HI! While you’re watching, please take a moment to check out these resources for ways you can help Black Lives Matter if you cannot protest or afford to donate. We can all help. blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/# Other incredible resources include colorofchange.org, @bowtiesandbooks on instagram who has been protesting themselves, interviewing protestors, and sharing information and graphics. If you live in the U.S., the NAACP also has a Justice for George Floyd petition that takes less than 30 seconds to sign and demands police reform. www.naacp.org/campaigns/we-are-done-dying/ As well, almost all libraries should have a copy of HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi and WHITE FRAGILITY by Robin DiAngelo.
I live on the line of two counties so I’m lucky to have access to two library systems, and can confirm that both libraries have the books you recommend but both have about 120 holds on 4 copies so people are definitely trying to get them! I would recommend also talking to friends to ask if they have the books and you can borrow them if you know someone who happened to grab a copy.
That's an excellent point! And for anyone wondering what other books to read, Ibram put together this syllabus: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/antiracist-syllabus-governor-ralph-northam/582580/
Jesse from @bowtiesandbooks also has a booktube account at the same name that is amazing! They are such a thoughtful reviewer and person and following their work on booktube has markedly improved my reading life. They are also really dedicated to shouting out other booktubers, particularly booktubers of color. Basically their youtube channel is awesome and well worth checking out!
I found the fanfiction thing really interesting. I don't see myself stopping writing fanfics ever. I want to be a published (and hopefully successful) author who still writes fanfiction, and even one who is known for writing fanfiction. One of my bucket list goals is to write fanfiction about my own novels. I think it would be a cool way to connect with fans and I just think it would be cool.
I appreciate and admire that, and I don't intend to put a dent in your goals, but isn't it just canon if you're the writer? You can't really write real fanfiction for your brainchildren, purely because you're the authority of the worlds you create. It's really only fanon/fan-fiction if all you can do is dream. Again, I'm not trying to be a downer, but I think it's an important thing to take note of.
@@lizipearlvlogs In a lot of fandom spaces, it's a common belief that once a book is published, the world and characters no longer belong solely to the author. Fandom takes on a life of its own. In that sense, anything that's not an official publication kinda is a "what if" scenario. Also if I saw an author publishing on AO3, I wouldn't really consider that canon. If they published in a newsletter or continued publishing books in the series, that would be canon. Idk, it's a bit of a grey area.
Oh there it is!! I was looking forward to this video! I didn't know anything about N.K.Jemisin at the beginning of 2020, in March I got the first book and I'm now reading through all of her books. If I had a booktube channel I probably would have been gushing over her work for hours on end! Love her writing, her characters, the worlds... okay, I better stop. 😅
As someone who works full time I loved her idea of setting realistic goals of 150-250 words per day or just editing! Definitely need to allow that mentality in my work. I now find it hilarious I ended up taking a break from my projects to write fanfiction on the stream
There are no words that could adequately describe how grateful I am that you show every time you get stuck on a piece. It helps my crippling self doubt when things dont go how I want them to go, and it makes your triumphs all the more sweet.
The part of your subconscious having figured out something you don't know about yet is actually not only a discovery-writer thing. I'm an outliner, but sometimes I like to add little details that actually work out in a way that is perfect for the story, conforming with the outline and still adding some more depth. Also, I like really love the part when it starts to click and you think about if your mind actually knew about that or not :D
I loved watching this video so much. It’s crazy to think Jemisin is writing fanfiction under a secret identity, she could be responsible for my favourite fics 😂
I had an interesting thought about fanfiction. I always played with my toys in a story-based way. I made up plots and ran characters through the stories. When I played outside, I WAS He-man or Luke Skywalker or Bastian Balthazar Buxx or The man in black. I ran myself through stories. So while I never "wrote" fanfiction, I definitely made up my own stories in those universes. I think it fed my love of story as well. It wasn't until later that I realize writing things down could be fun.
LOL I recently discovered I am an INFP and it makes so much sense; puts my life in perspective and somehow makes it less lonely to be on this strange and winding path it is to be a writer
I just finished her book The City We Became at the beginning of this month. As someone who hasn't visited New York, I feel like I've learned a lot about it, just through her characters.
I do like N.K.'s routine. It seems balanced and, while not overly structured, gets the job done. Exercise is a great way to get creative! I prefer coffee and creativity in the mornings and exercise meets brainstorming in the evenings. Video games have recently come back into my life after 15 or so years without. I am thoroughly enjoying Zelda right now and will probably keep gaming in my life as a relaxing alternative to when I'm ready for a break but don't want to get sucked into a book. Keep it creative, Kate! Thanks for once again sharing an experimental writing routine with us.
I'm not a writer, but LOVE these videos because your determination, and the results you get because of your hard work, is so inspiring! (Plus it also makes me feel cooler while I write out my assignments and count my words ha ha)
NK Jemisin has been an author I wanted to read forever and last month 4 of her books became available to me thru libby so I binge read and fell in love
Working and writing is a struggle! I work full time around 43 hours a week. I have kids I need to take care of. So, there are only three hours of writing I can usually get on the weekday and maybe a bit more than that on the weekends. I need the money, so I won't be able to just quit my job. That said, I do try to write at least 1k a day. I don't always manage, but my rule is if I miss one day, I can't miss two in a row. Love the video, Kate!
