Maybe you are already meeting your reading and writing goals for the summer. But maybe not. Fortunately, at DIY MFA we have some posts that will help you read and write more this summer.

Six Ways to Write Through the Lazy Summer Days

A lot of people like to take a break during the summer. I think this is partly because we’re conditioned from kindergarten through twelfth grade (and even into college) to view those 12 weeks as the only bit of freedom from the drudgery of daily life that we get. I get it.

But I think you can still take a break from the daily grind and get some words on the page. Former DIY MFA columnist Bess McAllister first shared this article in 2014 about how you can write through the dog days of summer without losing your cool. This post is all about maximizing the fun that summer has to offer while still meeting your writing goals.

#5onFri: Five Hacks to Help You Write More This Summer

This #5onFri from former columnist Savannah Cordova offers even more tips on how to get the most out of summer and meet your goals. This post walks you through how to get your writing done early so that you can reward yourself with some pool time and a nice cool, refreshing drink (or however you like to reward yourself).

I think rewards are an excellent way to help find the motivation you need to knock out the work. Yes, writing is fun and that’s why we do it, but—let’s face it—it’s also work, so be sure to reward yourself accordingly.

Four Ways to Build Accountability into Summer Reading

I’m sure I’m not the only one here who knocked their library’s summer reading program out of the park each year! Summer is just made for reading. Whether you’re hanging out poolside or beating the heat with a nice book inside, books are a great companion. They keep your brain engaged and provide hours of entertainment.

Summer is a great time to make some headway on your mountainous TBR pile, but sometimes a little accountability helps. Check out this post by former DIY MFA columnist Terri Frank on how to meet your reading goals for the summer.

Prepare Your LGBTQ+ Summer Reading List with Ten Must-Reads

Maybe you’re wanting to get a bit more diversity in your reading list, but don’t know where to start. Let me suggest this amazing list of LGBTQ+ books put together by current DIY MFA columnist, Adam W. Burgess. 

He’s done a great job of assembling a list of books across genres for your reading pleasure. Really! There are novels, graphic novels, poetry collections, and non-fiction books on this list. Plus, with each title on the list, he provides a bit of an explanation on why it’s recommended reading.

June 2022 Leisure Learning

OK. This post just came out, but I wanted to highlight it nonetheless. Each month, columnist Melissa Haas puts together suggested resources to engage your creative brain. The things highlighted in these posts run the gamut from documentaries to digital collections and even literary video games that you should check out. I can’t tell you how much I love this fabulous monthly resource that she puts together!

The items in this list are ones you can access at home during a staycation or perhaps even use to plan a literary trip. She even includes a family-friendly pick each month for something people of all ages can enjoy. Check it out!

Be Well, Write Well: Embrace Your Season

All of the resources so far focus on the season of the year, but this post by former DIY MFA columnist Leanne Sowul is all about your season of life. Maybe summer isn’t inherently more or less busy than the other seasons of the year. That doesn’t mean you can’t develop habits and routines that help you meet your goals.

This is a great post for anybody who is considering putting together a new routine for themselves. Truth be told, it’s a reflection post I need to work through as I am on the verge of a new start and am figuring out how to structure my days so I can live the life I want to live.

Tell us in the comments: What are your summer reading and writing plans?

Lori Walker is the Operations Maven at DIY MFA. Though she’s fallen off the wagon as a writer, she’s hoping to return to writing essays (perhaps even a novel!) through her involvement with DIY MFA. She is also Launch Manager, Web Editor, and Podcast Producer for DIY MFA and a Book Coach. She resides in Smalltown, Oklahoma, with her husband and their cat, Joan Didion. You can follow her on Instagram at @LoriTheWriter.

The post Summer Round-up Post appeared first on DIY MFA.

The Beginning Was a Struggle

Back then, I was struggling to make it as a writer. I’d gotten exactly one short story published, and was among the throngs at the conference desperate to pitch to a literary agent. I had been working hard, but it felt like I was never going to get where I wanted to go. That was the mental place I was in when Gabriela started to speak. And somehow, even though it wasn’t even about my project, she said exactly what I needed to hear. She showed me that there was a path— a path that others had taken before me, a path that could illuminate my next steps. She showed me that it was normal to feel discouraged, but that there were places to draw courage from. She inspired me so much that when I left that room, clutching my worksheet with the DIY MFA logo on it, my gut instinct was screaming at me: “This is important. I want more of this.”

I immediately bookmarked the DIY MFA website. Then I thought up a question from the conference presentation to email Gabriela, solely for the purpose of establishing contact. I started reading the blog regularly. When Bess, then-editor of the site, published a post requesting submissions for their “5 on Friday” series, I jumped at the chance to write for DIY MFA. After a few of my posts were accepted, Bess and Gabriela invited me to join the team as a columnist. At subsequent Writer’s Digest Conferences, I wasn’t just an audience member. I went to DIY MFA gatherings, had dinner with the team, and once even recorded a podcast episode. 

DIY MFA Helped Me Build Community

This sort of inclusivity affected me deeply. I began to call myself a writer. I felt braver about reaching out to agents and publishers, and my writing resume grew. Gabriela showed me a path, and she showed me that I wasn’t alone, and that was all I needed to get where I am today. A place that I’m proud of. 

