Story Binder Printables e-Book (with 450+ pages of writing exercises, actionable advice, 100+ publishing resources, and now it’s FREE!) Scroll for access!

This post was written by a human.

Hi readers and writerly friends! 

If you’re a returning reader, welcome back, and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! I am so unbelievably excited to announce that I’m bringing the beloved Story Binder Printables Packet back, and it’s better than ever! After almost ten years, this much-needed, long-awaited redesign is finally here! Simultaneously updated and upgraded, the Story Binder Printables e-Book is the best version of itself yet. Keep reading for all the deets—(and the download link! 😉)

One of the biggest hurdles many writers (myself included) face, regardless of experience or skill level, is staying organized. Between character profiles, research notes, plot threads, and entire collections of inspo pics, it’s easy to end up lost in a chaotic mess of documents, digital files, and notebooks. I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a crayon and it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve tried it all—folders, notebooks, cloud-based word processing software, and even digital writing & notetaking apps. A controversial, yet brave opinion—keeping everything novel-related neat and accessible can feel just as overwhelming as dragging myself to my desk for my daily writing session. Is that just me? Doubt it. After years of trying (unsuccessfully) to force a hodge-podge of folders and notebooks and cloud storage systems to fit my unique writing process, I finally decided I’d had enough and created a customized solution to my creative conundrums.

For writers—or any other creative individual, for that matter—staying organized isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. An effective, reliable, and sustainable organizational system is essential for maintaining your creative momentum and actually finishing your novel.

It’s time to get organized, finish writing your novel, and get published.

If  your notes are scattered all over the place, or stored across several different mediums and platforms, the Story Binder is about to change your life. Did I just call you disorganized in a blog post? Maybe. It depends. Does the shoe fit? If so, sorry, not sorry. Because once you see how much easier writing becomes with everything in one place, you’ll never go back. The Story Binder helps you collect, organize, and navigate every part of your story with ease, so you can spend less time searching and more time actually writing. The Story Binder just works. I’ll say it louder for the readers in the back.

THE STORY BINDER WORKS.

Seriously. It keeps everything exactly where it’s supposed to be, so you can quickly find your notes and get right back to writing in record time.

When I first released the original Story Binder Printables Packet back in 2016, it was a modest little PDF packet: just 52 pages, 10 color options, and priced at $10. It was one of the first printables I’d ever designed and I released it back in my freshman year of college! In 2019, I overhauled and completely rebranded my business and website, which entailed tasks such as operating under a new business name, switching to a new domain, updating logos and other assets, redesigning the website, adding a few fun and fresh colors to my color palette and brand kit, to name a few. Pair that with ten years of freelance editing and publishing industry experience, and suffice to say that an updated version of the Story Binder Printables Packet that reflected these changes was long overdue. Fast forward to 2025, and the new version has transformed into a full-blown e-Book with over 450 pages! On that note, you’ll see me referring to the old printables as a packet and the new printables as an e-Book. I think a PDF with that many pages can no longer be considered a packet, so an e-Book it is!

And the best part? It’s FREE.

The updated and upgraded 2025 edition still includes the 10 original colors, but now offers 25 additional color variants to choose from and more to come in the future! Each one comes in both black-text and white-text versions to suit your preferences and your screen or printer settings. Whether you’re a visual minimalist or someone who loves a bold aesthetic, there’s a version that’ll fit your workflow perfectly. Currently, all 35 colors follow the same formula and format, but I am already brainstorming what new colors, styles, and patterns to include in the next update. Continue reading to check them out and if you have any requests or suggestions for designs in the next edition, feel free to let me know by sending an email to me directly at hello@PaytonHayes.com!

What’s so great about the Story Binder Printables e-Book?

• All of your notes are neatly contained in one place, making your daily writing practice more inspiring and encouraging and your writing process more mobile! Goodbye stuffy, old home office; hello fresh air and coffee shops!

• Specific novel notes are organized by category and they’re easy-to-find without disrupting your writing process to dig through old folders stuffed with coffee-stained, hastily-scrawled, handwritten notes…never again.

• Forget the boring digital Word Docs and the ruled loose leaf notebook paper.  The Story Binder is functional for sure, but did I mention how fabulous it is? With 35 color variants to choose from (not counting the black and white text colorways), these printables will reignite your writing passion and fuel you with inspiration every time you open your Story Binder!

• And best of all? 468 pages of actionable content that will keep you on track with your writing practice and will guide you to the finish line with your novel. Yes, I’ve spent all this time and webpage space ranting about how effective the Story Binder is at keeping your novel notes organized, but that’s just one reason why it’s so successful at helping writers finish and publish their books! 

