A monthly roundup of Tiktok videos related to writing and the writer’s life, showcasing writers and writer-adjacent folks, and their advice, prompts, exaltations, and reality checks.
Hello, writer friends! It’s Summertime in the northern hemisphere, and I hope that means more writing outside, with the sun on your shoulders and hair, the pages of your notebook lightly fluttering in the breeze while you drink an affogato and brainstorm your next move. May the plot bunnies be friendly, the antagonists angsty, and the tropes be the most fun you can imagine. And when you need a break, another drink (don’t forget to hydrate!), or are lying on the couch at the end of the day, tired and a little red (don’t forget the sunscreen!), I hope these videos keep you company, keep you inspired, and keep you feeling like what you truly and most definitely are – a writer!
Alex Fasulobiz, freelance writer, shares three tips for writing more quickly and efficiently. I endorse all three tips, and I know it’s a controversial topic, but I do also recommend writing every day, even if it’s only for five minutes a day (also – brainstorming counts as writing!! Shower thoughts that magically solve plot problems, is writing!) I know we all have so much going on and it’s not easy to write every day, or every week. There are certainly times I go weeks without touching my main work in progress. However, everytime that happens, when I do sit down to write again, I feel that I am spending a lot of time getting reacquainted with the work, which slows me down even more. The more I stay tethered to a work each day, even by just taking some notes, or brainstorming while I load the dishwasher, the easier it is to get back into a practice after not physically writing for a few days.
Arina.Writes shares a short story practice in which she uses a list of prompts to write one short story every day. It helps her think on the fly, stretch her creative muscles, and practice writing. She says she does this for about fifteen minutes per day. I love this as a practice, and can imagine it develops one’s skills quite efficiently. Has anyone ever tried this? I recommend checking out her videos, as well as Your Daily Writing Prompt’s videos, to try writing this way.
Avery Silverberg is a YA author, and she tweets here. As a fellow Swiftie, I loved the mash-up of writing, Swifting (yes, that’s a word, because we just made it up now), and gossiping. Who among us hasn’t met up with a writer friend with the intention of going hard on a project, only to spend the time gossipping about other writers you know? I like to think it still somehow feeds the creative process. Plus when you get home, you write a lot, fast, to make up for the time you wasted. It all works out.
How many times have you spent the day daydreaming about your WIP only to get home and feel so tired, you can’t write a single word. You end up staring at a blank document questioning your life choices. Brayden.writes captures this feeling in his Tiktok. I envy those who can write all night after working all day. If I don’t write in the morning before work, my energy is generally zapped. One way I’ve come to combat this is to save night time sessions for things like research, note taking, re-reading what I’ve written recently, and other tasks that require slightly less brain power.
Elle Kirks’ video is about why Morning Pages are essential. You know I’ve spouted my love for Morning Pages before, but even I needed the reminder. I love what Elle says, “The process is the point.” Her lovely instagram is here.
Emily Austen is the writer of the novel Everyone in this Room Will Someday be Dead, and the forthcoming novel Interesting Facts About Space. In her video, she takes us through her writing process, which is very different from mine, and maybe from yours. Or maybe not! I love to find out about the different ways writers write, whether their routines, or their literal writing process. I find it so fascinating, the parts of people’s routines that are so universal, and the parts that are so specific. Follow her on Twitter here & Instagram here.
Imani runs a website called Culture Craft. Here, Imani talks about how we need to go deeper than simply throwing out names of colors for our characters’ skin and calling it representation. Does your character have a culture beyond their skin tone? Can we see that on the page?
Jenn Hanson-dePaula (instagram) says, “It’s a lot easier to sell your book to people who are already paying attention.” I LOVE that! She shares helpful tips about what to post and how to use social media before your book is even fully written, let alone published. The tips will help you build and audience/community, and take potential readers along through your process. As a reader, I get more and more excited when I see an author’s process along the way. A big goal of mine this year is to be more online TALKING rather than just watching. So I will be following these tips from Jenn and maybe you will too.
Sara Lubratt (youtube) echoes the sentiment, “write the book you want to read.” Not only is that one of the ways to ensure you’ll bring it into this world in the exact way it’s meant to exist (you will!), but you will have to read the book so many times while writing and editing, it might make your eyes bleed. So make sure it’s something you love!
Sujin Witherspoon is a repeat feature on WriterTok Roundup! We’ve all been there… after the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into a first draft, us writers often go through a wave of emotions from “WOW I CAN’T BELIEVE I FINISHED!” to “THIS IS THE MOST GARBAGEY GARBAGE THAT EVER GARBAGED,” and that wave is not linear in the slightest. Petition for a WriterTok Roundup, Swiftie Edition?
I hope your summer isn’t Cruel. Until next time, writers!