You may wonder why I’m telling this story, after nearly six years of writing the “Be Well, Write Well” column for DIY MFA. Sadly, this is to be my last column. Just as I felt compelled back then to reach out, I feel compelled now to move on. But I couldn’t leave without expressing my gratitude to Gabriela and DIY MFA, or imparting a few last pieces of wisdom. 

Be Well and Write Well

So, for the last time, here’s how to Be Well and Write Well: 

Keep your eyes open. Try new things. When in-person conferences happen again, go to them, and meet people. Listen to a new podcast; follow a new writer; reach out to an author on Twitter. Trust your gut. If your gut tells you that someone inspires you, stick with that person. If your gut tells you, “This is important. I want more of this,” go out and get more of it. Deepen your relationship until you’re a part of the conversation too. 

As you grow, inspire others with what you’ve learned. Be kind to those who come to you for help. Mentor whomever you can. Instruct with empathy and encouragement. Teach from the heart. 

When your writing life stagnates again— as it will, because it does for everyone— repeat the cycle. Keep your eyes open. Trust your gut. Deepen your relationships. Help others. Repeat, repeat, repeat. It all pays off, even when you can’t see it yet. It all leads somewhere, even when the path isn’t fully illuminated from the start. 

DIY MFA readers, team members and friends— thank you for allowing me a voice in this incredible community. I value each and every one of you, and I will carry all of your voices with me as I move forward. 

And Gabriela— thank you for being the first writer to show me the path. 

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher whose work has appeared in such places as JuxtaProse Magazine, Barnstorm Journal, Rappahannock Review, Hippocampus, and Mothers Always Write; her live readings include Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. She also coaches adults in the art of creative practice through her newsletter, The Joyful Creative. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley. Connect with her at leannesowul.com or on Twitter and Instagram @sowulwords. 

The post Trust Your Gut: My DIY MFA Story appeared first on DIY MFA.

I left the office with that line in my head: They say 2020 is the year of reflection. It rang true to me. In a major, impactful way, the twin pandemics in America (the coronavirus and our George Floyd-prompted racial reckoning) forced us all to start from scratch on long-held beliefs and values.  

Our lives and routines were shaken up as well. Many of us had more time on our hands, or at least different kinds of time. We got out into nature more. We intentionally stepped away from our screens. We got more sleep. We indulged in more individual leisure time. These new habits allowed us to enter a reflective mental space more often than we did when our lives were heavily scheduled, and resulted in some of the big life decisions that many, like my doctor, are now making.

Reflection is a vital part of feeling at peace with oneself. It’s also necessary for growth. Without reflection, we cannot know where we’ve been or where we’re headed. We cannot live with intention or set ourselves on a better path. While 2020 will eventually end, it benefits us all to keep reflection as part of our daily, weekly and seasonal routine into 2021 and beyond. 

So how do we make reflection a lifestyle fixture?

Facilitate a Reflective State

I recently found myself on an unexpectedly long line. (Okay, yes, this was an early-voting line.) My phone battery, never reliable, chose to die with about an hour left to wait. I thought I’d go crazy; instead, I found myself in a pleasantly restful mental space. I wasn’t being productive, but it didn’t seem to matter, because I was where I needed to be. Time passed in a lazy way. As I waited, my mind drifted naturally to self-reflection. I thought about how many times I’d voted in the past, how much the right to vote mattered to me, and how my vote was upholding my values. By the time I reached my destination, I felt as though I had traveled farther in my mind, and the experience of voting itself seemed much more meaningful.

To facilitate this reflective state, intentionally create the circumstances involved during that long wait. First, disconnect from screens and other distractions more often. This takes a bit of effort. Consider a full-day tech sabbath, where you don’t check work email or social media. You can also eliminate or dial back on social media together. My strategy is to keep Facebook off my phone and use Facebook Feed Eradicator on my laptop browser. That way I can still access the groups I like, make posts of my own, and see my notifications, without succumbing to mindless scrolling. 

Second, practice mindfulness. When you’re disconnected from screens and work, try to stay completely present. Use your senses to explore the sights, sounds and smells around you. Focus completely on the person you’re with or activity you’re doing. If you’re having trouble, take ten slow breaths. You can also play a fun game that connects you to your senses: tell yourself to name five things you see; four things you hear; three things you feel; two things you smell; and one thing you taste. 

Take steps to encourage your reflective mindset, and you’ll find yourself slipping into it more often. 

Make Reflection Part of Your Routine

How often is reflection beneficial? The answer will vary depending on your personality and temperament. In my case, I find a brief daily reflection, a longer weekly reflection, and an intensive seasonal reflection helpful. 

For my daily reflection, I answer a few questions in my journal each day. These mostly pertain to my state of mind and are intended to help me focus on my mental health. But I also have a few that are more practical, such as “What have you created today?” and “How did you connect to your family today?”

My weekly reflection takes place both in my journal and in my bullet-journal style planner. In my journal, I answer a series of questions about my health, family, work life, and writing life. Those answers help me see whether I’m on track with my goals and prioritizing my personal values. In my planner, I think about what I’ve achieved in the past week, and what projects I’d like to take on in the coming week.

