tips for staying calm, productive, & healthy while social distancing

Hi, Alley Pals! Laurie here, taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk about being homebound and working from home with the CDC’s new social distancing recommendations affecting so many people.

I’ve been a work-from-home mom for 8.5 years, ranging from full-time to working part-time and taking classes. I’ve also been quarantined for months when one of my kids had some unexplained symptoms, so I know the full spectrum of feelings that can come from circumstances you can’t control + responsibilities that don’t stop when global pandemics occur.

Today I’m sharing my best tips to stay healthy, balanced, and productive when homebound.

First and foremost, actively prioritize grace over fear.

The headlines and the empty grocery store aisles have demonstrated what fear can do in times like this. And fear breeds shame and all sorts of ugliness. So stay smart and apprised of your area’s recommended precautions, but avoid social media for the time being if it’s a source of fear.

If you’re having trouble reconciling fear with faith, I love this recommendation from a pastor friend of mine: When possible, focus on what we know to be true of God through His Word rather than trying to make sense of God through the lens of what’s happening in the world.

And on this subject, my favorite professor always said the best way to alleviate situational stress and anxiety is to turn our focus outward and actively look for ways to help others. Since we’re social distancing, you can order or drop off groceries for others if it’s within your financial means, pray of course, and check in on the most vulnerable in your community. The elderly, the hourly workers, and the children who rely on school lunches may be struggling more than you know. Solidarity and grace are maybe MOST important right now.

Give yourself a flexible routine (and your kids, if you have them!)

On a more practical note, even if you normally balk at the idea of structure (I get it!), let me make a case for a flexible routine. Evaluating all you need to accomplish and then dividing up your day accordingly can decrease stress drastically by reducing the number of decisions you need to make. You don’t need to scramble for what to do with your time because it’s laid out for you.

And if you’re trying to work from home with kids, this keeps them entertained and gives them direction without so many questions. But, again, the keyword here is FLEXIBLE because we’re all about that grace right now.

Give yourself one thing to look forward to every day.

When I was working from home with a newborn, this was the best advice someone gave me. It’s something that gives you life, maybe feels like a little luxury. For me, that would be an hour with a good book, baking with my kids, a yoga video with my favorite candles, or a hot shower with my yummy lemon body wash.

Making a bucket list of things you want to accomplish (fun and work) while you’re enjoying social distancing is another great way to stay on track and keep morale up.

Make space for creativity.

This is not a natural inclination for me, but the second I found out my kids’ schools were cancelled for three weeks, I made a bin and gathered all of the workbooks, coloring books, and play dough around our house so there would never be a shortage of things to do. I also put in a Target Drive-up order for cheap painting sketch pads and watercolors. Doing something with our hands that doesn’t require a lot of brain activity has been super therapeutic for us.

If practical things help ease your mind and alleviate some of your fear, your friendly microbiology student is here for you:

This is a list of things you might not think to do, shared not for the sake of driving mania or paranoia or OCD tendencies, but for those like me who can avoid worry by knowing they’re doing everything they can:

Follow CDC guidelines + the recommendations of your local health department. Regularly clean your cell phone, laptop, and other electronic devices. Remove shoes before entering your house. Change clothes after you’ve been in a crowded area. Take community hand towels out of your kitchens/bathrooms and give everyone their own that gets washed daily. Disinfect soap dispensers if you’ve reused/refilled them for a while. Disinfect doorknobs, light switches, refrigerator handles, and other things that get lots of touches.

Take good care of yourself!

You know the science behind this, but now is a great time to get in regular sunshine/fresh air, leafy green veggies, and plenty of water. Colorful foods (and reduced sugar) will not only support your immune system with naturally occurring vitamins, but it will clear your mind and boost your mental health. As will taking a walk outside or doing a yoga/stretching/fitness video on YouTube.

In addition to your rhythms of prayer and rest, regularly check in on your mental health and don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional if you need extra help right now. Being proactive in these ways gives your mind and body the fighting chance they need.

Stay well, my friends. Check in with us in the comments to let us know how you’re doing and what’s been helpful for you!

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Laurie Tomlinson is a wife, mom, future RN, and the award-winning contemporary romance author of That’s When I Knew, With No Reservations, and The Long Game, currently featured in the Once Upon a Laugh novella collection. 

She believes that God’s love is unfailing, anything can be accomplished with a good to-do list, and that life should be celebrated with cupcakes and extra sprinkles.

You can connect with her on her Website, Facebook, and Instagram.

When Your To-Do List Feels Like an Endless Chase

I’m going to give you a behind-the-scenes tidbit about The Writer’s Alley. At the end of every week, Weekend Cat Sherrinda sends us an email asking for the next week’s topics to include in the Weekend Edition. When she sent it last week, my mind immediately snapped to something I’ve been mulling over: how to conquer a to-do list. Because in the middle of adding to my workload, potty training a toddler, and getting ready for Thanksgiving, I hoped to master it in the 3-4 days’ time before my post was due.

