Tag: #literary

20 Literary Things To Do in Fall (For Writers And Readers!)

October 2nd, 2020

Am I writing this post just so I can make a big list of things that I’m excited for in October? Yes! Why deny it! This year has been an objective train-wreck! I am taking an unexpected gap semester from college! But Autumn never lets us down! I am embracing cozy socks and pumpkin picking and basic sweaters with open arms! Grab your Pumpkin Spice Latte! Let’s shamelessly enjoy ourselves!

1. Reread One of Your Favorite Books

Who, me, rereading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado? Couldn’t be.

2. Go Outside and Journal

Soak in those beautiful fall vibes. Journal about how you’re feeling, or about the dogs in whatever park you’re in. Be present in the moment.

3. (Safely) Visit a Literary Landmark

Take all COVID cautions! Wear a mask! But this month, I went to Salem, Massachusetts. (My picture is of their independent bookstore, Wicked Good Books.) Many literary landmarks are outside, and trips are perfect for fall…you’ll get to see all the foliage on the drive over!

4. Plan Your Halloween Costume

Something literary, perhaps? (My dream couple costume: Emily Dickinson & Death.)

5. Settle Down For A Cozy Day Of Writing

Brew some tea. Turn on a Jazz compilation. Let yourself get lost in a story.

6. Settle Down For A Cozy Day of Writing, But This Time With Fuzzy Socks

Socks!!!!!

7. Tackle a Classic You’ve Never Read Before

I’m in the middle of both Wuthering Heights and Orlando…this fall, I shall finish them! Preferably in front of a fire. (With the aforementioned socks on.)

8. Try Some Fall-Themes Writing Prompts

Write about a time of great change. Write about red, yellow, and orange as if they were people. Write about a ghost who only haunts man caves in McMansions. So many possibilities.

9. Watch a Classic Literary Adaptation

Little Women!!!!!! Directed by Greta Gerwig!!!!!!

10. Take A Writing Class

Fall always makes me think of school starting again. I’m taking a class about poetry and the natural world with Project Write Now – it feels so good to write verse again.

11. Go to a (virtual) Poetry Reading

The Dodge Poetry Festival is free and will be online from Oct. 22nd to Nov. 1st this year! Go see your favorite poets, like Richard Blanco, Marilyn Chin, Terrance Hayes, Edward Hirsch, Marie Howe, Ada Limón, and more.

12. Bribe Yourself to Write With Hot Beverages

LOOK at this tea tray…my heart! Go order your Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Sit down with a Chai Tea. ‘Tis the season to be caffeinated.

13. Read a Horror Novel

Spooky season.

14. Vote!

If you’re from the US, vote in the upcoming Presidential election! Here is more information. (This will be my first national election that I get to vote in.)

15. Carve or Decorate a Literary Pumpkin

Isn’t this one (from here) precious??

16. Read Mary Oliver Under A Majestic Tree

Okay, we’re getting specific now, but seriously…do it.

17. Have An Autumn Picnic (+ Bring a Book!)

Pack an apple, some brie, and fancy bread. Bring along someone you care about. Go sit in a meadow or a front doorstep, whatever’s available. Read to each other.

18. Write a Love Poem

For someone you have a crush on, for cuffing season. For your mom, because she’ll love it. For the trees, because it should be said.

19. Read This Emily Dickinson Poem Right Now

(Yes, this poem has made me cry in quarantine. Thank you for asking.)

20. Start Preparing for NaNoWriMo

Okay, confession time: October is the best month. But November is still my favorite. It’s NaNoWrimo! Is anyone else shooting for 50,000 words? I’m working on a giant outline so I’ll be ready to write next month. Yay fall!

Thanks for reading! What do your fall plans look like? Are you participating in NaNoWrimo? Let me know in the comments! You can also find me on You can find me on Pinterest or Instagram. Until next time, serve some looks and read some books.
My Writing Playlist: Songs to Listen To Before, During, and After Writing

January 8th, 2017
I love listening to music about writing. Two awesome art forms come together to support each other and inspire us unworthy humans. It’s like having two adorable puppies give you a hug at the same time.

Teddy patiently listening to my writing playlist. If my dog likes it, everyone should like it.

