by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales

The kids have recently gone back to school and are settling into their school routines. Fall is just around the corner, and pumpkin spice everything has hit the shelves.

But now is not the time to shelve our writing projects. Instead, here are 10 back-to-school tips for writers:

1. Make sure your pencils are sharpened.

It’s important that we always have the tools we need to do our best job. Whether we sharpen our pencils or make sure our laptops are charged, we need to be prepared.

2. Always carry an eraser.

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes … or correcting them.

3. Pack your lunch.

It’s important for writers, just like children, to have healthy nutrition to power our bodies and our minds. Eat well. Exercise. Your creativity will flourish.

4. Listen to your teacher.

When you decide to hire an editor, seriously consider taking their advice. You’re paying them to point out the things that need improvement in your story or manuscript. If you aren’t going to consider following their advice, don’t waste your money. If you really want to learn and improve your craft, pay attention in class.

5. Write it down.

Writing requires good organizational skills. Especially if you’re freelancing or under contract. It’s important to know when things are due, where we’ve submitted pieces, and so much more. Get yourself a calendar and keep track of your writing schedule.

6. Take good notes.

It’s important for us to keep track of various information. For example, if we’re writing nonfiction and we reference something, we need to track that reference for our end notes. If we are writing fiction, we may want to track information about our characters, the story’s timeline, and more. Take notes so you can quickly find the answers you may need as you’re writing.

7. Talk about your day.

Just as our kids need to come home and tell us all about their day, we need someone to talk to about ours. Writers work in isolation when we “go dark” to finish a manuscript on deadline. It’s important we don’t stay dark. Have a network of friends or family or prayer warriors who you can talk to on a regular basis. Socializing is important.

8. Plan ahead for tomorrow.

When we have a plan, we get more done. Prioritize and stick to the plan. When life interrupts, give yourself grace.

9. Do your homework.

Research. Study. Find the answers you need in order to accomplish your task, whatever it may be. Too often, writers look for shortcuts to answers or ignore directions. Doing so is setting yourself up for failure. Wondering something? Use Google before you use your network. Find conflicting answers? That’s when your network comes in handy. Read books and study your craft. Success will find you when you seek it out.

10. Get enough sleep.

Good nutrition and exercise are important, and so is sleep. I don’t know about you, but I can’t pull all-nighters in order to meet a deadline anymore. My middle-aged body can’t handle it like my early-twenties body did all those years ago. I’m worthless for a couple of days after an all-nighter now. Sleep is my friend. Especially if I want to be on the top of my game.

What are some other tips you can think of for writers as our kids (or we) go back to school? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her writing has been in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. Her editing clients have won several awards for their manuscripts, including finalist in the Selah Award. Alycia’s first ghostwriting project, The Spirit of Hospitality by Larry Stuart, releases in December 2018.

She is also the conference manager and the blog editor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

When she isn’t busy hanging out with her writing friends, her husband, and her four children, Alycia enjoys reading, watching TV, hiking, and crafting.

Follow Alycia at her blogs, Life.Inspired. and The Write Editing. She can also be found on Instagram and Pinterest.