Hello, inklings!
It’s time for another writing roundup where I share the writerly things I’ve found especially inspiring, helpful, encouraging and insightful over the last four weeks! From a thought-provoking TED Talk and practical, productivity-stoking articles and podcast episodes, to one of my favorite energizing snacks, I’m positive you’ll find something that piques your creative curiosity!
Without further ado, here’s my September roundup!
“How to Make Stress Your Friend” (TED Talk)
My husband sent me this recently. (Apparently, it was “required viewing”one day for the group of engineers he works with.) It features health psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s intriguing thoughts regarding new research on the six-letter word that turns our lives inside out and upside down: Stress.
McGonigal discusses why stress is good for us (or, at least, can be good for us…), and what makes us “good at stress.” She says:
“The old understanding of stress as an unhelpful relic of our animal instincts is being replaced by the understanding that stress actually makes us socially smart — it’s what allows us to be fully human.”
She urges us to view stress from a different, more positive perspective and encourages to reduce it, when necessary, by reaching out to others.
Watch the Talk HERE.
ID’ing Your Writing Productivity Type (Podcast)
In this episode of one of my favorite writing podcasts, host Kelton Reid chats with Prolifiko founder Bec Evans about productivity secrets, writer personality types, and understanding your writing psychology.
Here’s a list of the topics covered:
- How simple psychology, persuasive technology, and a dash of neuroscience can help writers understand their process
- Why small behavior and habit changes can have such a big impact
- What your ideal writing routine says about your productivity type
- The pros and cons of daily vs binge writing
- Why writers can’t wait for inspiration
- The psychology of good writing
Tune in to the podcast HERE.
21 Productivity Hacks (Article)
Speaking of Kelton Reid, he wrote a fantastic article for Copy Blogger that highlights 21 productivity hacks from 21 different authors. Here are a few of my favorites:
“[Our mother] … taught us not to become perfectionists, which is where a lot of procrastination and time-wasting occurs. Nothing is less efficient than perfectionism. Her great adage, which I still adhere to, was: Done is better than good.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
“It’s really important to remember that the quality of your work isn’t greatly affected by the amount of enthusiasm you had at the moment you wrote it.” – Andy Weir
“It’s just very important to me to keep putting things in my brain coming from other places, whether it’s a Terry Pratchett novel or an interesting piece of neuroscience or something that comes from outside my echo chamber. It’s really important to me.” – Sonia Simone
Read the whole article HERE.
Current Favorite Writing Snack
If you follow my Instagram Stories, then you might have noticed that I have a mild obsession with NuGo bars. I discovered them at Whole Foods one day, thought the flavors sounded alluring, bought a few different ones, and haven’t looked back.
I love NuGo bars for the following reasons:
- They taste amazing. Seriously, I’ve not found a flavor that I don’t like.
- They’re made with wholesome, natural, non-GMO ingredients.
- They don’t contain any trans fats, hydrogenated oils, or high-fructose corn syrup.
- They only contain REAL ingredients.
Currently, my favorite bars are:
- Chocolate Pretzel (Dark Chocolate)
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip (Dark Chocolate)
- Peanut Butter Cup (Dark Chocolate)
- Crunchy Peanut Butter (Slim Bar)
- Brownie Crunch (Slim Bar)
Check out their complete list of products HERE!
(Bonus) Writing Quote to Ponder:
“We’re past the age of heroes and hero kings. … Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it’s up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”
—John Updike, WD
That concludes this month’s roundup! Let me know what cool and helpful writing/publishing-related things you’ve learned recently by tweeting me @dandersontyler!