The Story Binder Printables e-Book is an organizational tool, writing workbook, and publishing roadmap crafted with intention, for creative writers who want to finally finish writing and actually publish their novels.

When I say there’s 468 pages of actionable content inside the Story Binder Printables e-Book, I’m not just throwing in a bunch of buzzwords and keywords for SEO. Every single page sparks inspiration and encourages you to take action. Not only that, but it’s adaptable, practical, sustainable, guided action, informed by over a decade’s-worth of freelance writing and editing experience from yours truly. I went to college for creative writing and editing for the publishing industry. I’ve read dozens of writing craft books, editing manuals, novel planning and plotting guidebooks, and more and I’ve worked with a plethora of clients from fiction to nonfiction and everything in between. While I’m proud of my experience and education, I’m not just saying all this so I can brag to strangers on the internet. My point is this: if you’re looking for a blank canvas, the Story Binder isn’t it. It’s so, so much more than just a template for you to fill in the blanks. Every page was thoughtfully and meticulously designed, with 10+ years of writing expertise in mind.

Likewise, the Story Binder isn’t just a novel reference notebook. It’s a flexible, customizable and adaptable novel outline system made specifically for YOUR story. Think of it as your very own book bible. It’s your personal roadmap for writing and publishing a novel, complete with all the tools you need to stay organized, inspired, and on track from first idea to final draft.

With this new system your writing process and daily writing practice will have fewer barriers to entry, less friction keeping you from getting started, fewer distractions and ultimately less interruptions that pull you out of your flow state.  The Story Binder Printables e-Book will give you every tool you need in your toolkit to confidently complete your novel and get it published. The Story Binder will help you keep every detail of your novel in one place. No more digging through endless notes, cross-referencing various digital drafts, or worrying about losing crucial details to tech glitches. No more scrolling your search results for hours only to get stuck in a research loop of exploring the ins and outs publishing industry and being inundated with advertisements. No more halting your writing progress to search up a quick question about querying literary agents—that let’s face it: never ends up being quick. Just grab your binder, flip to the section you need, and get back to writing.

So what’s inside the Story Binder Printables e-Book?

The new and improved Story Binder Printables e-Book is a writing workbook, publishing roadmap, and a treasure trove of resources packed with nearly 500 pages of worksheets, templates, and trackers created for use in any genre, demographic, or at any stage of your writing process.

Inside the e-Book, you’ll find:

• A variety of Story Binder Covers in different styles, from bold to minimalist designs, to keep you motivated.

• Instruction Guide Sheets for setting up your binder in a way that actually works for you.

• Section Dividers (with and without headers), Section Tabs, and Page Number Tabs to help you organize your navigation your way.

• Author Ownership Page to designate your book bible as uniquely yours.

• Brainstorming Worksheets including a Mind-Map Sheet, Idea Keeper Sheet, and distinct sections for ordering and storing your Story Fragments and Deleted Scenes for later use.

• Motivational Daily Writing Activities from Writing Warm-Up Prompts to Story Exploration Exercises to Writing Challenges and more, to keep your writing practice fresh and fun.

• Plot Progression Worksheets (such as Chapter and Scene Lists, Scene Tracker Sheets, Scene Cards, Tension & Pacing Worksheets, Timeline Charts, and a Novel Storyboard Sheet)

• Author Voice, Style, and Tone Worksheets specifically designed to help you maintain a consistent and cohesive narrative throughout the novel, while preserving your unique writing style, authorly voice, and your characters’ distinct personalities.

• Summarization Worksheets, such as the general Novel Overview Sheet & Synopsis Sheets to help you see the forest for the trees in your story, from a bird’s-eye view, to the miniscule details at the ground level.

• Creative Companion Activities including a Novel Inspo Exercise, a Mood Board Activity, and a Story Soundtrack Worksheet to help get your creativity flowing and recharge your creative battery. 

• Character Development Worksheets including Detailed Character Profiles, Voice and Dialogue Exercises, Character Arc Outlines, Relationship Maps, Name Lists and Pronunciation Guides, Mainstream and Speculative Fiction Character Questionnaires, Backstory Studies, Character Sheets and Moral Alignment Charts (inspired by Dungeons & Dragons) to get you into the hearts and heads of your characters. 

• Visual Writing Progress Trackers  (including a 30-Day Word Count Tracker, Novel Progress Tracker, and a Writing Goals Exercise, to help you stay disciplined and keep you accountable to your daily writing practice.

• Setting & World-Building Exercises—from Setting Questionnaires to Map-Making Activities, Magic Systems Worksheets, Speculative Fiction Glossaries, and more—to help you transport readers to the wondrous world(s) in which your story takes place!

