How Not to Become a Literary Dropout, Part 3

One way you can maintain your career as a writer is to try to do at least one thing each day that advances your writing. Here are a few suggestions:

1)    begin a completely new piece of writing

2)    continue writing a piece you’ve already started

3)    edit a piece of writing you’ve already begun

4)    make notes for a writing project you’d like to begin

5)    do research for a piece of writing you plan to start or add to

6)    read the work of a writer you’ve heard about but haven’t read

7)    reread a favorite work

8)    buy a lottery ticket (just kidding!)

9)    attend a reading

10) attend a workshop or a writer’s group

11)  read a literary magazine you’ve never read

12)  submit your work to a magazine

13) research contests you might want to enter

14) send your work to a literary contest

15) have a conversation with another writer about your work or their work or the work of a writer you’ve been reading or they’ve been reading.

16)  read a work of literary criticism or biography about a writer you want to know more about

17)  apply for a grant

18) buy a gun and hold up a bank (just checking to see if you’re still with me) 

19)  apply for a writer’s residency or retreat

20)  research reading series

21)  contact a reading series to set up a reading

22)  research possible book publishers

23)  send a query to a possible book publisher

24)  follow up on emails or letters sent to you from magazines or publishers or reading series

25)  research jobs teaching writing and/or literature

26)  apply for jobs teaching writing and/or literature

27)  teach a class or workshop on writing or literature

28)  write a book review

29)  write an article on a writer whose work intrigues you

30)  write an anonymous hate letter to a writer whose work you don’t like (just kidding again!)

31)  collaborate with other artists such as musicians, actors, visual artists, filmmakers, etc.

32)  negotiate a contract for a book or a reading

33)  write a blog on your art or on art in general

34)  start or add to a Facebook page that includes news about your writing

As you can see, very few of these suggestions actually involve creativity, with the exception of figuring out how to rob a bank. While it’s desirable to be creative as often as possible, few of us have the spark to do that every hour of every single day. But your creative downtime can be your active time for getting your work to your audience, or for finding the time or resources to continue writing. The business of writing is also an important part of being a creative artist. The students I’ve taught who’ve continued as writers are mostly the ones who also pay attention to the other work, getting their writing to readers and obtaining resources to keep going.

Other recent posts about writing topics:

How Not to Become a Literary Dropout, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10

How to Get Published
Getting the Most from Your Writing Workshop
Putting Together a Book Manuscript
Working with a Writing Mentor
How to Deliver Your Message
Does the Muse Have a Cell Phone?
Why Write Poetry? 
Poetic Forms: Introduction; The Sonnet, The Sestina, The Ghazal, The Tanka

Praise and Lament
How to Be an American Writer