How I hype myself up to sit down and write
Plus, my writing process.
👋 Hey there! I’m Alexis. I write about life, creativity, being a freelance writer, and everything in between. If you enjoy corny humor and cute cat pictures with a splash of advice (and maybe personal essays), you’ll probably fit in around here.
I fold and put away my laundry and then my boyfriend’s (he’s a lucky guy).
I arrange all the pillows neatly on the sofa (we have seven).
I make the bed.
I clean up the kitchen and the lingering cups and mugs throughout the house.
I scroll through Substack Notes.
I brush my hair.
I change my clothes.
I eat a snack.
I make a cappuccino.
I read something related for a few minutes.
I write outlines about different topics (not the topic at hand).
I look for (slash hope to find) other things around the house that need organizing
I water all 15 of my plants
I finally settle down at my keyboard to realize I need to pee and refill my water glass.
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But seriously, I’m a productive person once I stop procrastinating
It’s just a matter of getting to the moment where I don’t feel the need to stand up every five seconds. I love my home office. When I sit at my wooden, second-hand desk, there’s a big window to my left overlooking a large, leafy green tree. Green plants and an orchid with six beautiful pink blossoms line the windowsill. My spider plant, Petunia, sits on the left corner of my desk.
Depending on my mood, I pop on my noise-canceling headphones and pull up my Bob Dylan or Erykah Badu Spotify playlist to get in the zone. I always have a large glass or Nalgene bottle filled with water next to me. And if my boyfriend’s at home, I close the sliding door to my office. I tape a piece of paper to the door that says, “Focus time. Do not disturb, please.” Does he listen? Not always.
But somehow, I still get the work done. Sometimes I write for one hour and sometimes for four. I think four is my threshold in one sitting. Any longer and my eyeballs feel like they could fall out.
How I manage to get the work done
Writing is sometimes a painful process. I recently worked on a ghost piece for a client about a topic I didn’t know much about (and the turnaround time was only seven business days). I used about 60% of the time to read every article or resource I could get my hands on about the topic before writing it. That’s how it works, right? I think non-writers don’t realize that writing is so much more than just tapping away at your keyboard. It involves:
Reading.
Analyzing.
Staring out the window.
Trying to connect ideas in your mind and then figuring out how to organize them.
Spitting out a disgusting first draft.
Staring out the window.
Reviewing your first draft and cringing most of the time.
Rearranging your thoughts.
Feeling like it’s coming together.
Staring out the window.
Struggling to write a decent introduction and conclusion.
Editing, more editing.
Realizing you could keep tweaking your work for all eternity.
Telling yourself to go for a walk, but never actually getting up.
Leaving it alone for a few hours.
Coming back and realizing it’s not complete shit.
Making a few more tweaks.
Staring out the window.
Submitting it to the client or publishing it on your Substack.
Waiting (anxiously) for it to be well received (or to bomb).
Wondering why you’re doing this to yourself, but at the same time, starting the process again with the next topic.
Whether it’s a personal piece or an article for a client about a topic I need to learn on the go, I love the feeling of accomplishment when I complete a piece, turn it in, or publish it. Like wow, I started from nothing and created this thing that people will read and (hopefully) like. This, my friends, is why I keep going even when I don’t feel like it.
I’ve never had a personal blog or writing outlet until this Substack. It’s fun and freeing and I can’t wait to see how it evolves. In the meantime, I just wanted to say thanks for being here and supporting my work! I recently turned on paid subscriptions after one person pledged. I haven’t advertised it yet, but another subscriber upgraded since then. I honestly can’t believe it. I’m used to getting paid for my writing, but it’s client work. Getting paid to write what I want is a whole new ball game!
I thought you said you fold and put away your laundry and then your boyfriend, not you’re boyfriend’s 😂
Love this dose of reality. I find every needy excuse in the world to have my nest clean and organized before I write. It’s nice to know I’m not the only human with this tendency.