After 3-4 days, it’s official: I don’t think I’ll ever feel qualified to tell you how to master your to-do list.

But I think a lot of you are like me, balancing your passions and dreams with other responsibilities that can’t be neglected in the meantime. I mean, all that caffeinated, chocolatey writing fuel doesn’t pay for itself, does it? :)

Perhaps you’re working a 9-5 that really feels like a 24/7 or caring for an aging parent or taking night classes or chasing babies all day. You compartmentalize the different roles you play. Spouse. Parent. Sibling. Small Business Owner. Volunteer. Student. Friend. The list of responsibilities can seem endless. By the time you’ve managed to put out all of the fires in one area -- or at least reach a point where they’re manageable -- the flames of another aspect of life are already licking at your heels.

To be honest, sometimes it feels a lot like this:

But maybe, just maybe, these tips and reminders I’m learning will help if you’re like me and juggling a few other hats besides your writer hat.

Plan your work and work your plan. My dad has been drilling this quote into my mind since I was a kid, as his dad did before him :) It’s good to sit down at the beginning of each week and map out any scheduled events, assignments, deadlines, and other non-negotiable responsibilities. Then make a list of goals for the week that are important to you -- for me, this includes bigger household tasks that I should probably get around to doing, meals to make, how many times I want to exercise to reach my health/fitness goals, and of course, my writing plan.

So I have a map of each week that tells me which days will be more saturated with the non-negotiables + lighter days I could perhaps utilize to get more writing accomplished. I try to budget my time realistically, not piling too much on my plate on any given day if I can help it (sometimes I can't), looking at the map of my week to forecast any potential interruptions so that, if I do happen upon a roadblock, I'm more prepared for it and it can’t derail me as easily -- OR give me an excuse to put my writing on hold.

Stop procrastinating. I’m looking at you, Netflix Gilmore Girls binge. Instead of mindless and idle entertainment, be intentional about rewarding yourself with set times for things that will give you a break and re-energize you. Pick an episode of a favorite show to watch after you’ve accomplished your goals for the day. Give yourself a pretty manicure. Take a walk to brainstorm or a power nap to rest your mind. And so you can enjoy these moments fully, set timers during designated work times, turn on Do Not Disturb Mode on your phone and social media, go into full-screen mode on your Word Processor. There are even programs that block internet surfing for you!

I’m a big fan of the 15-minute timer. You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes. And almost always you can spare it, even during your work day. Focused 15-minute writing sprints? Yes. Turning on the oven timer and cleaning the kitchen? Done. 15-minute power nap? My very favorite.

One thing I’m learning is that a single 15-minute writing sprint a day equals 200-250 words I wouldn’t have if I continued buying into the lie that I have no time to write during the week. And that adds up!

If you do fail, recover well. You know what? Even if you've planned for roadblocks and allowed yourself wiggle room, things happen. Stuff falls through the cracks sometimes. There are weeks when to-do list items are constantly shuffled or not crossed off at all. But you can recover gracefully, own up if it affects anyone else, and improve your habits or adjust your schedule so history doesn't repeat itself. Most of the time, one failure doesn't have to be the end-all, be-all. Remember that, fellow perfectionists, and give yourself grace.

Make sure you’re maintaining balance and healthy priorities. On that note, it’s easy to get so caught up in squeezing our dreams into the cracks of every free minute that we become too focused on one thing. But is it really worth it if important areas of our lives -- along with the people we love -- might suffer for it? I think you know the answer.

Remember that God made you a writer, but you have to make sure you’re doing it to honor Him. If you’re honoring Him in what you do, then on one hand, your well-being won’t suffer for it. The people you love won’t either.

And on the other hand, when you’re honoring God, you’ll find that time becomes a miraculous currency. Somehow everything gets finished -- and with a little intentional planning, everything can get finished well.

What are some things you can be more intentional about in your life? Do you have any tips to add to this list?

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Laurie Tomlinson is a wife and mom from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who enjoys stories of grace in the beautiful mess. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and received the Genesis Award in 2013 (Contemporary) and 2014 (Romance). Her work is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary.

You can connect with Laurie here:

Facebook - AuthorLaurieTomlinson

Twitter - @LaurieTomlinson

Web - www.LaurieTomlinson.com

How blogging can help your novel-writing

In my last post, I talked about how short-story writing can improve your long fiction.

Today I'd like to discuss another form of writing that will help your career as a novelist: blogging.

Maybe you already do it. Maybe you've considered starting. Or perhaps it's not on your radar at all.

Here's why it should be.