Every season, I sit down for a few hours and consider what I’d like the next few months to look like, based on my efforts in the previous season. Sometimes I set a word or intention for my time. Sometimes I prioritize work; other times, family or holidays. I use the why/what/how process to set goals for myself. I always feel proud of my growth and excited about more to come. 

It takes effort to make reflection part of your routine, but its benefits are clear: a life lived intentionally, and with deeply-held values, that will bring you greater joy and peace. 

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher whose work has appeared in such places as Juxtaprose, Rappahannock Review, Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write and Confrontation; her live readings include Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. She also coaches adults in the art of creative practice through her newsletter, The Joyful Creative. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley. Connect with her at www.leannesowul.com.

The post The Year of Reflection appeared first on DIY MFA.

About Finola

Finola Austin, also known as the Secret Victorianist on her award-winning blog, is an England-born, Northern Ireland-raised, Brooklyn-based historical novelist and lover of the nineteenth century. Brontë’s Mistress is her first novel and is available for order now. By day, Finola works in digital advertising. Find her online at www.finolaaustin.com, or connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

The Interview

Leanne Sowul: You’ve just debuted your first novel, Brontë’s Mistress, which is based on a real-life person. How did you come to discover Lydia Robinson, and how did she first fascinate you?

Finola Austin: I have loved reading Victorian novels since I was a child, and have a Master’s degree in nineteenth-century literature from the University of Oxford.

However, it wasn’t until 2016, when I finally read Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Life of Charlotte Brontë (the first Bronte biography), that I first came across Lydia Robinson. Mrs. Gaskell describes Lydia as a “profligate” woman, who “tempted” the Bronte brother, Branwell (a man eighteen years her junior), into a sexual affair.

I had felt for years that Charlotte Bronte’s heroines are of a type—often poor, plain, young, and virginal. Lydia Robinson was wealthy, beautiful, in her forties, and a sexually experienced mother of five. But she was still a woman, trapped within the confines of a misogynistic society, and her choices were also limited. I just knew that hers was a story I had to tell.

Leanne: Tell us about your research process. Did you do most of your research in the beginning, or in between writing? Which sources did you turn to most?

Finola: The Brontes’ lives are well documented and so my research process was extensive. I researched for a full year before beginning to write my novel, building out a huge spreadsheet of all known events in the Brontes’ and Lydia’s lives. The Author’s Note at the end of my novel details many of my sources, as well as what’s fact and what’s fiction in my story.

I started with secondary sources—multiple Bronte biographies and every academic article I could find on the rumored Branwell Bronte/Lydia Robinson affair. There are also relevant surviving Bronte letters and poems of Branwell’s. Digitized census records helped me build up a picture of the area around Thorp Green Hall, where the Robinson family lived. And the diaries of local man, George Whitehead (published in 1990 as Victorian Ouseburn) provided valuable insights into the family’s servants and their families.

Once I had drafted the novel, I went on a research trip to Yorkshire. I stayed for a few days in Great Ouseburn, one of the villages near Lydia’s home. There I saw the graves of many of my characters, the churches they worshipped at, and the landmarks they would have known. Thorp Green Hall does not survive, but the Monk’s House, an outbuilding on the estate where Branwell once slept, does.

I also visited Haworth, home of the Brontes, and did archival research in the Bronte Parsonage Museum. Highlights included reading eighteen letters written by Lydia herself and going through a full inventory of the Thorp Green Hall furniture! In the next draft of my novel, I incorporated many of the findings from my trip.

Sometimes, of course, I did have to pause my writing to research minor points (often related to period details), but having the bulk of my research done before starting helped me build out my outline, while the depth of my expertise in the nineteenth century meant many aspects of this historical era were already very familiar to me.

Leanne: What does your daily writing routine look like when you’re in different stages of the novel? How does it differ when you’re researching, drafting, editing, and promoting your work?

Finola: I have no daily writing routine. I work a demanding day job and, pre-pandemic, frequently traveled for business reasons. Because of this, I have to assess at the start of each week when I’m going to write (or research/edit/market my writing, etc.). I wrote Brontë’s Mistress during early mornings and late nights, as well as on weekends. Much of the novel was written in airports or on planes. Airplanes are the most productive workspace for me (no internet, it’s hard to stand up, people bring you wine!).

I revise obsessively as I write, so don’t have a separate and distinct editing process, though I do often listen to the robotic computer voice reading my work back to me, and make use of the amazing Hemingway app.

I’ve read a lot of writing advice saying that writers do or should write every day, but that’s just not practical for me (or for many of us!). My advice to any writer is to find a system that works for you.

Leanne: What’s the one wellness-related habit that’s integral to your writing process?

Finola: I back up my work-in-progress manuscripts by emailing them to myself (I know, I know, it’s not the most efficient system!). Every time I do, I write an affirmation in the body of the message. It’s just a note from me, to me, to make me smile.

I searched back through my inbox to share some examples from when I was drafting Brontë’s Mistress: Good work tonight, Do it for her, It’s not meant to be easy, You’re 25% there, This one is THE one, You’re so close, Great last line, You did it. The habit and the words may seem silly, but, as a perfectionist who struggles with being overly self-critical, these moments of kindness towards myself were very important to me.

Leanne: What’s one aspect of your current writing process that you learned the hard way?