These videos are so great!! And are so complementary to your regular vlogs. It's awesome to see how they give you fresh perspective after trying things a new way. Would LOVEEEE to see more famous writers from history! Tolkien, Hemingway, Christie, Austen.
Another great video! I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of N.K. Jemisin, but I'll definitely be reading her work soon! Could you do a video on Chuck Wendig? I really enjoy his books on writing, they're silly and informative. An "I tried writing like..." might be entertaining too. :)
What personally helps me with creative ideas for writing is to read a book before bed, it's between the reading and the actual sleeping that I can push my mind into that creative zone. The book reading really helps me get out of the slur of the day and get into this fantasy space. (I read and want to write fantasy.) It's also a great way to combat the negative thoughts that can come up in that particular phase of awareness.
This was such a great video! I haven't read any of her books before, but now you made me want to check them out, so I definitely will. 😊Even after I become a published author, I probably will write fanfiction here and there just for fun lol because it is where I got my start in writing 😂
I just started my very first job and I find it extremely hard to write on the side. I began writing my first book when I was unemployed as a project to keep my mind busy and focused on something different that job search. It was the perfect opportunity to finally take my writing dream seriously. But now that I have a job, I'm so tired of sitting by a computer all day so the thought of sitting down to write as well is difficult! I do hope to find a routine where a get just a few hundred words during the days I work and then have a longer spurt in the weekends... wish me luck! Also great video!!!
I've been trying to build a writing schedule around my 40-hr/wk schedule for YEARS. 2019 was the year I finally stopped making excuses about being "too tired" and my favorite: "I don't have time". If you're passionate about something, you'll do it - no matter what it takes! Of course I would eventually LOVE to transition to being a full-time writer, but I think that is going to be in my 7-10 year plan as opposed to a 5-year plan since I'm still in the very early stages of my current 4-book YA dark fantasy series.
I dream my plots a lot. I go to bed with an idea in my head and then let my mind wander to it. Sometimes its random stuff that happens but sometimes there is some good tid-bits that I can dredge some use out of.
I'd never heard of the author you'd mentioned until now but I will definitely look her up. She sounds awesome. I enjoy chatting and sprinting with other writers on TH-cam. It helps build a sense of community. I don't spend much time with people in real life. Not even my family because they're always busy working. It's rare to see and spend time with my family. Before pandemic as well. This didn't just become the situation because of the virus. It's always like this for me. Don't exactly have any friends either. Probably because I go nowhere and also because I never run into good people. Sorry about the pity rant. Awesome video.
Well, I haven't read any of her books, and, honestly, never heard of her before, but judging from her routine and what she does, she seems much more accessible as an accomplished author than many others, and that is really nice to see.
Absolutely! Especially since she's had so many routines and so many different life circumstances surrounding working and writing part-time and full-time.
I've read the Obelisk Gate. It was definitely well written. So much so that even though the second person narration felt off the entire time, I still enjoyed it a lot. I've NEVER seen any fiction other than Which Way's and Choose your own Adventure that used second person. That was an incredible feat (great worldbuilding too in that one.). I think the important thing she did was expect way less of herself on full time work days. I've done that before, my minimum used to be 300 a day, and some nights, it was agony trying to get it done. I've since started having no minimum. Anything I do counts. And you'd think that would be detrimental because I'd slack off, but what turns out happening is that I don't skip days anymore. I plan or draft something every day. I edit or submit every day, I draw every day and read every day. By having bare minimums as my goals, I avoid skipping the things altogether based on how I feel. It's easier for me to get it done because I can literally do all four in five minutes if I want. But that's never what happens. I get started, and once butt is in chair and fingers are on keys, I always get a decent amount done. I don't know if this would work for anyone else but it's working great for me. Another thing I do is if I miss my writing goal, I lower the bar. Because I've realized I'm lousy at setting realistic goals sometimes and set things too high, and it feels better to succeed at easy goals than fail at hard ones. (This wouldn't work for any kind of goals, but with writing it's often just about the volume of work you expect to finish, so it just takes longer than it was going to.) I had a writing group I went to that was helping, and a game group (I'm a GM for an RPG game...it's very story/worldbuildy involved) but the C word has stopped those for right now. I need to do a better job of talking to other writers and friends. That said, I still have my planning minimums to hit for today, so I'm off to get those done ;)
I'm going into my first ever adult full time job (adult as in post-college lol) so I'm working to figure out my work life balance and will likely post a video about it when I have it all figured out :) Great video, love this series!