• Revision Roadmap that includes a step-by-step Editing Action Plan, a series of draft-by-draft Review Checklists, a strategic Self-Editing Checklist, and a variety Revision Reflection Prompts, giving you actionable editorial insight, progressively honing your writing skills, keeping you on course for completing your novel, and refining your story in each iteration!

• Publishing Prep Sheets that include Beta Reader Questionnaires and Comments & Critiques Forms, as well as Publishing Plans and Checklists  (for both traditional and independent publishing routes) to assist you in sharing your story with the world.

• Reflective Journal Prompts at the end worksheets to encourage critical and constructive examination, introspection, and mindful contemplation of your experience at every stage in your writing process. Reflective journaling allows you to pause, assess, and realign as needed, helping you track progress with your project(s), notice improvement in your writing skills, and stay focused and motivated to reach your creative goals.

Plus LIFETIME ACCESS To:

• All updates and future editions of the Story Binder Printables e-Book, including new color variations and designs.

• The upcoming online Story Binder Printables e-Book Resources Library, an ever-growing collection of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing resources (including but not limited to books, articles, guides, tools, software, and apps.) 

• An Exclusive, Subscriber-Only Discount on any editing services I offer—just for my loyal newsletter subscribers! (Yes! This discount can be combined with other applicable discounts. See the Discounts section on my Homepage for more information!)

Once I started using the Story Binder method for my own novels, everything just clicked. My writing process became smoother, faster, and more consistent. Years of working with clients, and going through trial and error with my own writing, taught me what works and what doesn’t. I’ve packed over a decade’s worth of experience into this 468-page toolkit (per color variant!) to help you write better, faster, and more confidently.

Yep, you read that right—each color variant includes both a black-text and white-text option. That’s 934 pages per color, and with 35 colors to choose from, you’ve got 22,416 possible combinations for creating your perfect Story Binder. And since the Story Binder Printables e-Book is a digital download, you can print and reuse it infinitely, across all your novels, short stories, and other creative writing projects!

Over 250 Story Binder Cover Options!

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Over 250 Story Binder Cover Options! 〰️

Are you thinking this sounds too good to be true?

I get it. You’ve probably seen a dozen polished websites with flashy sales copy and overpriced “limited-time offers.” I can assure you, this situation is different. I’m not asking you to buy or do anything. Let me explain. 🤗

The Story Binder Printables Packet has been available on my site for almost a decade, and hundreds of writers have purchased and loved it. As I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this post, I created this system as a solution for my own writing struggles and it ended up being an invaluable resource for so many other writers over the years. The new and improved e-Book version is backed by real publishing experience and years of working with other writers.

Throughout the process of revising, editing, and redesigning the Story Binder Printables e-Book, I came to the realization that I don’t want paywall to be the obstacle that stands in the way of helping other writers share their stories with the world. As an entrepreneur, I still have to earn sufficient income to afford my lifestyle, keep my business going, and pay back my student loans, so naturally, reducing my rates isn’t an option for me—especially not in this economy! 

That said, one simple way that I can give back to my beloved writing community is to make the Story Binder Printables e-Book accessible to all writers, no matter their writing experience or skill, notoriety, genre, audience demographics, or any other distinction. I believe removing the price tag will allow the Story Binder to inspire, encourage, and empower more writers than ever before.

As a professional book editor, I make a living from improving other writers’ work, but as a fellow writer, I make a life from helping others tell their stories. Therefore, both as a thank you for supporting my creative pursuits and freelance career, and because it is my mission to help people find connection, representation, and a sense of belonging through story—I’m offering the new and improved 2025 Story Binder Printables e-Book to you for free.

Well, almost free. 😅

Okay, so what’s the catch?

I’m not asking you to buy anything or do anything. I’m not asking you to spend a single cent of your hard-earned money or more than a minute of your time, if that.

All I’m asking for is your email address. That’s it. No payment, no commitment, no sharing required. (Though if you do share this with your own creative community, you might just become my new favorite person.😉)

I understand the hesitation you might be feeling. I used to get so many marketing emails I could barely keep up with my own personal email inbox (let alone my business inbox, so I know exactly how annoying email newsletters can be, if done the wrong way.) I’m not here to spam you. I’m here to connect with fellow creatives and build a community around writing, editing, publishing, and everything in between. That’s why I promise to treat your inbox with respect. I consider the space you make for me in your inbox and the time you set aside in your week to read my emails sacred and this is a unique opportunity for a creative, specific, productive, and ongoing conversation centered on topics such as writing, editing, freelancing, books, art, and all things to do with the publishing industry, to name a few.

So what happens when you join the email list?

• Your personal information is safe. I will never share, sell, or misuse your data.

