and own our part in the problem. (You’ll notice I will say “our” and “we” a lot because I’m totally guilty of this too). We are trained early on how to prioritize our daily life. We have our to-do lists and we have our obligations. We have our must-do tasks that always take priority. This is what responsible adults do.

But as writers, we are special. We know this and try to be sneaky. We cherish our hobby and we know we can find writing time at some point. So, we grind at work all day and we wait until the perfect time to sit down with our beloved writing and embrace it… But that precious time never comes.

We all have the same twenty-four hours each day on planet Earth, but we all spend them differently. What we prioritize will always come first. If we are disappointed with what was forced to come last, we aren’t being true to ourselves. We might need a mindset shift. So, Amy, how do we fix it? I’m glad you asked.

1) Gift Yourself the Time to Write 

Do you remember getting birthday cards in the mail? As adults, we think of any card, money-stuffed or not, as a sweet thought of remembrance. But as kids, we shook that card to see what fell out, and we felt special because we were gifted something we didn’t have to earn. 

Think of your writing time as birthday money. You deserve it even if you didn’t earn it. This is especially important for freelance writers. You deserve to do the fun writing too! They say “time is money” because—like money—time is finite. Once we spend it, it’s gone. How will you budget your writing time?

2) STOP Multitasking

*Raises Hand* I am so bad at this. Seriously, I’m awful at not multitasking. This is because doing a lot at once can alleviate the overwhelm that gets us stuck in a procrastination loop. Anyone stuck at home with new responsibilities can attest that attempts to keep up have you doing three things at once. But if nothing is prioritized, everything suffers. 

Do yourself a solid and figure out when in the day you’re busiest. Block off that time and deem it only for work and chores. Don’t plan your writing during the busiest time of day; that’s self-sabotage. Now, pull out that daily planner again and find the empty, wasted parts of the day. You’ll figure out how you can fit your writing in if you think of it as setting an appointment that you can’t schedule anything else during.

 3) Do What You Gotta Do

I am sooo not a morning person. I groan at people who tell me I can find time to write if I just wake up at 5 AM. But hey, I won’t knock it because it actually works for some people. Try writing at different times to find the part of the day when you’re most creatively productive. 

You may write better at night before bed or perhaps you get in a few paragraphs during your midnight snack. If you wake up at 5 AM and write for 25 minutes and want to go back to sleep, heck, who am I to judge? Same goes for 10 PM, 3 PM, or 2 AM. I say, do what you have to do to get that writing done for the day.

4) Reframe What it Means to Write

Remember, this is your writing time, so you call the shots. It’s not about hitting a word count or even tracking a set number of hours; this is about opening the door and letting writing back into your life to stay. Use courses like DIYMFA101 which breaks down the act of writing into manageable steps.

First, let go of the guilt that comes from spending your time writing and yearn for it hungrily like a kid with a piece of cake. Once the excitement is there, then you can work out the logistics of what “writing time” really means or will accomplish.

Writing time doesn’t have to result in pounding out 2,000 words in one sitting. Here are some ideas for alternative writing activities you can do during your writing time to still be productive:

• Stream-of-Consciousness (Jot down notes on your thoughts so it counts as writing!)
• Journaling (Get out the angst that is stopping you from writing.)
• Sketching (Try visualizing a character or scene.)
• Outlining (To help with plotting ideas when stuck.)
• Writing Exercises (Try prompts and sprints to practice skills.)
• Listing (Try bullet points for all scenes or characters.) 
• Tape-recording (Great for potential dialogue to write down later.)
• Exploration (Anything else you haven’t tried before!)

5) Take Your Writing Seriously. 

You may just throw away all of this advice if finding time to write isn’t really a priority for you. (If that’s the case, I’m surprised you read this far.) But, that’s fine. Just remember that anything in your life you don’t take seriously will never become a priority. 

It might be tempting to save our resting time for doing creative work, but we risk finding that we just don’t ever feel like it. Taking writing seriously means planning and sticking to your writing time commitments. If you are a serious writer, you will find the time. Now, go get serious and reclaim your writing life. Good luck!

Amy Ayres is the Tech Fairy at DIYMFA. When she is not in her office writing about terraformed planets, multiple personalities, and Irish folklore, she is hanging with her awesome tech-hubby, stepson, and RubyCat. Visit amymarieayres.com where you can find out more about her private writer’s group Fill the Blank Page. You can sign up for her Newsletter where she sends out motivational tips for new writers and her special brand of humor. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post #5onFri: Five Ways to Fit Writing into Your Busy Schedule appeared first on DIY MFA.