Hot Tips for Writers

Okay, yeah, I've kind of given up doing a daily log this year. Why? Because it's already the 19th and I've only posted 1 log so far.
So I'm just going to stop trying at this point.
But, anyways, I felt like giving all you writers out there some *hot tips* about writing.
Cause I'm such an expert

#1: always, ALWAYS upload your writing to the Cloud.
I *might* have some experience with this. Might.
I'll tell you the story:
I had a laptop a while ago, a really nice one that had a touch screen and everything. I had it for a pretty long time, so I did a lot of writing on it, including last year's NaNo. Also, it's name was Data (yes, after Star Trek).
But then, one day I dropped it. Not very far, at all, but it managed to hit the ground at *just* the right angle, and the screen cracked. Not usually a big deal, right? Typically, you can still use a laptop that has a cracked screen.
Unless, of course, it's a touchscreen.
So, just my luck, the screen now constantly thinks its being touched. Which means I can't do a single thing on it. It was a sad situation, yes, but I was like "oh well, I'll just use my old clunky laptop again. It has OneDrive, I can get everything back from that."
Unless you're an idiot and decided to not upload all your writing to OneDrive.
I got some of it back, yes, but all the stuff that was really important to me in still in that little useless computer.
(Thankfully, my dad is a tech whiz and is going to help me get all of that stuff off the hard drive so I can not lose it all into the black abyss of nothingness.)
Anyways, a good lesson to y'all: always upload everything to the Cloud. You'll thank yourself for it later.

#2: music makes the world go 'round.
I used to have a lot of troubling focusing when I wrote. I tried different background noises; I even lied to myself that having a TV show like the Office on in the background was helpful. (I honestly thought it was, until I started pausing it when I sat there and found that I got a lot more writing done in the pauses.)
But at the same time, I did need something to help me focus. I love music, of course; it's kind of a big thing for my family. But listening to just my normal music doesn't work.
You see, when the music has lyrics, it tends to throw me off. I get caught up paying too much attention to the song and not enough attention to the writing I was trying to do.
My solution?
I went on Spotify and picked out a few of their pre-made playlists. They have a whole section of them devoted to "focus" and that was probably the best decision I made in my life as a writer.
My personal favorite is "Deep Focus." It has a beautiful sound, it's all instrumental, and it's all peaceful enough to kind of tune out while you're writing.
Try it. You'll love it.

#3: coming up with a daily quota is probably the best decision you can make.
That is, if you're like me.
I find I write the best during the NaNo season. Yes, some of it is the thrill of "competition" (though it's not, really), but honestly, I find that having the set daily amount INCREDIBLY helpful.
I can write a small but still good amount every day, and feel accomplished when I stop and still have time to relax and watch some TV or hang out with friends.
I do have some friends who tend to write in a "frenzy" and can knock out 10k words a day. But I, personally, like having a reasonable daily goal. It's kind of comforting to be able to see the end.
Though writing will be harder when NaNo ends, (again, there's just something about November...), I'm going to try to come up with a daily quota that is attainable. And maybe, just maybe, I'll actually be able to finish a novel outside of NaNoWriMo. (I find that that's when my best ideas erupt, the other 11 months of the year, when I find it quite difficult to actually finish anything.)

#4: find a quiet space or change up your location.
It's kind of funny how just being in a different place can stimulate your brain. It seems like having a new environment would be more distracting, but not so. (That is, if you put in earbuds.) For me, as an introvert, it almost creates some new energy being out and about, especially if you aren't interacting with people. And the same goes for being in a quiet space.
Got siblings? Keep away from them. They can be big distractions, especially if they're the type of siblings you actually enjoy hanging out with.
Pets can be distracting, too. I know having my soft kitty sleeping at the end of my bed while I write is a recipe for disaster. (i.e, not getting writing done.) So lock them out of your writing space, if possible.
And definitely remove all of your devices, except for your laptop, of course. Social media is one of the main distractions of this era.

#5: free up your time.
I can't stand doing anything fun when I know I have to do not-fun stuff afterwards. Even if it's something like watching TV, when my mom asks me to do a chore, I do it right away so I can get back to my free-time. It's just not a good feeling having that looming over you when you're trying to enjoy yourself.
The same goes for writing. I tend to get in my writing for the day in the afternoon/night, because that's after I've done all my chores and homework. That way, I can completely focus on writing and not feel that pressure to get other stuff done.
Do you work? Then get that done first. Homework? The same goes for that. Chores? especially that.
You want to be able to relax when you write. It's supposed to be a fun experience, isn't it? So don't leave the hard stuff for after you write. It never feels good.

Well, that's all I have for now! I hope you enjoyed my little tips, and I hope you can establish them in your own life as a writer!
Adios amoebas!