Super excited to watch this! :D Just to let you know, I've submitted the story I genuinely believe is my best (and favorite!) to a contest and a few lit mags I've wanted to submit this to. I LOVE the title! I've seen it been used for other writer's stories, and I'd had an idea brewing in my mind for a while. The story is called "Saturn Devouring His Son" and it's 6,002-words. My critique partner said he didn't find many issues with it plot-wise, and added that he really enjoyed reading it, which was so amazing to find out! And I LOVE the first two sentences! All the people I've shared them with have told me it definitely makes them want to read more! Sadly, I can't share them, or else the story will be considered published and I won't be able to publish it, at least that's what I've read. But I'll let you know if it gets accepted, and which lit mag accepted it. One that I submitted it to pays in money, gives TWENTY-FIVE contributor copies, and does a Q & A with the author! The lit mag is called One Story, and I've been submitting to them for a while now (over three years) with no luck! Keep your fingers crossed! This may be my chance! I also think that, if I manage to finish it in time (which I'm sure I will) I'd like to submit this story I'm working on involving a close friendship between a guy and a girl to a contest next month, depending on if I like it or not. Or I could submit the story I've almost finished that takes the concept of a love triangle, and flips it on its head. I'm SO excited to finish it! The story has elements of romantic comedy in it and there are some humorous scenes that I really enjoyed writing! Can't wait to see what the lit mags have to say, and I cannot wait to start watching! Hope you're doing well, Kate! :) Take care, Josh P.S. Also, I was inspired to make monkey bread for the first time after watching your Monkey's Paw Cooking with Classics video! And it tasted SO. GOOD!! Thanks for making the video! :D
Just an interesting series. I can clearly see the productivity benefits of trying the schedule of someone other than myself with a proven track record of being prolific.
I still love these videos, it's so interesting to learn more about other authors' ways of going through the stages of writing. I haven't read any of her books but her routine seems quite like mine (if I take a full writing day). I usually don't get much time to write at all, so I take all the time I can to write fully. Also, which zelda game are you playing? I'm an avid zelda fan and I get excited when people mention it haha
Kate, thanks! Engaging, fun, and reassuring for a writer who has yet to be a published writer like myself. ...I'm working on fables, mythic stories, allegory, musical theater, oral storytelling... and authorly, text versions of these that are (hopefully!) compelling works of art in and of themselves. I'm at 18,000 words for a fable currently...
I don't know how much you enjoy poetry, but a poet I really like is Andrea Gibson and I think it'd be interesting if you did "write like" video about them next :D
She writes fan fiction?! I didn’t think it was possible to love her anymore than I already did until I heard that. It validates my nerdy side that still churns out fan fiction
I had just bought two of her trilogies recently after they were both recommended to me! I have some books I'm in the middle of reading right now but I'm excited to start reading her books soon 😊
Writing routine? What's that? Also, I'm going to need a writing like Susan Dennard video, obs. Also, also, have you started reading the book yet? Tripple also, this video made me feel the need to invest in a mechanical keyboard. They are so snazzy!!!
On the topic of writers perpetuating writer stereotypes, the romance book I finished recently had a line "writers are the worst" in regards to online dating and rejecting matches. I thought of your recent discussion on writer stereotypes when reading that part.
I've definitely gotten better with balancing work/life and work/writing, but I'm still not a master at it! It's really tough. Energy management and focus is never easy, but I'm lucky enough to have a job that supports my creativity! Technical writing has been huge in terms of editing and being clear and concise, so I try to do that as much as possible now. ^_^ My main goal recently has just been to get back into the swing of writing again -- I had a good month in April where I wrote more than I ever had in a month and then we moved and I haven't written consistently since. XD
Great video Kate! I have to check her books out because watching this video I realized that I do not have any and I must rectify that lol... Also have you done an I tried writing like Margaret Atwood, I don't think I've seen that one in your list of videos but if not I think she would be a good one to try. Take care ❤
Oh yay! I'm so glad!! If you need some in between when I host, Emily Bourne is my friend who I first saw doing the pomodoro lives! I'm hoping to schedule another one soon though. :)
I definitely could not handle working a full-time day job and trying to write. When I was furloughed in April, I realized that if I continued to work full-time, I would never finish a book, so I told my job that I'm only going to be coming back part-time (and I did about a week after I was furloughed when they got the PPP loan). It's still hard. There are always things besides writing that I want to do. Some days I write over 3k words in 4 hours. Other days... not a word. Of course, there is the stress of a pandemic and riots that make things more difficult mentally, so I don't know how it will be when things settle and either go back to normal or become a new normal. At least now I have the time, energy, and mental space to work on my career.
I keep my daily word count goals pretty small. An average day is 500 words and I allow myself to catch up through the week as long as I hit the overall week goal. It can be hard to write when you already work full time and have other commitments so keeping a smaller word count helps make it feel achievable and keeps the habit of daily writing alive. It's when I stop writing everyday that I start to have issues in fitting it in.
I'm a new fan of yours! I'm working on my book in Wattpad, and even if I'm far to professional, your vlogs inspired me to write more. Please make more! Stay safe!
No, I have read any of her books.Her routine looked a little fun. On days that I work, I do marketing and reading in the morning, sometimes writing if its NaNoWriMo. Head to work then after work I write and work on TH-cam things. On my days off I do reading, marketing for the whole day. In the evening I write until about 10pm some days. Have you tried writing like James Patterson?
When I can, I try to write as early as possible - before work and certainly before my university classes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, I try to use my lunch breaks to write a bit and be creative. I hardly write in the evening, my brain is usually fried then :D I also love her "Persist" because I feel like this is something I can actually achieve (Persisting) and not some "win the lottery" kinda thing, where I might get lucky but chances are I never will be (not that getting published/becoming a full time author has nothing to do with luck!)