• You’ll receive one thoughtful email per week, max. Topics range from writing advice and freelance editing tips to bookworm life and publishing industry insights. 

• You’ll be notified of any recent articles posted to my blog and given a link that’ll take you straight to the post. I believe that your time is just as valuable as mine, so I’ll never just copy and paste a blog post in an email and hit send. That would be suuuuper lame. But if you’d like a  condensed version with your new post notifications, be sure that the box in the form below is checked to join the “Bite-Sized Blog Posts, Please!” newsletter segment. If you’d rather skip the blog post bullet points, make sure the box is unchecked. You can change this at any time by sending me a quick email requesting a change to your email newsletter preferences.

• You can easily unsubscribe at any time. No guilt, and no hard feelings. 😎

• You’ll never receive anything offensive, discriminatory, or otherwise unprofessional in my newsletter emails. Likewise, I will never spam you. I care deeply about the kind of content I send out into the world and the volumes that content speaks about me both as an editor and as a person. 

• You can reply to any newsletter if you want to chat, ask questions, or give feedback—I love hearing from other creative peeps like you!

If the Story Binder sounds like something that could help you in your writing journey, I’d love for you to download it, use it, and make it your own. Even if you unsubscribe after downloading, that’s okay. My goal is to get this resource into the hands of as many writers as possible. But if you decide to stick around, I’d be honored to have you along for the ride. So what are you waiting for?

Drop your name and email into the sign-up form below and you’ll be directed to the Story Binder Printables e-Book download page immediately after!

If you made it to the end of this blog post, thanks for reading! And if you signed up for the newsletter using the form above, then you should have been redirected right to the webpage where you can download your all-new, super fabulous Story Binder Printables e-Book! If you’re still reading this, then the download link is on it’s way to your email inbox as we speak! I’m so excited to have you here and I can’t wait to see your novel on bookstore shelves very soon!

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*This blog post was written by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). The presence of en/em dashes, specific verbiage, or predictable, marketing-style phrases are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. Readers should use to context clues and critical thinking skills in tandem with pattern recognition when determining the validity of human authorship of media in the modern digital era. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a post sometime in the coming year, so stay tuned for that.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: June 23, 2025

25 Strangely Useful Websites To Use For Research and Novel Ideas

Here’s a screenie of what it would be like if a nuclear blast went off in my area. Pretty crazy right?

Time Lapse

Time travel, virtually and geologically. Watch the world change over the course of nearly three decades of satellite photography.

And here’s a screenie of the Time Lapse website panned in to the Oil Sands. I peeked through the years to see how much the Sahara Desert changed over time. It’s pretty wild.

Please Note: As of February 6, 2025, some of the links in this blog post are broken. For archival purposes, I will not be updating this post but I will release an updated post this spring. Hopefully the owners of the broken links are able to provide updated links for us soon!

Exit Mundi

Exit Mundi is a fantastic collection of end-of-the-world scenarios. Spoiler Alert: For example, remember in Marvels Infinity War, after the snap, when people just started to crumble into thin air? Yeah, that was great. 😢 Exit Mundi goes in-depth into what the big crumble would really be like for people on Earth. Yikes. For us writers, it can be incredible useful! But R.I.P. Subway guy. 

History and humanity

Ancient History Encyclopedia

From mind-blowing ancient architecture, to prehistoric artwork, this website is a goldmine of historical information. This website even has historical event timeline!

On This Day In History

At the time of writing this blog post, the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes is driven from Tenochtitlan and retreats to Tlaxcala, The statue of King George III is pulled down in New York City, Wyoming becomes the 44th state, Germany begins the bombing of England, and Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki becomes the first man to run 10,000 meters in less than 27 minutes—I had no clue all of these events happened on the same day, over different years. It’s so fascinating and can be really useful for writing books spiced with a little history.

Historical Pics

Historical Pics is stashed in a little corner of the internet, called Facebook. But I like to call it time-waster-extraordinaire, because I always get caught scrolling through this page for hours on end. There’s so many incredible photos from Dovima posing with elephants in a Paris circus, 1955 to a giant human chess game played 100 years ago in Leningrad, Soviet Union.

Inspiration

Looking for inspiration to get the creative juices flowing? Have no fear! These two websites are known for their ability to light a spark in even the driest of writers.

Pintrest

Infact, Pintrest users coined the term/hashtag #inspo due to the ability to inspire almost anything in anyone who happens to find themselves down the rabbit hole of aesthetic pins and boards.

The Moth

The Moth is an incredible website that will surely inspire you to hone your craft of storytelling and deep dive into humanity’s stories. The Moth is dedicated to sharing engaging, well-crafted stories that honor the diversity and commonality of human experience. (And their stories come in text and audio formats!)