Finola: Just one?! The biggest is that every scene has to be interesting. If you think the middle of your book is just something you have to “get through” to reach the good bits, I hate to break it to you, but your novel probably has major problems!

Leanne: How do you maintain your mental health during difficult times?

Finola: By consuming other people’s art. Reading books, of course, but also going to galleries on a whim, booking impromptu theater/opera/ballet tickets, listening to music. That’s been a little harder mid-pandemic, but there are so many people creating beautiful work out there and it always makes me feel more alive.

Leanne: Which book, blog or podcast would you recommend to writers who want to develop strong writing and wellness habits?

Finola: I’m going to suggest a few!

For podcasts, Dear Sugars and Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel are both amazing resources for understanding human psychology. To listen to writers talking about writing, the Writing Excuses and Manuscript Academy podcasts are great.

I read a LOT of Reddit, which is probably good and bad when it comes to wellness. I wrote my terrible mother-in-law character in Brontë’s Mistress, for instance, based on what I learned from reading the /r/JustNoMIL subreddit.. Awful in-laws are outside my realm of personal experience, so what better way to immerse myself and understand this dynamic?

My biggest piece of advice is to read more than you post (especially about writing). For example, when I was querying literary agents, I would read #MSWL, #amagenting and #tenqueries on Twitter, and the Query Shark website and /r/PubTips subreddit, as well as stalking agents on QueryTracker. But I never posted anything myself!

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher whose work has appeared in such places as Rappahannock Review, Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write and Confrontation; her live readings include Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. She also coaches adults in the art of creative practice through her newsletter, The Joyful Creative. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley. Connect with her at www.leannesowul.com.

The post Interview with Finola Austin appeared first on DIY MFA.

But those examples are only the most superficial level of writing. Let’s say you put that mechanic in 1935, and he’s white. Do you know how he’d react to a Black customer? Do you know what sort of language he’d use about women, or what he’d think of two men in a gay relationship? Do you know what sort of racist or sexist messaging he’d be reading in his magazines and books? Finally, how do you take all of that historical reality and make it meaningful to a modern reader?

If you want to write about anything below the surface level of life, you’ll have to do some deeper research. You’ve been living your life with only one perspective, and it’s important to go deep on others if you want your writing to have power with anyone besides you and people like you. This is true for whatever genre you’re writing. My example was about historical fiction, but even if you’re writing science fiction and building your own world, you still need to know how people react to structures of power and systems of oppression. If you’re writing memoir, your writing will be made richer through understanding the perspectives of your supporting cast. 

After George Floyd’s death, our leader Gabriela pledged to put herself through training so that she could better understand the experience of Black people in America. She knew that self-education is the only way to write with empathy and authenticity in a diverse world. It’s not just about reading a book or looking up a fact on Wikipedia. True self-education requires commitment. It requires reflection, open-mindedness, soul-searching, and a willingness to change.

Today I’d like to give you some practical tips on how to build self-education into your writing practice. 

1) Find a role model.

Do you know someone who continually seeks to learn and grow? Make that person your self-education role model. Ask that person three questions:

1. How do you decide what you need to learn? 
2. Where do you find sources of education?
3. How does learning new things challenge and change you?

My role model is my 97-year-old grandfather. Years past the age when it would be acceptable for him to sit back and watch the world go by, he’s still learning new things. Just in the past few months, he started playing a new word game, wrote a reflective essay about the American presidency, and read books about white supremacy and the history of oppression in the United States. Whenever I feel myself getting lazy about my own education, I think about my grandfather and remind myself that I must keep trying to grow if I want to be like him. 

2) Figure out what you need to learn.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What about society today do you not understand?
• What about our shared history do you not understand?
• Did you learn about history from one perspective, or several?
• What are the limitations of your past education? 

Begin a list of topics you feel compelled to explore. Note: don’t confine yourself to topics you want to explore. Push yourself outside your comfort zone. That’s part of true self-education. 

3) Look for rivers, not wells.

After ascertaining what you need to learn, it’s time to find sources of education for yourself. In seeking your sources, remember to look for rivers, not wells. You want to find a book, podcast, community or course that’s part of a cultural conversation, not one that lives in isolation. You can learn a lot about culture from one book, but you’ll have a much deeper understanding if that book is read in conjunction with fellow readers who can help you form new ideas and provide further resources. Listen to podcasts that recommend other podcasts. Read bloggers who connect with other bloggers. Join the cultural conversation. 

4) Build self-education into your value system.

Remember the old adages: “You are what you do,” and “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in awhile.” Keep tabs on yourself. Make yourself a weekly checkbox for watching a TED talk, varied by topic and the background of speaker. Fill a quota of books to read about a certain topic for the year. Join a group that will keep you accountable to self-educate through reading, watching and discussing. 

5) Join the rivers.

Once you’ve begun self-educating, it’s your responsibility to educate others. Join those rivers of conversation and information. Use your talents as a writer to shape the conversation in new ways. 

Write what you know, now that you know more.

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher whose work has appeared in such places as Rappahannock Review, Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write and Confrontation; her live readings include Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. She also coaches adults in the art of creative practice through her newsletter, The Joyful Creative. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley. Connect with her at leannesowul.com.

The post Five Ways to Commit to Self-Education appeared first on DIY MFA.

How are you all doing out there?

