My boosting-shelf

One thing that has helped me a huge amount in my writing process, all the way from when I wrote my very first book to the present time, is my boosting-shelf.

Early on, when I was writing stories and sending them out to agents, I realized I had to pause my work over and over to remind myself of my toolbox, or to get out of a slump by remembering why I was writing. Sometimes I just wanted to take a break and look at something that made me happy, which in turn gathered the energy I needed to keep going.

It didn’t take me long to realize I wanted all these tools closer to my workplace, so I gathered each piece and placed it close to where I was working. It became a boosting-shelf where I gathered all the tools that boosted me in different moments of my writing. With the shelf in place, I could always find the tool I needed at that moment.

What it did was simplify my access to the source of energy I lacked. Having a shelf next to my working area made it much easier to become more productive with my own energy.

Sometimes the tool can come in the shape of a tip from my favorite book on writing, sometimes an encouraging answer from an agent, or just a funny image of my loved ones that would make me laugh. Whatever it was, it had its place on the shelf, the tool acting to give me what I needed at that moment. I found it helped me keep my writing effective, but it also helped to remind me when I needed to take a break or what was really important.

My shelf is still right next to my working area, but it’s constantly changing and developing depending on what it is I need in the different stages of my career and life. Because wherever you are in your writing, we could all use some boosting now and then.