Location and worldbuilding

Google Earth

“The Sieka of Sahn’Jatar” is set in my fictional world of Aviiyen, but the desert is inspired by the Sahara over in the middle east and Google Earth was so useful in bringing that story to life. I’ve never been to the Sahara Desert but I would love to go there in person someday. For now, I’ll just visit from my computer screen.

Zillow

If you’ve done some house hunting lately, then you know how useful Zillow can be for finding the next perfect place to live. But you might not know how great it is for house inspiration for your novel characters! Much like Google Earth, Zillow is great for visualizing locations and helping to bring your story’s fictional setting to life.

Here’s a screenie from Zillow! While one day, I hope to move to Seattle, for now I can happily write about my dream city from the comfort of my Oklahoma home.

100,000 Stars

Earlier in this list, I mentioned people wanting to yeet themselves into space by hitching a ride on SpaceX’s rideshare cargo but now you don’t have to do that! Just check out 100,000 Stars for a stellar interactive visualization experience with the stars! As per their website: “From their website: “100,000 Stars hows the location of 119,617 nearby stars derived from multiple sources, including the 1989 Hipparcos mission. Zooming in reveals 87 individually identified stars and our solar system. The galaxy view is an artist's rendition based on NGC 1232, a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way.”

Here’s a screenie of the 100,000 Stars website. Pretty amazing right?

Geoguessr

So, you think you’re a worldbuilding pro? Let’s find out just how well you know your setting with Geoguessr—a website that transports you into a place with one goal in mind: to determine where you are on the map. You can play across the global map or try and identify famous locations from spectacular natural wonders to astonishing man-made structures.

And here’s a screenie from Geoguessr. Any ideas where this satellite image is from?

Murder and Horror

Okay so these websites might not be for the faint of heart, but I promise, we have some more happier/positive items to come later in this list! But these potentially disturbing websites can prove super useful for writers working on murder mystery novels and horror/thriller.

Homicide Monitor

A worldwide homicide map where you can see how many people were killed where. This might be useful if you’re writing a novel and need homicide statistics or in need of a story idea. However, you might want to avoid looking up you town… 😬

Goodbye Warden

This website has a chilling list of last words from 565 Texas death row inmates.

Murderpedia

Murderpedia is a free online encyclopedic dictionary of murderers and the largest database about serial killers and mass murderers around the world.

Names

Baby Names

Pretty self-explanatory, but if you’re trying to find the perfect name for your main protagonist, Baby Names is the site for you!

Behind The Name

Maybe you already have your names picked out but you want to do a little more research on their origins or meanings? Check out Behind the Name for in-depth etymology on almost any name you can imagine.

(A great honorable mention (because it’s not a website, but a book rather, is Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names. There are thousands of names in this book and it was a life-saver for me when trying to come up with names for my WIP fantasy series.)

Strange, but useful facts

Uber Facts

Once again, we have another time-suck of a webpage, but truthfully I love this one as much as the Historical Pics Page. This is a Facebook page that puts out some of the most interesting facts I’ve ever seen. Save facts for story ideas or go down the rabbit hole of interesting information.

Today I Found Out

Want to know why kids learn languages fast than adults? Or maybe you want to read more about why the human heart doesn’t get tired like other muscles? The Today I Found Out website is a great place for random, interesting information that might inspire your writing.

How Stuff Works

Who came up with aglets? How (and why) is the U.S. Experiencing a coin shortage? Is French press really the best coffee? How Stuff Works has all the answers you could ever want and more.

Cool Interesting Stuff

From chilling true-crime mysteries to alien autopsies and urban legends, Cool Interesting Stuff has tons of random, weird, and borderline creepy facts to inspire your next thriller. Pro Tip: Don’t read this website before bed.

Oddee

Oddee is a website that entertains million of visitors every month with stories about parrots teaching each other to swear (and then laugh about it) and brain-eating amoebas found in Texas water supplies—Yikes!

Space Facts

Did you know there’s a couple of dwarf planets named Eris and Makemake, or that Eris was once considered for the position of tenth planet? I didn’t! And that’s exactly why we need this site. I love space and talking about all things celestial, but I need more of it in my life. Since my books are sort of sci-fi and fantasy genre bending, this site is great for all kinds of stellar facts.

And that’s it for my list of 25 strangely useful websites for writers! What did you think of this list? Have you ever used any of these sites for your own writing? Do you have any ideas that are missing from this list? Let me know in the comments below!