Oh, you’re struggling? Yeah, me too. At least, I’m struggling to write this post. You see, this is the first post I’ve written for DIY MFA since the pandemic started, and when it goes live, we’ll probably still be under some level of quarantine. And I feel a sort of extra responsibility here, as the “wellness” writer for DIY MFA, to provide you with something that will help you address the struggle we’re all feeling. I’d like what I write here to give you solace, or make you laugh, or give you a bit of wisdom to chew on— or, if I’m honest, all three would be great. But here I am in the same boat, trying to keep my head above water. So I went out in search of my own solace/humor/wisdom, hoping for inspiration. 

Unfortunately, most of what I’m bumping up against in the writer-advice space is falling into one of two patterns. In one, the author says, “Hey, writing is hard right now. Maybe even impossible. Don’t beat yourself up; just give yourself time.” Which is great advice, and maybe what most people need to hear right now. Still, I’ve written posts like that in the past— I’m thinking of Writing Through Depression, which went live in the first week or two of quarantine (the relevance was completely unplanned), or How to Keep Writing When Times Are Tough. I don’t think I have anything more to share in that area. 

On the opposite end, I’m also reading posts that say, “Look at all this free time you now have! I’m going to help you manage it and create new habits out of thin air and by the time the quarantine is over, you’re going to have written a novel. Turn off Netflix and get to work, you lazy slob! What will you want to have accomplished when this is all over?” (Obviously, these authors are not speaking to people who are currently on the front lines of this pandemic or suddenly homeschooling their children.) Those posts can be helpful, but mostly they cause me shame. That question, “What will you want to have accomplished when this is all over?” is one I still haven’t been able to answer, and I wonder if anyone has. We’re still getting used to this revolution in lifestyle and how it’s impacted our inner creative worlds. Not to mention, I’ve written posts like that too, though not during a pandemic. Last fall’s series on WHY–WHAT–HOW of the writing process comes to mind. 

So, back to my dilemma: trying to give DIY MFA readers a useful post. Fortunately, a new book landed in my mailbox on the very first afternoon of the quarantine in my county: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell. This book provided me with the lens I needed to see my quarantine work differently, and hopefully do the same for you, my readers. 

The problem with the examples I gave above is that both types of posts are focused entirely on time. The “Don’t beat yourself up” type of post gives you permission to self-care instead of write. It allows you time in the longer sense: days, weeks, until you feel ready to resume your writing life. The contrasting “Get off your butt” post is also about time, but at a more micro level: hours, minutes, productive routines. But neither type of post serves us well, because what we really need to focus on isn’t time at all, which we have little control over. No one knows how long this time will last. But there’s one thing we can control, and focusing on it will help. It’s our attention. 

Where is your attention going these days? Where should it be going?

There are ways in which this pandemic is a curse, of course. We have been cut off from the lives we’ve built for ourselves. We have to stay away from loved ones and social spaces. A majority of our jobs are at risk or already gone. Fear pervades our every move; so little is certain. We are experiencing worldwide trauma.

But we can’t control any of those things. So is it worth giving our attention to them? What if instead, we attended to the ways that the quarantine is a gift? They are small ways, but meaningful. For example, most of us are getting more sleep, or at least are able to sleep according to a more natural schedule. We’re eating with our families. We’re cooking more. We’re learning to do more with less, and get creative with our resources. Most importantly, we’re reflecting on every element of our lives, because we’ve been forced to pause them. 

If we focus on what we’re giving our attention to, it’s easy to see how our mindset might shift. We can start doing the things that are most healthy for us— including figuring out the type of writing we can manage right now— instead of focusing on all the things we can’t control. We can figure out how to focus our attention on what matters, instead of trying to fit things that may or may not matter into the slots of our day. In How to Do Nothing, Jenny Odell posits that attention should precede time, not the other way around. She writes, “Tiny spaces [in place and time] can open up small spaces, small spaces can open bigger spaces. If you can afford to pay a different kind of attention, you should.”

Our physical space is small. Time stretches into an uncertain future. But our attention has potential to change our lives for the better.

Well, readers, I hope I was able to give you something comforting and wise. I don’t think I made you laugh yet, though. So in closing, here’s my 7-year-old son’s current favorite joke: 

Q: What’s the difference between a piano and a tuna?

A: You can tuna piano, but you can’t piano a tuna!

Be well, Word Nerds! 

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher whose work has appeared in such places as Rappahannock Review, Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write and Confrontation; her live readings include Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. She also coaches adults in the art of creative practice through her newsletter, The Joyful Creative. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley. Connect with her at www.leannesowul.com.

The post The Power of Paying Attention appeared first on DIY MFA.

I emerged from the depression a year later as a writer. This was partly thanks to my therapist, who recommended my taking a writing class. But it was mostly due to what some people would call journaling, and others would call “morning pages.” I’d journaled a lot in high school while I was going through cancer treatment, and it had helped. I’d lost the habit in college, but I picked it up again that summer. Through the practice of daily writing, I was able to figure out how to cope with my grief and ultimately grow past my depression. Since then, depression has come for me a few more times. I’ve learned what I need to do to get through it, and I’d like to share those practices with you today.