Still loving your videos Kate, not sure though if it's just me but very much not loving the sound of the mechanical keyboard D: It's an ear sore and I had to skip over the segment around 9:45 because the sound is very grating. It's like night and day compared to when you type on your laptop, those segments sound very pleasant! Just my two cents, that it would be nice not to hear the mechanical keyboard clacking as much, sorry ; w;
Please please do an I tried writing like George R. R Martin! How does that man keep track of all the plot twists and turns for so many important chacters? How much does he plan or pants?
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a good break. That's how I tend to unwind. I used to have some kind of balance but then I moved and started a new job. I'll figure it out eventually. Great video. I really enjoy these.
Hi Kate! It's been awhile since I last watched a video of yours because I've been super busy recently. I just have a question for you: did you move? This setup seems to be different from your usual setup, and it's been in a couple of videos now so I wonder if you moved and I just didn't see the announcement lmao! Or is this just a different bedroom within your house that you're now making use of as quarantine gets us sicker and sicker of our usual spaces? That's totally understandable! I just want to be sure of whether you moved or not so that I can stop questioning myself and what I'm seeing on the screen lmao
I am having serous keyboard envy. Also, I can't imagine fanfic, and sometimes use it as a reward for writing some original fiction. (Yes, I realize that rewarding myself for writing with more writing is a bit odd.)
I don't know if someone has asked you this before, or if you would be open to it, and if not that's totally fine, but have you considered ever doing a writing class? Like, hosting one? I would totally join it! Just a question I had. Have an amazing day! :)
I pretend to balance writing, a 32 hour job, a full time degree in public administration and a medical transition. Truth is that if I get to write once a week it's a lot. I try to catch writing sprints on weekends or after work though.
Would it be alright if I tried doing a "Writing Like" video? It just really inspires me and I would love to experiment and see how different people write.
I won't lie. I don't know many authors by their names because I have a terrible memory. I don't think I've read anything by her that I'm aware of. Her routine seems far more do-able than a lot of famous authors that you have done... or at least more so for someone who has other things to do besides writing. I guess that would be because she still retains the balance in her life which I appreciate. You don't see that very often. Honestly? I could do with working on my writing more. I find that if I am in a remotely bad mood, I will not write, which means that more often than not, I don't work on my story which then puts more pressure on me to write more when I am in a good mood. So yeah... the balance there isn't very good.
HI! While you’re watching, please take a moment to check out these resources for ways you can help Black Lives Matter if you cannot protest or afford to donate. We can all help.
blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#
Other incredible resources include colorofchange.org, @bowtiesandbooks on instagram who has been protesting themselves, interviewing protestors, and sharing information and graphics. If you live in the U.S., the NAACP also has a Justice for George Floyd petition that takes less than 30 seconds to sign and demands police reform. www.naacp.org/campaigns/we-are-done-dying/
As well, almost all libraries should have a copy of HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST by Ibram X. Kendi and WHITE FRAGILITY by Robin DiAngelo.
I live on the line of two counties so I’m lucky to have access to two library systems, and can confirm that both libraries have the books you recommend but both have about 120 holds on 4 copies so people are definitely trying to get them! I would recommend also talking to friends to ask if they have the books and you can borrow them if you know someone who happened to grab a copy.
That's an excellent point! And for anyone wondering what other books to read, Ibram put together this syllabus: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/antiracist-syllabus-governor-ralph-northam/582580/
Thank you so much for sharing resources and not being silent, Kate (:
Thank you so much for posting this. It's too important to ignore.
Jesse from @bowtiesandbooks also has a booktube account at the same name that is amazing! They are such a thoughtful reviewer and person and following their work on booktube has markedly improved my reading life. They are also really dedicated to shouting out other booktubers, particularly booktubers of color. Basically their youtube channel is awesome and well worth checking out!
I found the fanfiction thing really interesting. I don't see myself stopping writing fanfics ever. I want to be a published (and hopefully successful) author who still writes fanfiction, and even one who is known for writing fanfiction. One of my bucket list goals is to write fanfiction about my own novels. I think it would be a cool way to connect with fans and I just think it would be cool.
I also want to write fanfictions of my own stories. Fun what ifs that could be extra content for readers
I appreciate and admire that, and I don't intend to put a dent in your goals, but isn't it just canon if you're the writer? You can't really write real fanfiction for your brainchildren, purely because you're the authority of the worlds you create. It's really only fanon/fan-fiction if all you can do is dream. Again, I'm not trying to be a downer, but I think it's an important thing to take note of.
@@lizipearlvlogs In a lot of fandom spaces, it's a common belief that once a book is published, the world and characters no longer belong solely to the author. Fandom takes on a life of its own. In that sense, anything that's not an official publication kinda is a "what if" scenario. Also if I saw an author publishing on AO3, I wouldn't really consider that canon. If they published in a newsletter or continued publishing books in the series, that would be canon.
Idk, it's a bit of a grey area.
Oh man! I need to check out her books! D: And she still likes writing fanfiction! Defintely my type of author!
Oh there it is!! I was looking forward to this video!
I didn't know anything about N.K.Jemisin at the beginning of 2020, in March I got the first book and I'm now reading through all of her books. If I had a booktube channel I probably would have been gushing over her work for hours on end! Love her writing, her characters, the worlds... okay, I better stop. 😅
YESSSSSS I'm so extra pumped to start the audiobook now! I have a feeling I'm going to speed through it!!
