✍️ Diary of an Author: Do It For the Story ✨
Your competitive advantage as a Modern Author? Having fun -- for science. Let me explain.
Happy Sunday! In today’s newsletter, you’ll learn…
✍️ How to squeeze more secret sauce out of your process
☕️ How to refresh your PRECIOUS creativity source
😎 Other ways to add a ✨ sparkle ✨ to every blog post, chapter, and scene
📖 3-Minute Story: 3 Lessons for Doing Creative Research for Your Writing
lesson #1: hands-on experience changes everything.
I was 18 when I first fired a gun for science.
Well, when I say “science” I mean the science of storytelling.
As a writer who has a penchant for all things spies and shootouts in the fiction realm, I knew I needed to know how to write about firearms as part of my training for the CIA — *ahem* — world of fiction writing.
So, I went on a journey to the largest indoor shooting range in the U.S. at the time and learned quite a few things that I wrote about in 7 Do’s and Dont’s for Writing About Guns which you can read or listen to.
Whether it’s shooting a gun or experiencing a place, if you can get into the guts of what you’re writing about and add some experiences to your brain, your writing elevates.
lesson #2: learn from experts.
When I was co-writing my episode of the spy TV show CONDOR, I got to ask all my nerdy questions to our in-house expert, a former CIA agent who shared lots of (conspiracy theories? formerly classified information?) I probably can’t share here but added new layers to my knowledge about how to write about spies.
You don’t even have to go to Hollywood and become a TV writer, you can also read great books written by experts.
If you’re an action/thriller writer like me, I can’t recommend 400 Things Cops Know enough — this book is full of a surprising amount of heart and knowledge.
lesson #3: change your environment and invite all of your senses to the party.
Another way to get hands-on details about your subject is to plan a research trip/writing retreat. This is what I did for my novel Let Me Be Your Ghost.
Even if you don’t write fiction, you can still plan a research trip. I’ve done this for a few of my freelance projects that required it, and it’s a fun way to make an adventure out of whatever you’re doing. If you’re working remotely, why not write that blog post in a museum courtyard? My favorite in Los Angeles was the Hammer Museum’s courtyard. Free and lovely.
As writers, we are our environment. This is why I choose to work remotely in new places to spark some creativity and fresh ideas.
the Modern Author knows their competitive advantage is having fun, living their writing, and seeking interesting ways to refresh their creativity.
Creativity is a renewable resource, and I’ll be sharing more tips with you in future newsletters about how to supercharge this secret sauce that makes your writing sparkle.
But for now — do it for the story.
Go on that trip. Write from a museum for the day. Explore a botanical garden or other inspiring place this weekend. Pick up a book that sparks your curiosity. Listen to music that brings you alive. Taste something new.
Engage your senses to delight your inner creative genius this week!
If you found this helpful, it would be awesome if you shared this newsletter with someone in your writing world!
✨ 2 Quotes to Inspire You
“Originality consists in returning to the origin.” — Antoni Gaudí, Architect
“I crossed the street to walk in the sunshine.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love
✍️ 1 Journal Prompt
What project are you creatively blocked on, or need some fresh inspiration? Could you write from a museum, do a day trip, or plan a weekend of reading new things to help inspire you? How can you immerse yourself more completely in your work?
💻 New Blog Posts on AmySuto.com
🎙 New Diary of an Author Podcast Episodes
🎥 Video of the Week: 6 Landing Page Mistakes You’re Making as a Freelance Writer
I made this video on landing pages because I’ve recently done a ton of experiments on my own landing pages — and cracked what I think is the secret for converting more clients and building robust landing pages for any freelancing services you may be offering!
Watch more videos on my YouTube or TikTok.
📸 Photo of the Week
My view of how museums operate has been forever changed by Casa Batlló in Barcelona, Spain. Easily the coolest cultural experience I’ve done, it’s part-museum, part AR experience, part modern art installation. Insane. A must-visit if you’re visiting!
Follow me on Twitter or Instagram for more!
⚡️ Upcoming Wednesday Edition: 7 Secrets for Landing Better, Higher-Paying Writing Work
This Wednesday, Diary of an Author subscribers will get an exclusive issue about…
✨ The 7 secrets to landing higher-paying writing work as a freelance writer
🧪 The 1 major change I implemented over the past six months that improved my entire freelance writing business in a big way
📚 How to have your online materials sell your services so well, your clients say “yes” before you even hop on a discovery call!
Subscribe now so you don’t miss out!
Sending creativity and good writing vibes your way,
-Amy