I’m going to pause here to acknowledge that some of you reading this post don’t have any experience with depression. “I’m sorry you went through that, Leanne. But this doesn’t really apply to me.” For those of you who’ve never struggled with mental illness, I’m truly happy for you. I’m also going to encourage you to keep reading. You never know when you might go through a blue period yourself, or be invited to give counsel to a loved one dealing with depression. You may even find yourself writing about a depressed character in one of your stories someday. Think of this as research. 

For those of you who have experience or are even going through depression currently, please note that while these steps helped me, they are based solely on my own experience and limited research; I am not a mental health professional. If you are truly depressed, I encourage you to seek help. 

Step One: Write Every Day

This is one of those pieces of advice that makes some writers nod vigorously and others roll their eyes, but please know that I’m not talking about productive writing here. I’m talking about therapeutic writing. You can call it journaling, or you can call it morning pages, but writing every day helps you process the difficult feelings and negative thought loops that are the hallmarks of depression. It interrupts the cycle and brings you back to a better place. When I’m depressed, I try to write in my journal twice a day: in the morning to psych myself up for the day, and in the evening to put all of my most negative thoughts to rest before I go to sleep. 

Step Two: Make a Simple Plan

In my experience, depression often involves creative blockage.You may find yourself staring at your keyboard or blank page. Your hands may feel unwilling or even unable to move. The best way to counteract this blockage is to have a plan for when it occurs. Start by listing all the things you did that day. Maybe one of them will spark a story you want to tell. You can also make a list of objects around you, or a description of a person’s face. Heck, write your grocery list! It doesn’t matter what you write, as long as you get the words flowing. If all else fails, grab the book from your nightstand and start copying down the page you just read. Someone else’s words might help you find your own.

Once the words start to come, you’ll unlock vital pieces of your creativity and personal expression. 

Step Three: Share Your Thoughts

Aside from creative blockage, depression also makes us feel isolated, but sharing how you’re feeling is a great step toward climbing out of depression. I’m not saying that you have to tell the whole world that you’re struggling with your mental health. But do share more general thoughts. One thing that shakes me loose is doing a daily blogging challenge. It forces me to stay in a creative zone, keeps me accountable to expressing myself creatively, and gives my brain a much-needed healthy activity. 

Step Four: Reflect on Your Writing

At a set time of the day or week, look back on your journaling/morning pages or blog posts. Search for patterns. Try to think of yourself as a character in a story; be as objective as you can. What is this character’s biggest fear? What is she struggling against? How might she seek help? Asking these reflective questions might lead you down a helpful path. 

Step Five: Figure Out Where the Story Goes Next

After a few sessions of reflection, decide where your story needs to go next. Signal to your depression that you’re about to put up a fight. Taking action, no matter where it leads, is an empowering way to move forward in the process.

To quote Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way, “Depression is the unwillingness to acknowledge that we do know where we are headed and what we need. It manifests itself in unhappiness and confusion.” 

Though it is incomplete and focused entirely on the creative process, I find Cameron’s definition affirming and empowering. If we look at depression through a creative lens, we can use our writing skills to take our lives back.  

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning writer and music teacher. Her writing has appeared in such places as Hippocampus, Rappahannock Review, Confrontation, and Mothers Always Write; her essay “The Band Room” was recently featured at Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. As an elementary band director, Leanne can play every woodwind, brass and percussion instrument (just don’t give her a cello!) and has directed over two hundred student performances. Leanne lives with her husband and two children in the Hudson Valley.

The post Writing Through Depression appeared first on DIY MFA.

Step One: Do I need a habit, a routine, or a list?

Let’s start by discussing the difference between routines and habits. A routine is a step-by-step process that you follow to achieve a desired result. It can be either simple or complex, but generally requires thinking through. A habit is a behavior that feels automatic. They sometimes overlap because a habit might be part of a routine, and a routine might become habit, but for the purpose of our discussion it’s important to differentiate between the two.

If you’re trying to create an automatic behavior that enforces your goal, such as getting up at a certain time every morning without having to wrestle with your alarm clock, you’re seeking to make a habit for yourself. If you’re looking to create a step-by-step process, you’re seeking a routine.

You’ll probably need both habits and routines, working in synchronicity, to be most effective at meeting your goals and achieving your purpose.  You’ll also need a to-do list, because some parts of your goal will require one-time tasks (but often crucial ones) that support the process. 

Step Two: Break Down Your Goals

After going through part one (WHY) and part two (WHAT) of this process, you should have a list of goals that fit your writing purpose. Goals are specific aims that are achievable. For example, “I want to read more writing craft books that will help me structure stronger plots” is a clear goal that connects to the larger purpose of being a better writer. 

But how will you achieve that goal on a daily, nitty-gritty basis? You’ll want to break down the implementation of it into habits, routines and items on your to-do list. 

Let’s take that example again. If you truly want to achieve your goal of reading craft books, you’ll need: 

• A list of writing craft books that serve your purpose
• Time in your schedule to read them
• Regular access to those books, whether they be on your bookshelf, e-reader or through the library system. 

The first point, making a list, has both an up-front and a cumulative component. You need to decide where to keep the list (phone, bullet journal, planner) and set up a reminder system to check in with it. Next, you should set aside some time to do research on the books that best serve your purpose. This can be done all at once, or over a period of days. Once you’ve started the list, it will likely grow as you receive other recommendations. Soon, you’ll have completed the initial step of the process.

