Bernadette Benda

It’s AUGUST. Do you know what that means? Festivals, fairs, pencils, and backpacks!! 

In other words, it’s back to school season. *cries tears of relief that I’m not in college*

All the kiddos and the undergrads are getting ready to study and do sports and whatever else they do. (And I’m over here starting a new dance season and buying tights, shoes, and duct tape.)

But I’m also getting ready for a new season of writing. *aggressively cracks knuckles*

With autumn coming up soon (I know some people don’t want me to say that), it seems like a good time to get your show back together after parties, vacations, and all the summer shenanigans.

But besides making goals and lying on the floor screaming about all the editing you have to do (I have three novels and a short story right now), I think there is some good, old fashioned back to school stuff to be done.

BUY NOTEBOOKS. I know a lot of writers love buying pretty notebooks, but then they never use them, feeling like they will ruin the prettiness but –

I JUST LOVE USING NOTEBOOKS. I honestly don’t care about what happens to them. I know I’ll end up spilling water on them and spitting food on them during the few times I try to eat and write at the same time.

Buy notebooks. They are EVERYWHERE right now.

If you use pencils to take notes, (or if you are a magical being that writes everything by hand) you’ll need erasers.

Go buy yourself some of those weird, cute, cactus and llama erasers that are everywhere right now. 

GET ALL THE PENS (or pencils). Yes, this is now the time to stock up on all your writing instruments before the deep, dark winter sets in, and you are snowed in and cannot leave your house for three months.

The last thing you want is to run out of pens.

As I said here, writers need beverages to keep themselves hydrated, and most likely writers need portable ones (especially for those of you that somehow find coffee shops enjoyable).

This is the time to buy yourself a new thermos or a new super cool, Marvel water bottle from the kids section, because why not?

If you aren’t in school (or if you are but love learning, because who doesn’t?) enroll in some writing classes. I did one of Gotham Writers classes last year (or the year before?), and it was FANTASTIC. There are a lot of resources out there.

But – if you are too broke or too busy to commit, read. I recently got from the library Get a Literary Agent by Chuck Sambuchino and Revision and Self Editing for Publication by James Scott Bell, and they were both great resources and also fun reads.

So are you ready? Ready to WRITE, LEARN, STUDY, AND BUY ALL THE COOL STUFF??

Above Photo Credit: Jess Watters on Unsplash