School’s out! Happy Summer!
It is easy to fall into a pattern of procrastination as a writer, especially when it comes to summer. The writing community here at Voyage is here to help you! Here are some tips and tricks to help make the most out of your summer.
Start
The hardest part is always starting. Set yourself up for success- grab an iced coffee to cool you down, find your favorite spot to write, and simply start! You can edit work that you do not like, but you cannot edit an empty page.
Practice with Prompts
Writing Prompts are a fun way to jumpstart your creativity. Even the shortest of exercises can get you into a productive mindset. If you are looking for some YA Fiction prompts, our Voyage Instagram (@voyageya) has a dedicated prompt section with quotes and images to create magic with!
Connect With Fellow Writers
Trust us, you are not alone in your writing journey. Every writer experiences bounds of procrastination. Create a community of writers and creative minds to give you advice, read your work, or remind you that summer procrastination is completely normal. Pro Tip: Our Interview and Story sections of the website are great ways to start reaching out to your peers!
Allow Yourself Forgiveness
Listen, you can’t spell procrastination without “pro”. Your favorite books were not written in a day. Sometimes, the most productive thing that you can do for yourself as a writer is allow yourself forgiveness. Summer is meant to be enjoyable, so after you type out that long chapter, remember to go out and soak up the sun! You deserve it, writer!
Outside of personal writing like journaling, producing work, and editing pieces, it can be confusing to know what things to be doing to pursue a career in writing at a young age! Summer is the perfect opportunity to spend time figuring out what things you can do to lay the foundation for a career in the writing field.
Become an Active Member of the Literary Community
Although writing is a relatively solitary practice, there is a huge community of fellow writers and readers out there to collaborate and socialize with! One of the best ways to interact with other writers is through Twitter. For a long time I viewed Twitter as a silly social media app that provided funny commentary on pop-culture but, after diving into the writing community, I discovered a whole world of writers and journals tweeting, conversating, and sharing work and submission opportunities. Start by following a few writers and journals you admire (follow Voyage YA!) and scroll down the rabbit hole to see what you can find!
Join a Team
Becoming a member of a literary magazine’s team is an awesome way to improve your own craft by reading/discussing other’s work and making friends within the community. Starting off as a volunteer reader is a great way to donate time and hone your editing skills. Find a journal that you love and reach out to ask if they need additional readers on their team!
Reach Out
While reaching out to writers whose work you love feels like an incredibly daunting endeavor, I can assure you that all people enjoy hearing that their work is appreciated by others. Following your favorite writers on social media and contacting them about how their work inspired you is a great way to network and to let others know that their writing means something to people. And who knows, maybe it will be the start of a collaborative and exciting literary relationship!
Above all else, the best and most productive thing you can do as a writer during summer is allow yourself the space and freedom to create work that you love. So soak up the sun, scroll on twitter, and enjoy the season!
By Catherine Kenny & Sophia Kriegel