The next step is finding time in your schedule to read them. Decide how much time you’d like to devote in a day or a week. You might consider tracking your time for a few days to find out where pockets of time exist. You’ll also want to buy or borrow the first book on your list and put it somewhere accessible (if you’ll be mostly reading on the go, put it in your bag or purse; if you’ll mostly be reading before bed, put it on your nightstand). 

Finally, you’ll need to feed your new system by ensuring a continuous supply of writing craft books. When you’re halfway done with one, queue up the next by buying or borrowing it. Make sure you’re ready with your new title as soon as you finish the last one so that your routine doesn’t slip. 

There you go! You’ve implemented your goal into a three-part system: to-do list; time habit; book-reading routine. 

Step Three: Find Your Trigger

Habits and routines need one final component: a trigger. For some people, a trigger is placing their sneakers next to their bed so they are immediately prompted to start their day with exercise. In the previous example, a trigger might be needed to remind you to read the writing craft book instead of watching Netflix. The book itself can be a trigger, or an alarm on your phone, or a helpful partner reminding you of your goal. I like to use the snooze function on my email app to remind me of things I want to do weekly or daily. 

A trigger can also be disconnected from a specific point in time. In the book-reading example, a trigger could occur each time you’ve read 75% of your book; that serves as your reminder to download or buy the next book on your list. A successful habit is created through the “cue-routine-reward” system established by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit. You’ve already established your routine through the process above, and your reward is fulfilling your goal; the cue is the final element, your trigger. 

It will take some time to complete the HOW process for all the goals on your list, but the result will be a system that can take you all the way from purpose through goals into reality. 

Here’s to your most productive, accomplished and rewarding 2020!

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning music teacher and writer whose writing has appeared in such publications as Hippocampus, The Rappahannock Review, Mothers Always Write, Confrontation, and Hudson Valley Magazine, and in live performances such as Read 650’s “Gratitude” show at Lincoln Center. She writes the “Be Well, Write Well” column for DIY MFA, where she helps writers live full, happy lives while pursuing their creative dreams. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. Her novels are represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency. Connect with Leanne at leannesowul.com, via Facebook at Words From The Sowul, and on Twitter @sowulwords.

The post Use the Power of Habit to Achieve Your Goals appeared first on DIY MFA.

In today’s post, we’ll explore part two, the WHAT. In this step, we’ll take our purpose statement and break it down into practical, achievable goals. 

I’m going to take a moment for honesty here: this step was the hardest for me. Once I found my purpose statement, I was so excited that I wanted to do all the things that it encompassed. But that’s simply not realistic. In order to turn my WHY into my WHAT, I first had to step back and take a reality check. How much time did I have to devote to each of my priorities? How much energy would it take? Was I leaving myself enough space to live my life, mistakes and all? Most important for me, would the next step ease my natural anxieties by giving me direction, or would it increase my anxieties by putting too much pressure on me? I decided to write down all of those worrisome questions and return to them at the end of this step, a self-check to ensure balance. 

Step 1: Structure Your Plans

Start a document with three columns. In the first column, write down “WHY: Purpose.” Underneath, write your purpose statement. After editing, my statement ended up as one universal truth followed by three qualifiers: one for my writing life, one for my teaching life, and one for my home/family life. For example, here’s what I created for my writing life: 

As a writer, I impart perspective, empathy and faith in humankind. I create complex characters rooted in a strong sense of time, place and family, who are growth-minded, tenacious and fiercely optimistic. 

I was proud of this statement and felt that it reflected my deepest-held values. But the statement held little practical use. How could I break it down into achievable goals? I started by labeling the second column “WHAT: Goals.”

Step 2: Make It Practical 

Decide on a timeline for your goal-setting. I’d suggest something longer than a month but shorter than a year; I map my goals seasonally. (In my mind, there are five seasons. January-March is Winter; April-June is Spring; July-August is Summer; September-November is Fall; and December is Holidays. I can elaborate on this odd system in a future post.)

Next, decide on how many goals you need to feel as though you’re making progress toward your purpose statement. Consider the breadth of each goal as well. If you’re mapping out writing goals that connect to your mission to tell a family history, it might be reasonable to conduct seven interviews but only write three essays. Only you will know what’s reasonable for your schedule and energy levels. 

Step 3: Write It Down

Fill in the chart you’ve made. There will be only one purpose statement, but there might be several goals listed next to it. For example, here’s what I listed for writing goals in the Fall:

Major goal: Plan, produce and submit draft 5 of WiP 

Minor goal: Brainstorm essay topics that include elements of perspective, empathy and faith 

Minor goal: Read most-recommended personal essays from New York Times list

Minor goal: Update and add to list of places to submit essays and short memoir pieces

Note that in this section we’re not yet working out HOW to accomplish these goals. That’s in the next section (and next column!).

Step 4: Reflect

Once I’d hammered out my goals, I took a moment to reflect on the questions I’d had earlier. 

Had I accurately predicted my time and energy levels? Was I leaving myself enough space to live my life, mistakes and all? Only time would tell, but making the goals last over a period of two to three months seemed like there’d be space for anything that might arise, barring catastrophe or major illness. To ensure that my next round of goal-setting would be more accurate, I could keep track of the time spent on each goal and tally up at the end of the season. 