1. Blogging will help you relax your voice
Us novelists tend to take ourselves a bit seriously at times. After all, writing a novel is a big undertaking. It's challenging and important and... and... kind of lofty. Right?

As a novelist shut away in our writing cave for months and years on end, it's easy to get wrapped up in the grandeur of the story we're spinning, and forget all about that little thing called the reader. And the problem is, if our storytelling voice becomes all lofty and self-important, we've lost most of those said readers from the get-go.

Blogging is different. There's a matter of hours between writing something and having it go live before a real-life audience: an audience who gives us immediate feedback on our work. Therefore, it's easier to write with said audience front and center in our writing brain. The result? A tone that is conversational, friendly, down-to-earth, and relatable.

Once you've been blogging long enough, you'll find that more natural, conversational voice finding its way into your longer fiction as well. And that's a good thing.

Blogging will help you strip affectation from your voice, simplify, relax, and keep things real.

Image by Ambro, freedigitalphotos.net

2. Blogging builds self-discipline
Blogging is like the stomach-crunches of the writing world.

Maybe it's not as exciting or glamorous as signing that big book deal, watching your novel climb the bestseller ranks, or any of the other delightful things we like to daydream about.

But it gives you a solid foundation as a writer. It requires you to be consistent and meet small, regular deadlines. That is great practice for one day down the track when you have deadlines set by a publisher.

3. Blogging will improve your productivity
Sometimes the best thing for a story block is to switch writing gears and hammer out a blog post. It's an easy and immediate style of writing, and it'll give you the satisfaction of completing something - which is a great antidote to frustration.

Besides, the more you write, across all genres and platforms, the quicker you get. Wanna be a prolific writer? Start blogging. Your output will increase overall, because it has to.

Before you know it, ideas start flowing faster from brain to fingertips, and you're all limbered up and ready to dive back into your story-world.

4. Blogging will help you find and connect with your audience
This flows on from the first point. Blogging puts you in touch with readers - right now, without having to wait for some "maybe day" in the distant future.

Publishers want to see that you have a platform. We all know how essential that is in today's marketing climate. There is no better time to start building a platform than before the book deal.

Wait till afterward, and you've probably left it too late.

When you blog consistently and strategically, you are building a tribe of people who are interested in what you have to say.

And after all, that's what every writer wants, isn't it?

To have a voice, and someone to listen.

Do you blog? If so, why do you do it, and how do you find it helps you as a writer? 

If not, what are your reasons for not blogging? Is it something you'd consider?

TWEETABLES
I'm a novelist, not a blogger! Why novelists should have a blog, & how it'll help your writing: Tweet this

Karen Schravemade lives in Australia, where she mothers by day and transforms into a fearless blogger by night. She's a Genesis finalist for women's fiction and is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such. Find her on Twitter, Google+, and getting creative on her home-making blog, A house full of sunshine.

Great APPs for Writers

Photo by samuiblue
freedigitalphotos.net

You know it happens. You are in the carpool line and you think of a great scene...or a fabulous line...and you have no pen and paper anywhere! What to do? You don't want to lose the awesome words swirling amid your brain cells.

Well, I have some help for you. I did a little research and came up with some smartphone APPs that might help you out. I did not try out all these APPs, as some cost money and it is not yet pay day, if you know what I mean!

PLAIN TEXT
For editing text on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. PlainText is a simple text editor with an uncomplicated, paper-like user interface. Unlike the default Notes app, PlainText allows you to create and organize your documents in folders and sync everything with Dropbox.com. (FREE to download)

EVERNOTE
Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders--and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go. (FREE to download, but can pay a fee for more storage)

iA WRITER
A very popular APP that uses the iCloud with folder accessibility, as well as Drop-box enabled. It also has the ability to focus on just the words, by limiting the view to 3 written lines. This APP costs $.99 to download. 

STORY TRACKER
Story Tracker makes keeping track of your submitted stories, novels, poems, scripts, and articles easy. Never wonder again where or when you submitted your work. The information is all right there on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch!

** Note: This is the free Lite version of Story Tracker. The Lite version is almost identical to the full version, but only allows you to store up to 5 stories, 5 markets, and 5 submissions. It also includes database backup and export over WiFi (but not restore/import), allowing easy upgrade to the full version. The full version has no such limitations. ** (Full version costs $7.99 to download.)

EASY WRITER (for iPad)
This looks to be an excellent APP for writing and syncing with Dropbox. There is a paid version that gives you much more options and features, but this is a popular APP for iPad users.

DROPBOX
Dropbox lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Access any file you save to your Dropbox from all your computers, iPhone, iPad and even the Dropbox website!  (FREE for download)

DROPVOX - Voice Recording 
DropVox records audio and sends it directly to your Dropbox account in quality M4A format. Dictate your scene into DropVox and save for typing up later!  (FREE for download)


What APPs do you use that help you as a writer? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.