Three Ways Writers Can Use Their Friday

Part of the draw in freelancing is setting your own schedule. I try to use Fridays for something a little out of the ordinary. Now, I work maybe about 60% time- 6ish hours per day, so I really can't tank Fridays entirely. However, I do try these shake ups:

1. Go to the bookstore in order to feel and smell the final print that you're aiming for. If you are a writer, you know what I'm talking about-- that contact high you get when you walk into a stack of books or a nice, new, clean, inky rack of magazines? Come on...don't leave me hangin' here! I love bookstores. I love to touch magazines and open books. I love to go to the writing section and see who's there! Spending part of my Friday at a bookstore infuses me with possibility.
2. Get out into nature. I'm not giving you the same old "go for a walk" spiel. I'm talking about fresh, windy, earthy nature. I live in a beautiful town that is blessed with sandstone rock formations--kind of a big deal for the flat midwest. In 7th grade, I took a writers field trip to these same ledges that are now 3 blocks from my home. It is so inspiring to go back there and imagine 12 year old me sitting cross legged and writing in this exact same spot. It's my job to honor the writer that she thought she could be.
3. Get into your niche. What do you write about? Dogs? Children? Fortune 500 companies? You need a fresh dose of whatever that is. Volunteer in a school, spend a couple minutes shooting the breeze with the groomers at PetCo, or have lunch with a friend who does the 9-5. There you go, fresh material.

So, what are you going to do today? Same old, same old? Or, are you going to step out into the world and find that new impetus and motivation that writers so desperately need?

Thought so.