top of page

Writer's Respite

Advice, tips and helpful hints to help you on your publishing journey.

Search

There are lots of groups on websites like GoodReads, that are made entirely of writers, authors and blog writers. Some of them have users that talk about topics involving seasonal inspiration. So that got us thinking about how different seasons trigger something within our creative minds so we write some of our best. Let’s explore how the seasons can affect our writing habits, train of thoughts and moods.


Spring is about life


It's not uncommon for a great novel that has a happy ending, to paint a serene scene of spring as it closes out the ark of a character. Why? Spring is all about rejuvenation, new life, thriving, things growing and blossoming. The flowers bloom, the plants sprout, trees regain their leaves and animals come out of their homes and hibernation, to mate. The season of spring could inspire you to write about something new, or perhaps, a new take on something. Maybe a character in your story could have something good happen to them instead of something that challenges them. Maybe, you could be inspired to write a novel set in spring itself? Because spring is so bright and vibrant, being more descriptive is almost too good of an itch not to scratch in your writing.


Summer duality


Summer is one of the best seasons to write about. It's the pinnacle of happiness for some. The sun is bright, the weather is warm enough to wear minimal clothing and you just feel freer than at any other time of year. However, summer is also seen as the calm before the storm. Fall follows summer so the lavish weather is something we are well aware of, not lasting too long. In terms of writing, this could inspire you to write about enjoying the good times, living in the moment and wanting to write a story or a character that embodies summer. Someone who is vibrant, joyful, lives each day how most people only wish they did.


The preparation of fall


Writing stories and characters that fit the fall so well is difficult. The fall is about things slowly dying. We see the bright green leaves on trees, slowly turning a beautiful crimson, yellow, orange or brown. One could be inspired to show the beauty in death, the slow degradation of things we love and nevertheless, enjoying the process of closing a door to a chapter in our lives. Not to mention, we all prepare for the next season in the fall. We know that it will get cold, troubling or hard times are ahead, so we use the fall to prepare for future challenges. This could inspire any writer to tell a story about preparing for the challenges in life, getting a thicker skin, realizing good times are often followed by bad times and accepting the ebbs and flows of life.



The seasons can inspire writers to write their absolute best, if they can see the symbolization of each. Let us know how the seasons inspire you and how your writing changes depending on which season it currently is.



‘There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.’

  • Maya Angelou


The act of putting pen to paper has been used for centuries to capture thoughts and feelings. Now studies suggest that as little as 20 minutes of writing could improve both physical and mental health. Writing is a versatile therapeutic tool that can be used by individuals to define their emotional state. Therapists frequently use journaling as part of their counseling toolkit. Here are a number of ways in which writing can boost your well-being.

Heal From Traumatic Or Stressful Experiences

Writing about traumatic events for as little as 15 minutes over 5 sessions leads individuals to report a variety of health benefits. Mental health benefits include fewer stress-related incidents or depressive episodes, while physical health ranges from lower blood pressure to better immune system functions. Capturing that traumatic incident on paper can help you heal in a number of ways.


See Things From A Different Perspective

Jotting down your feelings and recounting events can help you see things in a different light. As you write down events that had negative connotations, perhaps it's easier to see the positives of a, particularly bad experience. You might find you discover something new about yourself or even see the situation from a different perspective. Writing therapy provides a reflective element that allows you to re-evaluate certain life events.


Express Yourself In A Clear Way

When we feel down, it can be difficult to share our feelings. Writing allows you to express yourself in a clear way, and clarify what is bothering you. As you begin writing as therapy, you can also spill out your innermost thoughts onto a page in a free manner. Speaking about your feelings can be daunting, and you may fear judgment from people. Writing is a good starting point to help you get to the crux of your emotions in a clear way.


Reap The Health Benefits

Writing for a short period of time can boost your physical wellbeing too. Writing therapy participants report better lung and liver function and a higher functioning immune system. Patients with long-term IBS that participated in writing therapy reported reduced symptoms and in general had fewer hospital trips or GP visits. Research shows that writing is actually good for your physical health.


Improve Your Memory

Writing is an excellent way to improve your cognition and memory. It stimulates the brain and can improve focus, problem-solving skills, and reasoning capabilities. Studies show that writing on paper can lead to improved memory recall. Putting pen to paper has a variety of cognition benefits that train your brain to act more quickly.


Writing as therapy can help clarify your emotions, recover from traumatic events and train your brain to be more agile. Yet the physical benefits are also extremely important - from a reduction in stress-related health conditions to improved liver function. Writing as therapy can help our brains and bodies feel better.