As someone who works full time I loved her idea of setting realistic goals of 150-250 words per day or just editing! Definitely need to allow that mentality in my work.
I now find it hilarious I ended up taking a break from my projects to write fanfiction on the stream
There are no words that could adequately describe how grateful I am that you show every time you get stuck on a piece. It helps my crippling self doubt when things dont go how I want them to go, and it makes your triumphs all the more sweet.
The part of your subconscious having figured out something you don't know about yet is actually not only a discovery-writer thing. I'm an outliner, but sometimes I like to add little details that actually work out in a way that is perfect for the story, conforming with the outline and still adding some more depth. Also, I like really love the part when it starts to click and you think about if your mind actually knew about that or not :D
I loved watching this video so much. It’s crazy to think Jemisin is writing fanfiction under a secret identity, she could be responsible for my favourite fics 😂
RIGHT!?!??! I always wonder that too! And how many other famous authors are doing the same!
I had an interesting thought about fanfiction. I always played with my toys in a story-based way. I made up plots and ran characters through the stories. When I played outside, I WAS He-man or Luke Skywalker or Bastian Balthazar Buxx or The man in black. I ran myself through stories. So while I never "wrote" fanfiction, I definitely made up my own stories in those universes. I think it fed my love of story as well.
It wasn't until later that I realize writing things down could be fun.
Same! Writing is a lot like acting I think, except you get to play every character.
Jup. Best times ever
I love love love Nora. She’s great. I’m such a fan of all her books. Her career is amazing and her activism and omg, just everything.
I WAS JUST READING ONE OF HER BOOKS AND NOW THIS VIDEO?! anyway, love this one so far!
AHHHH WHICH ONE!? My audiobook hold on THE FIFTH SEASON just came in! :)
I own the Fifth Season! I had to read it for a worldbuilding class two years ago, but I'm hooked on N.K. Jemisin now~
Kate Cavanaugh exactly that one😂
LOL I recently discovered I am an INFP and it makes so much sense; puts my life in perspective and somehow makes it less lonely to be on this strange and winding path it is to be a writer
I just finished her book The City We Became at the beginning of this month. As someone who hasn't visited New York, I feel like I've learned a lot about it, just through her characters.
I do like N.K.'s routine. It seems balanced and, while not overly structured, gets the job done. Exercise is a great way to get creative! I prefer coffee and creativity in the mornings and exercise meets brainstorming in the evenings.
Video games have recently come back into my life after 15 or so years without. I am thoroughly enjoying Zelda right now and will probably keep gaming in my life as a relaxing alternative to when I'm ready for a break but don't want to get sucked into a book.
Keep it creative, Kate! Thanks for once again sharing an experimental writing routine with us.
I'm not a writer, but LOVE these videos because your determination, and the results you get because of your hard work, is so inspiring! (Plus it also makes me feel cooler while I write out my assignments and count my words ha ha)
N.K Jemison is one of my favorite authors of all time!! I love your writing routines.
NK Jemisin has been an author I wanted to read forever and last month 4 of her books became available to me thru libby so I binge read and fell in love
Working and writing is a struggle! I work full time around 43 hours a week. I have kids I need to take care of. So, there are only three hours of writing I can usually get on the weekday and maybe a bit more than that on the weekends. I need the money, so I won't be able to just quit my job. That said, I do try to write at least 1k a day. I don't always manage, but my rule is if I miss one day, I can't miss two in a row. Love the video, Kate!
These videos are so great!! And are so complementary to your regular vlogs. It's awesome to see how they give you fresh perspective after trying things a new way. Would LOVEEEE to see more famous writers from history! Tolkien, Hemingway, Christie, Austen.
Another great video! I'm ashamed to say I hadn't heard of N.K. Jemisin, but I'll definitely be reading her work soon!
Could you do a video on Chuck Wendig? I really enjoy his books on writing, they're silly and informative. An "I tried writing like..." might be entertaining too. :)
What personally helps me with creative ideas for writing is to read a book before bed, it's between the reading and the actual sleeping that I can push my mind into that creative zone. The book reading really helps me get out of the slur of the day and get into this fantasy space. (I read and want to write fantasy.) It's also a great way to combat the negative thoughts that can come up in that particular phase of awareness.
The Fifth Season has been I. My list forever. I need to jump in it ASAP
This was such a great video! I haven't read any of her books before, but now you made me want to check them out, so I definitely will. 😊Even after I become a published author, I probably will write fanfiction here and there just for fun lol because it is where I got my start in writing 😂
I just started my very first job and I find it extremely hard to write on the side. I began writing my first book when I was unemployed as a project to keep my mind busy and focused on something different that job search. It was the perfect opportunity to finally take my writing dream seriously. But now that I have a job, I'm so tired of sitting by a computer all day so the thought of sitting down to write as well is difficult! I do hope to find a routine where a get just a few hundred words during the days I work and then have a longer spurt in the weekends... wish me luck! Also great video!!!
