2 Ways to Keep Writing in Times of Crisis

From Art Made From Books. Find it on Amazon.com.

I have struggled for the past few days to come up with a brilliant topic for my next blog post. My struggle stems from living inside a whirling gyre of obligations that require my immediate and undivided attention.

Or, at least, that is what it seems to be.

But rather than fight "block" that often accompanies one or more life crises, I decided I would provide two ways to use your times of crisis to fuel your writing.

1) Write when you feel least like writing. How many times have you come across articles describing the multitude of "types" among writers? Are you a plotter or pantser? Are you a midnight writer, early riser, or mid-day muse? Do you write alone in a quiet organized area, or do you venture out to scribble while on a crowded train into the city?

Crisis doesn't care about your comfort zone. In fact, crisis requires that you step out of your comfort zone and complete tasks sans your comforts.

So, instead of waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting . . . and becoming more anxious about the fact that your perfect conditions for writing are too far out of reach, just start writing. Keep a writing instrument and something to write on with you at all times. And just start writing.

By calling upon yourself to do something in a time of crisis or in less than ideal conditions, you will not only improve your abilities to perform the task, you will quite possibly find that you gain a different perspective and understanding of the task at hand.

What better way to develop an exciting plot twist than to use your own life's plot twist as a catalyst?

2) Find ways to make writing part of the solution. For many young and novice writers, writing can, at first, seem to be part of the problem. What I mean by this is, writers sometimes see their writing practice as a problem to be solved, something 'other' that must be delicately folded into the otherwise normal aspects of the life they already possess.

When crises arise, even experienced writers may be tempted to put their writing on the back-burner, unable to justify fitting their writing habit into the day-to-day of managing difficult and threatening situations.

But if writing is your love, your passion, and your sanity, find ways to make writing a part of navigating and overcoming crises. Maybe the answer is submitting to trade magazines and trying your hand at freelance work. Perhaps writing a policy note or program evaluation note relevant to a job opportunity is the answer. You may even find that your crisis and your response to the crisis are excellent fodder for a personal essay or book. Write a proposal and see what hits.

Facing crises should not mean temporarily putting aside our paints, our pens, our dancing shoes, our music, or whatever activities we, for whatever reason, deem as impractical to finding appropriate solutions. These are the times when we need to harness our creativity and make use of our passions.


If you are going through some difficult times in your life, don't give up on the things that make you happy. The things that give you joy make enduring crises worth the struggle. 

Hang in there and happy writing!

4 Essential Books for Writers of Fiction and Non-Fiction

 I love books. Probably a little too much.

My partner and my close friends know that, if I'm curious about a topic, or if I feel like I need to educate myself, I head to the library first, Google second.

There's just something about having the time and space to flip through a book, to hold it in your hands, bookmark some important pages, come back to it later . . . I loves me some books.*

Having said that, I wanted to share several of the books that I have found useful to the pursuit of developing myself as a writer, both in fiction and nonfiction. Although the following selections lean more toward the realm of nonfiction, I'll be sure to post some of my fiction writing favorites in a subsequent post.

Developing Your Platform & Promoting Your Work

I don't care who you are - Even if only part of your gig is getting people to notice your writing, you need to do three things:

1) Establish an online social media presence,

2) make your work accessible to people beyond bookshelves, academic journals, and trade magazines,

and 3) give people the opportunity understand and connect with who you are as a professional beyond the work that you have published.

Blogging for Writers
In this fabulously illustrated 176-page how-to for blogging, Robin Houghton provides several examples of how writers have successfully maintained blogs and, as a result, have enjoyed writing success beyond selling individual pieces. While the book focuses on building blogs on Wordpress and Blogger, the tips for how to design your blog, what to post, and how to grow an audience apply to all platforms.

Create Your Writer Platform
What I love about this how-to book by Chuck Sambuchino is that the author includes, not only the necessary steps to developing a platform, but descriptions of what a platform is, why it's necessary, and how successful authors have built their own platforms. (In case you were wondering, your platform is "your visibility as an author.") Seriously, find this book and, if you're skeptical, just start reading the third chapter, "The 12 Fundamental Principles of Platform." You'll be hooked, I guarantee.

"Oh, but Jennifer, I'm a graduate student. All I need is a well-put together professional website that contains links to my Twitter feed and LinkedIn profile, a place where people can view my CV and read about my current projects."

My friends, what you have is the beginnings of a professional platform. If you want to slam-dunk your academic job interviews and applications, demonstrate that you have a following, that you are engaged in work that is not just "unique," but that is useful and necessary, and if you do decide to venture into the realm of praxis, you will be well-equipped to make the change. Future employers love a one-stop shop for preliminary vetting.

 For Those Graduate Student Types

I have two publications that each and every one of you should have in your arsenal.

Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write & Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation
This book changed the way I thought about my dissertation and my entire PhD experience. I bought it after I had passed my final qualifying exams. I was experiencing a phenomenon that I've heard other PhD students discuss: the emotional intersection between having completed all purely didactic requirements and beginning the dissertation phase of the degree. Depression, anxiety, and exhaustion, peppered with a few existential crises . . . such is the rite of passage, it would seem, for all doctoral students.

Fear not! This surprisingly humorous and well-organized book by Dr. Patrick Dunleavy (a Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science) should be the first thing you read before you begin your dissertation (indeed, before you begin your prospectus). Dunleavy goes into great detail of how to approach each section of your dissertation and how to organize the entire document in such a way that your committee will have an easier time evaluating your work, and you will be proud to put your name on it.

But seriously, you have to pick up a copy. Open to any page, read a couple paragraphs, and then stop kidding yourself and buy a it. Mine is dog-eared, highlighted, written over, and nearly broken in half at the spine. You'll want your own copy, trust me.

Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success
This is not so much of a book as a 350-page academic writers' workshop that you can come back to time and time again for free. Dr. Wendy Laura Belcher (a Professor of African literature at Princeton) not only outlines the steps necessary to write and submit a successful article in a 12-week period, but she helps the reader develop their writing style and habit, something with which young scholars often struggle. The book is flush with worksheets to plan, organize, and revise your writing. There are also helpful tips regarding how to target your audience and select appropriate publications for submission. Unless you're one of the fortunate souls to have attended Dr. Belcher's courses on academic writing, I highly suggest giving this book a try.


I hope these brief reviews are useful in providing some preliminary resources for your writing life. It is my intention to continue to post similar reviews of the resources that I have found helpful. If you have any questions about these publications, or if you would like suggestions for books regarding other aspects of writing, please let me know. I would be happy to help if I am able.

Happy writing!

*Let it be known that, here, I'm referring to my love of non-fiction books. But do not misunderstand. I have read (and own!) every book that Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ever wrote. I also love classic English and American literature, poetry, and literature from the African continent. Books are just the best!