I have two different playlists that are ‘writer inspired.’ The first is stocked with calming, beautiful music so I can concentrate on writing, and the second consists of literal songs about how cool it is to be a writer (spoiler alert: SUPER COOL.) I usually listen to this playlist before I start writing to get excited about being a writer, and after I finished working for the day,

Without further ado, here’s my writer’s playlist:
- EVERYTHING BIRDY HAS EVER WRITTEN.
  - Birdy’s music is perfect writing music. Some songs are warm, others are stark. All are calming and beautiful. Birdy is who I listened to when I won NanoWrimo.
- Oh Wonder’s self-titled album.
  - Everything I said about Birdy applies to Oh Wonder.
- Lorde’s Pure Heroine
  - Lorde’s music is perfect for writing tense action scenes. If you are a super easily distracted writer, Lorde might not be for you, because her lyrics are so intricate you might want to listen to them instead of writing. But if you have a tendency to zone out after a while, like me, she’s perfect for absorbing a suspenseful and witty mood.
I usually just listen to these three albums, so I know what’s coming up next and am not taken out of the zone each time a new song plays.
- Magic by Ben Kweller
  - You are a writer and therefore magic. Bonus points if you’re writing a fantasy novel.
- Burning Gold by Christina Perri
  - This song will inspire you to finish your WIP because this is your time and you are a boss.
- The Writer by Ellie Goulding
  - Cute love song using writing as a metaphor.
- People Like Us by Kelly Clarkson
  - The ultimate writing group support song.
- A World Alone by Lorde
  - Everyone has a favorite semi-angsty teen love song and this is mine. Sometimes it feels like you and your writing are in ‘a world alone,’ and I love how this song ends. (Now you have to go listen to the song to figure out how it ends. 😉 )
- Life in Color by One Republic
  - Because your awesome writing lights the world up with color. Your plot is the light bulb and your characters are the electricity. Plug everything in, and turn the lamp on.
- Brave by Sara Bareilles
  - “Let the words fall out.” This song will validate your decision to kill off that character. You were being brave! (Your readers may call your bravery ‘cruel’ and cry over the death of said character, but that’s a problem for another day.)
- Schuyler Sisters / Nonstop / Hurricane / Burn from Hamilton
  - Okay, so I really like Hamilton. I love how big a part writing plays in the musical. First of all, listen to Schuyler Sisters, because YOU are the mind at work Angelica is looking for. Then, listen to Nonstop, because Hamilton wrote THE OTHER 51! Nonstop is a great writing inspiration song. WORK HARDER. Then, listen to Hurricane and Burn back to back. Both brilliantly display the power of writing. Hurricane is all about how Hamilton wrote his way out of poverty, and Burn is all about how Hamilton wooed Eliza with words, and how eventually, writing something too true destroyed her. All because of words.
- Paperback Writer by the Beatles
  - Is any writing playlist complete without this song? I mean, to start off, it’s THE BEATLES, and because the Beatles were amazing, they wrote us a song about the aspirations of a writer. If you don’t have this song, get it now, and if you do have it, play it!
What songs do you guys listen to while writing? Do you listen to music at all? Let me know in the comments!
8 DIY Mason Jars for Readers & Writers

December 4th, 2016
Hello everyone! With the holidays being so close, I decided to do a DIY post on a gift you could make for a reader/writer friend. (Or for yourself, because hey, that’s what I did!) Now, you ask, will these crafts be easy, quick, cute, useful, and literary-themed? The answer is:

Let’s get started!

Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cute Paper (I used a scrapbooking pad similar to this one, but you could use a different kind)
- Pint Sized / Wide Mouth Mason Jars
- A Glue stick
- Creativity! The paper will stick to the mason jars with help from a little glue, so you can decorate them anyway you like. I also used some stickers and such, so take some liberties!
#1. Piggy Bank Jar

This is a cute and simple way to store loose change. I like it with the ‘create something beautiful’ plate because it reminds me to use the money inside for something good, like donating to a worthy organization (or buying more books.)

#2. Pen Jar

Because all writers collect pens. I even threw some mechanical pencils in there. Use a bigger sized Mason Jar, so you can fit more!

#3. Labelled Pen Jar

Okay, so I didn’t actually use a mason jar for this one. I used a larger tin can often found in a gardening section of a craft store. This is a cool take on the pen jar, because its wider, and therefore easier to grab pens out. I used chalkboard tape and a chalkboard marker to make the label.

#4. Painted Pencil Jar

Isn’t this jar so beautiful? I’ll be honest, I bought this one. But if you want to make your own, you can find the tutorial here.

#5. Organized Pen Jar

My grandmother gave me one of these wicked dividers to help hold pens. For those who love organization, this is the perfect diy. You can make one of these lids by following these directions!

#6. ‘To Read’ Jar

This is yet another attempt to finally gain some control over my monstrous TBR pile! I wrote down the names of all the books I want to read (and own/have access to) on little slips and threw them in this jar. I make an effort to pick out a slip and read the accompanying novel once a week, and I can say it’s actually helped me with my reading goals.