—Payton

5 MORE Ways To Stay Organized As A Writer Or Freelancer

It’s hard enough keeping organized as a person in general, but add being a freelancer and/or business owner into the mix—of course we’re going to feel a little in over our heads sometimes. Not to worry, though—I’ve put together a list of five ways to stay organized as a freelancer! Not a freelancer just yet? You can still use all of these tips to your advantage and hopefully they will help you move closer to your goal of being your own boss!

If you haven’t read the first blog post I wrote on this topic, click here!

Get organized digitally

You may have heard the words “spring cleaning” at some point in your life, but as an online content creator and freelance editor, I am here to tell you that this phrase doesn’t just refer to de-cluttering objects in your real life—it also means keeping organized virtually. As a Virgo (I think Jenna Marbles can relate!) there is nothing worse than a chaotic, cluttered room when I sit down to work. This is no different in my digital spaces. I try to keep everything just as organized on my computer as I do in my home.

Folders are labeled and sometimes colored, projects are divided up into parts, and everything has a place. I even have a method for planning and preparing my blog posts that go out every Friday. Monday mornings, I will start brainstorming, outlining, and designing my blog posts. I typically get them completed way ahead of time, but it’s nice to know that if I get stumped, I have until Friday at 12 PM CST to finish everything up.

I like to color-code my folders according to the four following categories: not ready, some parts completed, time-sensitive, and ready to post. I typically schedule three blog posts to go out at a time, but this system allows me to write posts ahead of time (or when I am feeling particularly inspired) and save them for later. I do this by using the free windows app, Folder Colorizer. To further organize, I break each project down into three parts: photos, thumbnail image/cover image, and the blog post text. It takes time to complete each of these tasks so by breaking them down, I can effectively time-batch similar tasks. (Keep reading!)

Calendar blocking

Calendar block like there’s no tomorrow.

This may look different for each person—Amy Landino practically blocks out every waking (and sleeping) second on her calendar. I personally, prefer to only block out things that aren’t part of my current routine or items that have changed in the routine, and once they become part of my everyday life, they get taken off the calendar. No matter how intense you go with your own calendar blocking, make sure that it is sustainable for you. You don’t want to just start throwing events and appointments up on the calendar without rhyme or reason! You might consider only blocking a few things to start with so you don’t get overwhelmed.

I prefer to use Google calendar. I have never enjoyed physically writing events out on a paper calendar or planner—maybe that’s just my inner perfectionist talking, but I truly do live for flexibility a digital calendar offers me. In addition to that, I can pretty much connect anything to my Google calendar—yoga classes, dentist appointments, and even bills! Also, Google calendar works seamlessly among your other Google accounts and can be connected to Trello if you use that, but it’s definitely not the only calendar to go with! You can even try out a few different calendars to see which works best for you. Like I said before, Google calendar is my go-to and that’s what you’ll see in the pictures below!

As you can see above, this is what my calendar looks like on a month-by-month basis. Of course some events change, I end up with different editing clients, and the occasional dentist appointment will arise. I like to block out only the items that are not routine/temporary routines such as an event that may be a week or month long. However, it doesn’t hurt to get into the details. You can always include your morning routine, nightly pre-sleep rituals, and gym days as well.

Of course, the next two pictures show you what my weekly and daily views for my calendar look like. You can see the different calendars I am subscribed to on Google calendar (with exception to a few for my own privacy/editing client’s privacy.) I like to include Out of Office appointments, so when several of them pop up in the same day/week I can save time by time-batching similar tasks! (I promise, it’s the next item in this list!) I further filter my tasks into calendars such as bills, writing/prep for this blog, designing merchandise and preparing for my next two poetry books, and work for my freelance editing business, to name a few.

Pro tip: Ditch the to-do list! Yes, they can help you get an idea of what you need to do in a day, week, month, or even a year. However, to-do lists are more of a brain-dump instead of color-coded, sorted tasks. When you start looking at a calendar more like a timed to-do list, it helps you prioritized the events in your life. Instead of just looking at an arbitrary list of wants and needs, filter tasks out into events and appointments in your calendar. If you have a hard time separating tasks that you need to get done versus tasks you would like to get done, then consider using a prioritization matrix.

Time-batch similar tasks

Time-batching is the art of grouping similar activities together to save time. For instance, if you are a YouTuber and you need to film a talking-head video, use the opportunity to film several in one day! (Just make sure to change your clothes and accessories so your subscribers don’t catch on!) If you know you have an interview or business meeting, why not take this opportunity (when you have made yourself presentable) to schedule a coffee date with an old friend to catch up? This not only makes great use of your time (and finely styled hair and makeup) but it allows you to build connections with the people in your life—whether they’re your lifelong friends or just a newly made acquaintance.