JUST finished The Fifth Season yesterday and now you post this video.... spooky lol
I've been trying to build a writing schedule around my 40-hr/wk schedule for YEARS. 2019 was the year I finally stopped making excuses about being "too tired" and my favorite: "I don't have time". If you're passionate about something, you'll do it - no matter what it takes! Of course I would eventually LOVE to transition to being a full-time writer, but I think that is going to be in my 7-10 year plan as opposed to a 5-year plan since I'm still in the very early stages of my current 4-book YA dark fantasy series.
I dream my plots a lot. I go to bed with an idea in my head and then let my mind wander to it. Sometimes its random stuff that happens but sometimes there is some good tid-bits that I can dredge some use out of.
yay I love this series! can you do meg cabot or agatha christie next?
Reassuringly familiar (for me) to find a writer who gets up at 9 am and goes to bed at 2 am.
I love it. This series is awesome - I tried writing like ... But what vexes me here is the keyboard! I adore listening when you type on the Mac :)
I'd never heard of the author you'd mentioned until now but I will definitely look her up. She sounds awesome.
I enjoy chatting and sprinting with other writers on TH-cam. It helps build a sense of community.
I don't spend much time with people in real life. Not even my family because they're always busy working. It's rare to see and spend time with my family.
Before pandemic as well. This didn't just become the situation because of the virus. It's always like this for me.
Don't exactly have any friends either. Probably because I go nowhere and also because I never run into good people.
Sorry about the pity rant.
Awesome video.
Well, I haven't read any of her books, and, honestly, never heard of her before, but judging from her routine and what she does, she seems much more accessible as an accomplished author than many others, and that is really nice to see.
Absolutely! Especially since she's had so many routines and so many different life circumstances surrounding working and writing part-time and full-time.
I've seriously never heard of N.K. Jemisin somehow...
I hadn't until about a year ago and she's definitely a writer whose career I'd now loooooove to emulate someday. Like in my wildest dreams haha.
Well I guess I have to read everything she's ever written now, social lives are overrated!
Me either
I've read the Obelisk Gate. It was definitely well written. So much so that even though the second person narration felt off the entire time, I still enjoyed it a lot. I've NEVER seen any fiction other than Which Way's and Choose your own Adventure that used second person. That was an incredible feat (great worldbuilding too in that one.).
I think the important thing she did was expect way less of herself on full time work days. I've done that before, my minimum used to be 300 a day, and some nights, it was agony trying to get it done.
I've since started having no minimum. Anything I do counts. And you'd think that would be detrimental because I'd slack off, but what turns out happening is that I don't skip days anymore. I plan or draft something every day. I edit or submit every day, I draw every day and read every day. By having bare minimums as my goals, I avoid skipping the things altogether based on how I feel. It's easier for me to get it done because I can literally do all four in five minutes if I want. But that's never what happens. I get started, and once butt is in chair and fingers are on keys, I always get a decent amount done.
I don't know if this would work for anyone else but it's working great for me.
Another thing I do is if I miss my writing goal, I lower the bar. Because I've realized I'm lousy at setting realistic goals sometimes and set things too high, and it feels better to succeed at easy goals than fail at hard ones. (This wouldn't work for any kind of goals, but with writing it's often just about the volume of work you expect to finish, so it just takes longer than it was going to.)
I had a writing group I went to that was helping, and a game group (I'm a GM for an RPG game...it's very story/worldbuildy involved) but the C word has stopped those for right now. I need to do a better job of talking to other writers and friends.
That said, I still have my planning minimums to hit for today, so I'm off to get those done ;)
I've been far too behind on your videos, they're such great motivation to get writing again!
You should have heard the audible gasp I made when I saw you chose N.K. Jemisin. I love these "I tried writing like" videos 💖
Double thumbs up for this video Kate. I think, like others on here, I love watching the, 'writing like' videos.
"Persist!" by N. K. Jemisin is the most truthful quote I've read all day.
Tbh one of my favorite part of any of your writing videos is hearing the 'clickity clackity' of the keyboard 😂 its very motivating
I just now watched this video. I love this video series! I’m reading How Long ‘Til Black Future Month right now and it’s soooooo good!!!
I'm going into my first ever adult full time job (adult as in post-college lol) so I'm working to figure out my work life balance and will likely post a video about it when I have it all figured out :) Great video, love this series!
Super excited to watch this! :D
Just to let you know, I've submitted the story I genuinely believe is my best (and favorite!) to a contest and a few lit mags I've wanted to submit this to. I LOVE the title! I've seen it been used for other writer's stories, and I'd had an idea brewing in my mind for a while. The story is called "Saturn Devouring His Son" and it's 6,002-words. My critique partner said he didn't find many issues with it plot-wise, and added that he really enjoyed reading it, which was so amazing to find out! And I LOVE the first two sentences! All the people I've shared them with have told me it definitely makes them want to read more! Sadly, I can't share them, or else the story will be considered published and I won't be able to publish it, at least that's what I've read. But I'll let you know if it gets accepted, and which lit mag accepted it. One that I submitted it to pays in money, gives TWENTY-FIVE contributor copies, and does a Q & A with the author! The lit mag is called One Story, and I've been submitting to them for a while now (over three years) with no luck! Keep your fingers crossed! This may be my chance!
I also think that, if I manage to finish it in time (which I'm sure I will) I'd like to submit this story I'm working on involving a close friendship between a guy and a girl to a contest next month, depending on if I like it or not.
