5 Life Hacks for Writers

Today I thought I'd just brainstorm some simple and practical things writers can do to make their lives a little easier.

1. Keep a copy of your WIP in Google Drive. There are lots of ways to back up your work (which is vital) but keeping a copy on Google Drive is one of my favorite ways to do that. In large part because in this digital age, keeping a copy on Google Drive means that you can work on your project anywhere with an internet connection--even on your phone.

2. Keep a water bottle handy. When I spend a while sitting and writing, I always get pretty munchy. Obviously snacks are fine, but water bottle is a good way to keep from just mindlessly eating all day. I know its helped me.

3. Buy lots of fruit. Related to number 2, keeping fruit handy is a wise idea for a few reasons. When you do need a snack, it's a healthy choice. But not just that. When you're in the zone and don't want to break away for too long to make food, you can just grab an apple or banana or orange to keep you going until you're done writing.

4. Buy a memory foam mattress topper. I just did this on Saturday and it has already been a life changer. We can't use our rare and precious writing time to its full potential if we are tired and bleary. So get whatever you need to help you sleep well. Like a memory foam mattress topper.

5. Steal other peoples ideas. I don't just mean for writing. When you're trying to keep up on Twitter and Facebook but can't think of what to post, you can just repost or retweet somebody else. That's quick and easy, and also forges relationships with the people you're responding to. You can use this with blogging too. Don't steal other peoples blog posts, but if you are short on time for coming up with something to blog about, go to your blog roll and find an engaging post and write a reaction to it.

Well there's a few simple ideas. Any other life hacks I should add to the list?

Sarah Allen