Writer’s‌ ‌block‌ ‌is‌ ‌for‌ ‌real.‌ ‌You‌ ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌feel‌ ‌embarrassed‌ ‌how‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌being‌ ‌defeated,‌ ‌literally‌ ‌by‌ ‌a‌ ‌blank‌ ‌page.‌ ‌It's‌ ‌crushing,‌ ‌annoying,‌ ‌exhausting‌ ‌and‌ ‌hilarious‌ ‌all‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌time.‌ ‌When‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌so‌ ‌fresh‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌ideas,‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌sit‌ ‌and‌ ‌state‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌page‌ ‌for‌ ‌an‌ ‌hour‌ ‌or‌ ‌more,‌ ‌it‌ ‌makes‌ ‌you‌ ‌re-evaluate‌ ‌life.‌ ‌But,‌ ‌you‌ ‌shouldn’t‌ ‌resort‌ ‌to‌ ‌eating‌ ‌bags‌ ‌and‌ ‌bags‌ ‌of‌ ‌chips‌ ‌and‌ ‌dip.‌ ‌You‌ ‌should‌ ‌instead,‌ ‌seek‌ ‌better‌ ‌mining‌ ‌skills.‌ ‌‘Mining‌ ‌for‌ ‌ideas’‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌hip‌ ‌cool‌ ‌kids‌ ‌in‌ ‌New‌ ‌York‌ ‌high-rises‌ ‌call‌ ‌it,‌ ‌is‌ ‌when‌ ‌you‌ ‌do‌ ‌a‌ ‌deep-dive‌ ‌into‌ ‌your‌ ‌mind‌ ‌to‌ ‌figure‌ ‌out‌ ‌what‌ ‌issues‌ ‌and‌ ‌topics‌ ‌you‌ ‌should‌ ‌write‌ ‌about.‌ ‌ ‌ Make‌ ‌it‌ ‌personal‌ ‌ ‌ Whenever‌ ‌you‌ ‌care‌ ‌about‌ ‌something,‌ ‌it‌ ‌shows!‌ ‌There’s‌ ‌no‌ ‌doubt‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌world,‌ ‌that‌ ‌when‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌really‌ ‌passionate‌ ‌about‌ ‌something,‌ ‌you‌ ‌tend‌ ‌to‌ ‌write‌ ‌better.‌ ‌You‌ ‌care‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌people‌ ‌involved,‌ ‌the‌ ‌subjects,‌ ‌the‌ ‌impact‌ ‌a‌ ‌topic‌ ‌has‌ ‌on‌ ‌you,‌ ‌which‌ ‌will‌ ‌always‌ ‌show‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌writing‌ ‌style.‌ ‌So‌ ‌find‌ ‌a‌ ‌topic‌ ‌that‌ ‌either‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌personally‌ ‌been‌ ‌involved‌ ‌in,‌ ‌or‌ ‌affected‌ ‌by‌ ‌and‌ ‌select‌ ‌that.‌ ‌You‌ ‌may‌ ‌also‌ ‌find‌ ‌that‌ ‌one‌ ‌or‌ ‌two‌ ‌articles‌ ‌aren’t‌ ‌enough.‌ ‌You‌ ‌may‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌series‌ ‌of‌ ‌articles‌ ‌to‌ ‌fully‌ ‌express‌ ‌your‌ ‌ideas.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Go‌ ‌across‌ ‌borders‌ ‌ ‌ Sometimes,‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌journalists‌ ‌or‌ ‌writers‌ ‌have‌ ‌chosen‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌where‌ ‌their‌ ‌counterparts‌ ‌will‌ ‌not.‌ ‌A‌ ‌topic‌ ‌that‌ ‌is‌ ‌outside‌ ‌of‌ ‌your‌ ‌country,‌ ‌maybe‌ ‌feminist‌ ‌issues‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Middle‌ ‌East,‌ ‌or‌ ‌corruption‌ ‌in‌ ‌Asia,‌ ‌maybe‌ ‌green‌ ‌energy‌ ‌in‌ ‌third-world‌ ‌countries,‌ ‌something‌ ‌or‌ ‌other‌ ‌that‌ ‌isn’t‌ ‌so‌ ‌‘local’‌ ‌to‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌would‌ ‌be‌ ‌better.‌ ‌Consider‌ ‌researching‌ ‌some‌ ‌ideas‌ ‌that‌ ‌are‌ ‌important‌ ‌to‌ ‌another‌ ‌country‌ ‌and‌ ‌culture‌ ‌and‌ ‌see‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌can‌ ‌become‌ ‌passionate‌ ‌about‌ ‌their‌ ‌plight.