Or I could submit the story I've almost finished that takes the concept of a love triangle, and flips it on its head. I'm SO excited to finish it! The story has elements of romantic comedy in it and there are some humorous scenes that I really enjoyed writing!
Can't wait to see what the lit mags have to say, and I cannot wait to start watching! Hope you're doing well, Kate! :)
Take care,
Josh
P.S. Also, I was inspired to make monkey bread for the first time after watching your Monkey's Paw Cooking with Classics video! And it tasted SO. GOOD!! Thanks for making the video! :D
AHHH that's fantastic, Josh!! Definitely keeping my fingers crossed for you. :)
I really want some monkey bread again now too bahaha.
Just an interesting series. I can clearly see the productivity benefits of trying the schedule of someone other than myself with a proven track record of being prolific.
Where are you?? The scenery is different and I have a feeling I missed something *runs back to rewatch videos* hows Duke doing?
I literally squealed with glee when I saw this video. Lol I love her books!
I've missed these videos so much!
ME TOO.
I still love these videos, it's so interesting to learn more about other authors' ways of going through the stages of writing. I haven't read any of her books but her routine seems quite like mine (if I take a full writing day). I usually don't get much time to write at all, so I take all the time I can to write fully.
Also, which zelda game are you playing? I'm an avid zelda fan and I get excited when people mention it haha
Kate, thanks! Engaging, fun, and reassuring for a writer who has yet to be a published writer like myself. ...I'm working on fables, mythic stories, allegory, musical theater, oral storytelling... and authorly, text versions of these that are (hopefully!) compelling works of art in and of themselves. I'm at 18,000 words for a fable currently...
I don't know how much you enjoy poetry, but a poet I really like is Andrea Gibson and I think it'd be interesting if you did "write like" video about them next :D
I LOVE YOUR VIDS KATE
ps. this Is my fave series so YAYYY
THANK YOU! :) It's one of my favorites too!
She writes fan fiction?! I didn’t think it was possible to love her anymore than I already did until I heard that. It validates my nerdy side that still churns out fan fiction
I had just bought two of her trilogies recently after they were both recommended to me! I have some books I'm in the middle of reading right now but I'm excited to start reading her books soon 😊
Writing routine? What's that?
Also, I'm going to need a writing like Susan Dennard video, obs. Also, also, have you started reading the book yet? Tripple also, this video made me feel the need to invest in a mechanical keyboard. They are so snazzy!!!
Seconding "writes like Susan Dennard" video!
On the topic of writers perpetuating writer stereotypes, the romance book I finished recently had a line "writers are the worst" in regards to online dating and rejecting matches. I thought of your recent discussion on writer stereotypes when reading that part.
I need to read her books!!! I love your rainbow keyboard btw
I've definitely gotten better with balancing work/life and work/writing, but I'm still not a master at it!
It's really tough. Energy management and focus is never easy, but I'm lucky enough to have a job that supports my creativity! Technical writing has been huge in terms of editing and being clear and concise, so I try to do that as much as possible now. ^_^
My main goal recently has just been to get back into the swing of writing again -- I had a good month in April where I wrote more than I ever had in a month and then we moved and I haven't written consistently since. XD
Great video Kate! I have to check her books out because watching this video I realized that I do not have any and I must rectify that lol... Also have you done an I tried writing like Margaret Atwood, I don't think I've seen that one in your list of videos but if not I think she would be a good one to try. Take care ❤
Watching your content flow along my timeline is EVERYDAY inspiration! Kate you're amazing!
I cannot wait for the next live stream of pandora sprints! I love these videos, I found your channel through them! Ly and your work x
Oh yay! I'm so glad!! If you need some in between when I host, Emily Bourne is my friend who I first saw doing the pomodoro lives! I'm hoping to schedule another one soon though. :)
I was getting bored with my phone and saw that Kate has uploaded a video and I closed my self in my room to watch it.
My writing vlog is also out!!!
Ahhh congrats on your first writing vlog!
@@KateCavanaugh thanks!!!
@@KateCavanaugh also I am from Greece hope you like Greek food!!!
I definitely could not handle working a full-time day job and trying to write. When I was furloughed in April, I realized that if I continued to work full-time, I would never finish a book, so I told my job that I'm only going to be coming back part-time (and I did about a week after I was furloughed when they got the PPP loan). It's still hard. There are always things besides writing that I want to do. Some days I write over 3k words in 4 hours. Other days... not a word. Of course, there is the stress of a pandemic and riots that make things more difficult mentally, so I don't know how it will be when things settle and either go back to normal or become a new normal. At least now I have the time, energy, and mental space to work on my career.
I keep my daily word count goals pretty small. An average day is 500 words and I allow myself to catch up through the week as long as I hit the overall week goal. It can be hard to write when you already work full time and have other commitments so keeping a smaller word count helps make it feel achievable and keeps the habit of daily writing alive.
It's when I stop writing everyday that I start to have issues in fitting it in.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez!
Samuel R. Delany!
Toni Morrison!
Ahhh everyone should read The Fifth Season by Jemisin!! It’s superb
Omg new I tried writing like videoooo...AAAHHH YOUR AUDIO BOOK HOLD ON THE FIFTH SEASON JUST CAME IN !!
