Free Things Writers Can Do In January

January: empty pockets, the sparkle of Christmas faded and old routines resumed under sunless skies. It’s the time of year we’re most in need of magic but hope and motivation prove elusive. I’ve not succumbed to January blues yet, but there’s still time for those “always winter, never Christmas” feelings to strike, so here’s a list of writerly things you can do for free to illuminate grey January days.

ORGANISE OLD NOTEBOOKS

I have a drawer I can hardly close because it’s stuffed with notebooks. Most are probably filled with old brainstorming sessions or irrelevant notes but I can’t recycle them without checking if some brilliant future novel ideas are stashed within! New Year seems like an auspicious time to restore order to my desk drawer, so I’ll be devoting a morning or evening to decluttering before the month is out. Maybe I’ll even find some inspiration while I’m at it.

SET 2020 WRITING GOALS

I said in my last post I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions but setting quiet, personal goals in my writing life always motivates me. Maybe you want to learn more about writing craft? Enter competitions? Complete your novel? An evening spent putting your writing dreams on paper will spur you on to achieve them. Diary in some deadlines and rewards for sticking to them and you’re halfway to meeting your goals already 😉

TIDY BOOKSHELVES

If you’re a bookworm, like me, then you’ll have received a stack of books over Christmas. My trouble come January is finding somewhere to put them all! Last week I decluttered my shelves, letting go of course books I’d held onto since university and newer reads that weren’t my cup of tea. Now my new books fit neatly on my shelves with room to spare. My next task is to nerdily rearrange what’s left into better order. Colour-coded? By genre? Author? Ah…

WRITE A 2020 READING LIST

One evening I took it upon myself to scour my Goodreads and Amazon lists . Then I listed the books I want to read this year in a new notebook I got for Christmas. I try to resist what’s trendy and follow my nose when it comes to books. My list includes Scottish poetry, obscure fantasy, some non-fiction books for story research and volumes on novel craft.

VISIT THE LIBRARY

Self-explanatory - free books! Libraries are great for novel research too, especially if local history and maps are your thing. I could spend hours pouring over the old newspapers at my local library.

WRITE SOMETHING SHORT & NEW

Leave your magum opus to one side for a moment. In one sitting tell a story that interests/amuses/inspires you, or which might provide comfort to someone you know. Starting and finishing a work, no matter how short, is immeasurably satisfying and can give you a burst of motivation to write more (or guiltlessly watch Netflix with a smug glow of achievement).

READ

Now is a good time to get a head-start on your 2020 Reading List - the nights are dark and cold, so no one will blame you for wanting to stay indoors. I’m still in hibernation mode and have nearly made it through my third read of the year. January was made for curling up somewhere cosy and getting lost in a book.

I hope this list gave you some ideas for beating the January blues! The days are already lengthening and soon the snowdrops will be out - we’re almost there.