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Cover‌ ‌it‌ ‌again‌ ‌ ‌ Never‌ ‌be‌ ‌afraid‌ ‌to‌ ‌revisit‌ ‌a‌ ‌topic.‌ ‌You‌ ‌should‌ ‌never‌ ‌feel‌ ‌as‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌give‌ ‌your‌ ‌readers‌ ‌ something‌ ‌new,‌ ‌each‌ ‌and‌ ‌every‌ ‌time‌ ‌they‌ ‌open‌ ‌your‌ ‌blog.‌ ‌It's‌ ‌going‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌you‌ ‌burn‌ ‌out‌ ‌so‌ ‌ much‌ ‌quicker‌ ‌when‌ ‌you‌ ‌try‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌unique‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌time.‌ ‌Explore‌ ‌it‌ ‌from‌ ‌a‌ ‌different‌ ‌angle‌ ‌or‌ ‌just‌ ‌ update‌ ‌the‌ ‌reader‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌issues‌ ‌you‌ ‌covered‌ ‌from‌ ‌last‌ ‌time.‌ ‌Obviously,‌ ‌try‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌it‌ ‌interesting‌ ‌and‌ ‌not‌ ‌just‌ ‌a‌ ‌repeat‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌talking‌ ‌points.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Keep‌ ‌reading‌ ‌ ‌ We’ve‌ ‌talked‌ ‌about‌ ‌‘keep‌ ‌writing’‌ ‌when‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌stuck,‌ ‌but‌ ‌we‌ ‌also‌ ‌recommend‌ ‌you‌ ‌keep‌ ‌ reading.‌ ‌Whether‌ ‌it‌ ‌be‌ ‌fiction,‌ ‌non-fiction‌ ‌or‌ ‌even‌ ‌the‌ ‌newspaper.‌ ‌Keep‌ ‌your‌ ‌mind‌ ‌hunting‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌good‌ ‌topic,‌ ‌learn‌ ‌about‌ ‌various‌ ‌topics‌ ‌that‌ ‌aren’t‌ ‌immediately‌ ‌interesting‌ ‌to‌ ‌you.‌ ‌You‌ ‌never‌ ‌know‌ ‌when‌ ‌a‌ ‌story‌ ‌that‌ ‌seems‌ ‌mundane‌ ‌is‌ ‌going‌ ‌to‌ ‌suck‌ ‌you‌ ‌in;‌ ‌and‌ ‌give‌ ‌you‌ ‌the‌ ‌inspiration‌ ‌to‌ ‌follow‌ ‌it‌ ‌further.‌ ‌ ‌ Talk‌ ‌about‌ ‌it‌ ‌ ‌ Talking‌ ‌about‌ ‌writer’s‌ ‌block‌ ‌is‌ ‌nothing‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌ashamed‌ ‌about.‌ ‌It‌ ‌doesn’t‌ ‌mean‌ ‌you‌ ‌aren’t‌ ‌as‌ ‌ talented‌ ‌or‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌work‌ ‌using‌ ‌your‌ ‌own‌ ‌initiative.‌ ‌Far‌ ‌from‌ ‌it‌ ‌actually.‌ ‌It's‌ ‌a‌ ‌sign‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌work‌ ‌through‌ ‌a‌ ‌speed‌ ‌bump‌ ‌that‌ ‌others‌ ‌simply‌ ‌ignore‌ ‌and‌ ‌end‌ ‌up‌ ‌producing‌ ‌sub-par‌ ‌work.‌ ‌Speak‌ ‌about‌ ‌it‌ ‌with‌ ‌other‌ ‌writers,‌ ‌or‌ ‌your‌ ‌boss‌ ‌and‌ ‌see‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌get‌ ‌given‌ ‌some‌ ‌good‌ ‌advice‌ ‌0n‌ ‌how‌ ‌to‌ ‌combat‌ ‌it.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌It's‌ ‌hard‌ ‌to‌ ‌always‌ ‌produce‌ ‌your‌ ‌best‌ ‌work.‌ ‌Quality‌ ‌control‌ ‌as‌ ‌writers‌ ‌is‌ ‌up‌ ‌to‌ ‌us‌ ‌but‌ ‌we‌ ‌must‌ ‌not‌ ‌put‌ ‌the‌ ‌bar‌ ‌too‌ ‌high‌ ‌so‌ ‌we‌ ‌never‌ ‌reach‌ ‌it.‌ ‌As‌ ‌long‌ ‌as‌ ‌we‌ ‌are‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌mine‌ ‌for‌ ‌ideas‌ ‌and‌ ‌work‌ ‌through‌ ‌a‌ ‌block,‌ ‌we‌ ‌are‌ ‌doing‌ ‌ourselves‌ ‌justice.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌



Contact
Telephone: 0333 224 7070
Te

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
bottom of page