Did the goals increase my anxiety? Reading the goals made me feel energized. I couldn’t wait to get to the final step: making habits to support the goals!

Next month, tune in to our final installment of the series: HOW (habit formation). (My favorite!)

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning music teacher and writer whose writing has appeared in such publications as Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write, Confrontation, and Hudson Valley Magazine, and in live performances such as Read 650’s “The Great Outdoors.” She also writes the “Be Well, Write Well” column for DIY MFA, where she helps writers live full, happy lives while pursuing their creative dreams. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. She writes historical fiction and memoir, and is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency. Connect with Leanne at leannesowul.com, via Facebook at Words From The Sowul, and on Twitter @sowulwords.

The post Four Steps to Turn Your Purpose Into Goals appeared first on DIY MFA.

It’s parenting time. We make and eat breakfast, gather our things, and I drive first to daycare and then to work. On the way, I switch into teacher-mode, going over lesson plans in my head and reminding myself of my teaching to-do list. I spend the day teaching music to fourth and fifth graders, switching instruments from trumpet to flute to percussion in small groups and conducting full band rehearsals. 

I drive home at 3:30, switching back into parent-mode. I team up with my husband to spend the afternoon shuttling our kids to karate and dance and piano lessons. In between there are errands and chores: throw in a load of laundry, pick up a prescription, cook dinner, do the dishes. 

I spend an hour at the end of the night reading to the kids and putting them to bed. Hopefully, I’m done with my house chores by then and can spend a few minutes blogging or connecting with other writers online before heading to bed with a book, knowing that when I wake up, I’ll be a writer again. 

Sound dizzying? It can be. Although I love all my different roles, it can be hard to carry the mental load of writing, teaching and parenting every single day. But I know I’m not alone in this. I recently came back from a writing conference where the mealtime conversation over the banquet room tables was often focused on juggling it all. Very few writers have enough money and time to focus completely on writing. We’re all balancing day jobs, family needs, and our personal health. 

So in honor of all of us writers who struggle to “get it all done,” today I’m launching a three-part series that will go deep into the daily demands of the modern writing life. Today’s column will be on the WHY, helping us find the purpose behind our quest to do it all. The second part will be on the WHAT, as we figure out which parts of our lives get priority. And the final part will be on the HOW: the habits and routines that grease the wheels and help us juggle all our roles throughout the day. 

Start With Why

“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” 

The above quote is by Simon Sinek, the author of Start With Why. A clear purpose is vital to balancing all the parts of our lives. If we don’t know why we’re doing what we do, it presents itself as stress instead of passion, but if we find our WHY, all the difficult moments in our daily lives seem easier to handle thanks to that clarity of purpose. 

Ideally, we create and live by a purpose statement that gathers all the pieces of our life under one umbrella. That’s not always possible— life is messy— but the attempt is worth it. 

Write A Purpose Statement

Start writing your purpose statement by doing research on yourself. Divide your life into different roles— caregiver, spouse, writer, day job— and search within each role to find themes that you naturally embrace. Mine your own data: look through your photos, journals, blog posts, emails, novels, essays and work reports. What jumps out at you? What connections can you make? Start a list of those themes. 

The next step is seeing if your themes overlap. Organize them in columns or bubbles and see if you can draw lines between them. You may be surprised at how well they align. For example, I had an epiphany when I realized that I’d written variations on “Make connections to the past” for both my writing and my teaching themes. Then I saw that it showed up in my parental themes, too, under the guise of “Give my children roots.” I realized that any purpose statement I wrote had to include making past events— historical, familial and musical— relevant to my readers, children and students. 

Finally, bring your themes together into a single purpose statement. It will take some time to sculpt— you’re talking about your life, after all! Write a draft, then walk away. The next time you look at it, check back on your original list of themes and connections and see if they all made it into the statement. If not, find a way to work them in. Walk away again. Keep returning and iterating until your purpose statement is fine-tuned. You’ll know when you get there, because reading it aloud will give you a glow of passion and pride. 

Finally, post your purpose statement in a visible place. Each day, particularly on stressful days, return to it and ask yourself: Did I live up to my life’s purpose today? Did my work feel full of passion, or did it just feel like work? 

Lead the WHY into the WHAT

Now that you’re clear on your purpose, it’s time to start prioritizing the elements of your life that best serve your purpose, and prune out the elements that feel like work instead of passion. That’s where we’ll pick up in the next part of our series. 

Leanne Sowul is an award-winning music teacher and writer whose writing has appeared in such publications as Hippocampus, Mothers Always Write, Confrontation, and Hudson Valley Magazine, and in live performances such as Read 650’s “The Great Outdoors.” She also writes the “Be Well, Write Well” column for DIY MFA, where she helps writers live full, happy lives while pursuing their creative dreams. In 2017, Leanne won both the Scott Meyer Award for personal essay and the All-American Dream Champion Award for music teaching. She writes historical fiction and memoir, and is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency. Connect with Leanne at leannesowul.com, via Facebook at Words From The Sowul, and on Twitter @sowulwords

The post How to Find Your Writing Purpose appeared first on DIY MFA.