In addition to time-batching out of office appointments, you can time-batch project tasks as well! Like I mentioned above, I like to break down my projects into three smaller parts: photos, thumbnails, and text. However, instead of trying to crank out all three parts of the project in one sitting, I know I can more effectively complete projects by time-batching their similar tasks. If I am editing photos for one project, and I know I will need to edit photos for another, it just makes sense that I get all of my editing out of the way in one session. When I get on a role with writing, it is much easier to start working out the details of the next blog post after I’ve been typing for a bit and already have my writer-brain warmed up. If you’re a creative, you know how hard it is to break away from what you’re doing and is much easier to simply push on until the project is complete. I pair this almost unhealthy ability to stubbornly get things done with time-batching so that I can both achieve the highest level of productivity whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Only check your email once a day

I’ll be honest, I don’t always follow this tip, but when I do, I notice that I am so much more productive and less distracted. Sometimes, it just makes sense to answer all your emails at a set time instead of compulsively checking your inboxes to ensure they’re at 0. Set an alarm just after lunch or whenever you feel is best for answering email and only respond at that set time. This way, you can be in touch without having others think you have nothing better to do with you time.

Turn off your notifications

On a very similar note to the one mentioned above, turning off your notifications can be a huge boost to your productivity. Even if you’re not looking to increase your productivity, perhaps you want to be more focused or more mindful in the moment—and turning off your notifications will help you do just that! I personally only have notifications on for text and Snapchat and even then, my phone is typically on do-not-disturb. There is nothing groundbreaking that I absolutely must see the moment a piece of content goes live. I don’t NEED to be notified every time this influencer tweets that or a YouTuber posts a new video. It’s just another distraction that I don’t need while I am working. Additionally, if someone really needs to get my attention—my loved ones specifically—can break through my do-not-disturb.

As you can see, I don’t have many notifications turned on. Also, don’t be worried for me—that’s the most screen time I’ve had all week and I was editing photos today. 😉

So what do you think about these tips for staying organized as a freelancer? Do you think they’ll help you stay organized? Did I forget any tips that you love? Sound off in the comments below!

Thumbnail photos by Karolina Grabowska.

—Payton

Know The Rules So Well That You Can Break The Rules Effectively

“Know the rules well, so you can break them, effectively.” -Dalai Lama XIV

“Know the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist” -Pablo Picasso

These are just two quotes that touch on the subject and since they’re from world renowned individuals, I think they must hold some weight. I think this notion of knowing the rules so you can break them holds especially true for the art of writing. Good writers who break the rules well are like the little blades of grass that peek up through the cracks in concrete—they shouldn’t be able to grow, they shouldn’t have the strength on their own to push through concrete—but they do, and sometimes, those weeds become flowers.

Whenever one of my writer friends says “You shouldn’t use adjectives” or “You shouldn’t waste too much time on mundane activities” what always comes to mind are two of the greatest fantasy writers of all time—J.R.R Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. They constantly break these two rules and many more in their work and not only do they get away with it, the are celebrated for it, which makes most writing advice out there, somewhat invalid. If they can do it and become world-class writers despite these common writing mistakes, why can’t I?

This is where knowing the rules comes in. If you know the rule, why it’s a rule, and why so many people tell you to steer clear of it, you then know how to use it to your advantage. The reason is, by knowing the rule inside and out, and knowing your writing is good, simultaneously, you know that you’re breaking the rule effectively.

Tweet from @PageTurner on Twitter.

If you break the rule in a bad way, like opening a scene with someone waking up and the following scene being predictable, then knowing the rule is pointless. But if you know the way you’re breaking it is interesting, unique, effective, and enhances or enriches the story, then not only are you breaking it well, you doing it in a way that will make other writers wonder how you got away with such a writing crime.

James Patterson opened up his bestselling novel, Maximum Ride with the main protagonist waking up, but he jumped right into the action in a fast-paced, and tense scene immediately after that kept readers engaged, enthralled, and made other writers wonder how he managed it.

Likewise, Tolkien went on for several chapters in the Lord of the Rings before the adventure ever began. One whole chapter even describe the dealings between the Bag-End Baggins hobbits and the Sackville Baggins hobbits, and spent another chapter describing a wordy, convoluted scene where Frodo and his friends enjoyed tea from and spent time with Farmer Maggot. Many writing coaches would say to avoid these lengthy scenes and cut them out since they didn’t drive the story or add to the plot in any way.

 However, they’ve remained in every edition since publication and the novels are still celebrated today. It just goes to show if you know the rule like the back of your hand, you know you can break the rule and not only get away with it but be recognized for your writing when it’s done effectively.

For further reading on this topic, check out Steven Jame’s “Story Trumps Structure: “How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking The Rules” to:

• Ditch your outline and learn to write organically.