MINE DID TOO YESSSSSSSS.
I'm a new fan of yours! I'm working on my book in Wattpad, and even if I'm far to professional, your vlogs inspired me to write more. Please make more! Stay safe!
Mechanical keyboard video please?!? That was heavenly to hear. 😍
I really enjoy your flashy keyboard.
Cool vids I like this style so much! I incorporate a similar cut style in mine
Ya it’s neat
Her charismatic personality too
It is a fun vid
No, I have read any of her books.Her routine looked a little fun. On days that I work, I do marketing and reading in the morning, sometimes writing if its NaNoWriMo. Head to work then after work I write and work on TH-cam things. On my days off I do reading, marketing for the whole day. In the evening I write until about 10pm some days. Have you tried writing like James Patterson?
When I can, I try to write as early as possible - before work and certainly before my university classes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When it doesn't, I try to use my lunch breaks to write a bit and be creative. I hardly write in the evening, my brain is usually fried then :D I also love her "Persist" because I feel like this is something I can actually achieve (Persisting) and not some "win the lottery" kinda thing, where I might get lucky but chances are I never will be (not that getting published/becoming a full time author has nothing to do with luck!)
I just want to say I love the sound of the keyboard at your standing desk😁
I'm so glad! I love it too. It's definitely aggressively loud though bahaha.
Still loving your videos Kate, not sure though if it's just me but very much not loving the sound of the mechanical keyboard D: It's an ear sore and I had to skip over the segment around 9:45 because the sound is very grating. It's like night and day compared to when you type on your laptop, those segments sound very pleasant! Just my two cents, that it would be nice not to hear the mechanical keyboard clacking as much, sorry ; w;
Please please do an I tried writing like George R. R Martin! How does that man keep track of all the plot twists and turns for so many important chacters? How much does he plan or pants?
I'm so sorry! You've done it and I've found it yay!
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a good break. That's how I tend to unwind.
I used to have some kind of balance but then I moved and started a new job. I'll figure it out eventually.
Great video. I really enjoy these.
Hi Kate! It's been awhile since I last watched a video of yours because I've been super busy recently. I just have a question for you: did you move? This setup seems to be different from your usual setup, and it's been in a couple of videos now so I wonder if you moved and I just didn't see the announcement lmao! Or is this just a different bedroom within your house that you're now making use of as quarantine gets us sicker and sicker of our usual spaces? That's totally understandable! I just want to be sure of whether you moved or not so that I can stop questioning myself and what I'm seeing on the screen lmao
I am having serous keyboard envy.
Also, I can't imagine fanfic, and sometimes use it as a reward for writing some original fiction. (Yes, I realize that rewarding myself for writing with more writing is a bit odd.)
I don't know if someone has asked you this before, or if you would be open to it, and if not that's totally fine, but have you considered ever doing a writing class? Like, hosting one? I would totally join it!
Just a question I had.
Have an amazing day! :)
Woah - I haven't watched your last few videos, so seeing you using a mechanical keyboard made me jump. When did you switch over!
How are you a full-time writer so early in your career?
I pretend to balance writing, a 32 hour job, a full time degree in public administration and a medical transition. Truth is that if I get to write once a week it's a lot. I try to catch writing sprints on weekends or after work though.
That’s the loudest keyboard in the world!
Would it be alright if I tried doing a "Writing Like" video? It just really inspires me and I would love to experiment and see how different people write.
I won't lie. I don't know many authors by their names because I have a terrible memory. I don't think I've read anything by her that I'm aware of. Her routine seems far more do-able than a lot of famous authors that you have done... or at least more so for someone who has other things to do besides writing. I guess that would be because she still retains the balance in her life which I appreciate. You don't see that very often. Honestly? I could do with working on my writing more. I find that if I am in a remotely bad mood, I will not write, which means that more often than not, I don't work on my story which then puts more pressure on me to write more when I am in a good mood. So yeah... the balance there isn't very good.
I love your clacky keyboard
I'm gonna try writing like Kate Cavanaugh someday... Oh, who am I kidding? I can't reach that level of dedication.
Just switch projects randomly throughout the day and you're good! Bahaha.
My god the dedication you have lol
Hey Kate. 😀 What about trying Agatha Christie?
What keyboard is she using?
Have u ever published ur works?
Are you still working on project death?
Hi Kate, have you find your own rhythm?
who else wants to spend a day with her?!
i make videos too!!
I love your “I tried writing like…” videos. :D Now I want to read Nora Jemisin’s books! Great job.
THANKS REGINA!! :) :)
I'm super excited to start my audiobook of The Fifth Season!!!
Apologies for originally misspelling her name!!! J E M I S I N…. mea culpa. :D
Yo
👍🏼🤙🏽
I think you have the same keyboard as my fiancé. His makes the same clack clack sound
It's an aggressive clack! Bahaha. But I really like it. Plus lightup rainbow :)
@@KateCavanaugh I love the light up rainbow!!! I need a keyboard like that! LOL
also holy MOLY that keyboard is loud :(
or the mic is too close to it, or something.
Play animal crossing new horizons!
Hey Kate. 😀 What about trying Agatha Christie?