#7. Motivation Jar

I think too often we (us writers in particular) fall prey to our own self-doubt. I decided to make a ‘motivation’ jar to keep nice things that people have said about my writing, about me, or inspiring quotes in general, so I can pull one out when I need to be reminded why I do what I do.

#8. Writing Prompt Jar

Finally, give a writer the best gift possible: A trick to defeat writer’s block! Make this jar and fill it up with prompts, (I post some on my instagram, and you can find a cool selection here) and you’ve created inspiration in a bottle!

Thanks for checking out my DIYS! Feel free to share them by reblogging or posting these pictures on Pinterest. Which one is your favorite? And does anyone else have any cute literary DIY gifts for this Christmas season?
Bookish Pumpkin DIYs!

October 30th, 2016
The thesaurus may not agree with me, but I’m 99% sure that “Halloween” and “Edgar Allen Poe” are synonymous. After all, the best time to read the Tell Tale Heart is obviously in chilly October, and the Raven is always spookiest when leaves are coming down. So it only made sense to go Poe in my pumpkin decorating this year!

Because I spend all my money on books, all five of these Diys were made only with paper, Sharpies, and (real) pumpkins!

Pumpkin #1 – Poem Pumpkin

Being the writer that I am, my big idea in decorating is, “I’m gonna put words on this!” So that’s what I did. I choose to feature the Raven on my big pumpkin, because as I was mentioning earlier, it’s the perfect October poem. This pumpkin is easy to make, but it does take some time.
1. If your local pumpkin patch sells white pumpkins, get one! It is possible to paint an orange one white if you don’t have any other options, but I definitely recommend getting a white one to begin with to avoid having to wait for it to dry.
2. I used one of the skinny Sharpies to write out the poem on the pumpkin. Sometimes it would die out a bit, so I dotted it on a paper towel until the ink began to run again. I spiraled down the pumpkin. It was around then that I realized how long The Raven is! I got a huge pumpkin, and still was only able to fit half the poem, so if having the entire poem is really important to you, choose something shorter. (Or, if you’re a heavy lifter, buy a gigantic pumpkin.) You don’t have to have gorgeous handwriting to do this- just try to keep your handwriting consistent.
3. Let it dry. Make sure not to smear your writing! Sharpie dries pretty quickly, but let the pumpkin rest for a couple minutes after you’re done before you move it just in case.
Pumpkin#2 – Raven Pumpkin

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST TO DO THIS ONE, I PROMISE! I know this looks a little more complicated, but take it from a stick-figure drawer: It’s not hard. I created a Raven pumpkin to compliment the poem pumpkin, and to feature some actual orange, but this could be done with most animals.
1. Print out a black silhouette of the raven (or other creature you want on your pumpkin)
2. Tape the silhouette to your pumpkin.
3. Using a black sharpie, trace around the raven/other creature.
4. Take the silhouette off
5. Fill in the outline with black Sharpie!
And voila! You can now convince all your friends and family that you are a pinterest-artist-extraordinaire. Don’t worry, my lips are sealed on how easy this is. 😉

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Pumpkin#3 – Nevermore Pumpkin

Isn’t this little pumpkin just adorable? This purchase was a side-effect of my obsession with buying small, cute things without knowing what to do with them. (Still waiting for a purpose for that 2inch binder that was “oh-so-cute-” at Staples.) After a while, I decided to have it be the finishing touch to my Edgar Allen Poe vignette. I put a slide show in to show you how the text wraps around- you can get that effect by just drawing loopy lines between each letter.

Pumpkin#4- Emily Dickinson Pumpkins

I have a ~~huge~~ little obsession with Emily Dickinson, so I made my little white pumpkin Emily-Themed, but you can do whatever poet/author is your favorite! This pumpkin follows about the same directions as my first poem pumpkin, but since its obviously a much smaller surface, choose a short poem!

Pumpkin#5- Bat Pumpkin

This bat pumpkin is a win/win, because not only is it traditionally Halloween, it also happens to be my Patronus! (according to Pottermore, anyway.)

I made this bat using a tutorial found here. Instead of black paint, I just used a black sharpie to color the pumpkin in, and cut the eyes, ears, and wings out of the template provided (They said to use foam, but I’m cheap so I just used printer paper that I colored black, and it held up okay!) Again, make sure to let the pumpkin dry before trying to move it around, or else it will smear.

So what do you guys think of my bookish pumpkins? Do you know any awesome literary pumpkin designs or halloween decor?