• Set up promises for readers—and deliver on them.

• Discover how to craft a satisfying climax.

• Master the subtleties of characterization.

• Add mind-blowing twists to your fiction.

And that’s it for my hot take on how you can break the writerly rules by knowing them inside and out! What do you think about breaking the best-known rules in the writing world? Let me know in the comments below!

Thumbnail photo by Payton Hayes.

—Payton

5 Healthy Habits For Every Writer

It goes without saying that performance in any creative arena can benefit from healthy habits like getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, and eating healthy, but what many people don’t know is that there are healthy habits for the mind as well! It’s important to practice self-care but it’s kind of hard to tell what information is useful and what isn’t with the rise of Twitter Self-Care posts. It seems like a buzzword that’s flippantly tossed around along with hustle, grind, and burnout. I wonder why. (Not really.) Below are some healthy habits that are known to increase productivity positivity by helping you to establish boundaries and build a healthy relationship with your creative self. These tips and tricks will help you be more productive both in your writing and other aspects of life.

1. Establish boundaries. Really. Set certain times for working creatively. This not only helps with consistency, but it helps you know you don’t have to procrastinate working on passion projects until creativity strikes. Likewise, make a space for yourself to create, freely. Don’t just work on the bed, and if you already work from home, use a different space. If you have a laptop, go to a local coffee shop or library to change the space, mood, and environment so that creativity can flow. Click here to read more about the Pomodoro Technique and how you can use it to improve your daily writing habits.

2. Get involved with the writing community. Follow other writers who inspire you. Follow writing prompt pages on Instagram. Join Facebook groups for writers, readers, and editors. Join or put together a local critique group for writers in your area. Being involved in the writing community is incredibly useful since it grants you access to a wider array of resources, feedback, and people who will act as sounding boards. You will find there are tons of people from all different walks of life in the writing community, and there is something to learn from each of them.

3. Set up creative free time such as leisure reading or journaling. These two are almost passive activities that benefit you immensely as a writer. To specialize in one genre, you must read extensively in that genre to be come familiar with what is out there. To ease the fear of writing and the misguided need for perfection, set special time aside for journaling. Just a few minutes will do—but give yourself permission to write absolute garbage and be okay with it. Click here to read more about how writing everyday helps cure writer’s block!

   “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” -Stephen King

4. Participate in monthly writing challenges. Writing challenges are fun, engaging, and inspiring.  Instagram has plenty of daily creative writing prompts for each day of the month and NaNoWriMo is a great kickstart program for writing novels. There are tons of other writing challenges out there so see what you can find and challenge yourself to write in ways you never thought of before!

5. Set up a rewards system that doesn’t get you in trouble in other areas of your life. When we hear the words “reward system” we often think, oh great, now the writing blogger is contradicting my dietician by saying I should have brownies as a reward for writing… no? Then it’s just me, I guess. But it’s always the same—rewards that are counterproductive for our other goals. Two things can coexist, people! I suggest you set up a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly reward system so that each time you meet your goal you get points which you can put towards something such as spending time watching your favorite series or playing games. See how these three items are all leisure activities. However, if you take time from your Netflix binge, you’re not losing out in other areas of your life. My dad always tells me “What do writers do? They write,” and he’s totally right about that. If you’re a serious writer, you absolutely must make time for it, even if that means sacrificing other leisure activities., because if it’s your passion, it’s worth it. Save the bigger rewards such as the occasional sweet or a night out on the town or even that new handbag, for the bigger milestones in your writing, like the first 50,000 words, your completed rough draft, and the revised, final draft, et cetera.

And there you go! Those are my 5 Healthy Habits for Every Writer. Of course, these tips can be applies to any creative outlet such as film-making or drawing, but the important takeaways are that you’ve got to set boundaries and commit to them, challenge yourself, get involved, make time for leisure activities, and set up a sustainable rewards system.

Comment below if you’ve heard of any of these before and which ones were new to you! Also, if you try this guide out, comment below! I’d love to know how it helped you and what creative outlet you used it for!

Thumbnail photo by Pineapple Supply Co.

—Payton

Blank Pages Versus Bad Pages: Overcoming Writer’s Block When The Editor Brain Is At War With The Writer Brain

Hello readers and writerly friends!

If you’re a returning reader, welcome back and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! In this post, we’ll be discussing how writing and editing at the same time can become a writing roadblock. Obviously, the “writer brain” and the “editor brain” aren’t official psychological terms but that’s how I personally like to think of it when I catch myself actively editing and rewriting lines I’ve just drafted. You can also think of it this way: when you’re writing, you’re wearing you writer hat; when you’re editing, you’re wearing your editor hat. You can’t wear both at the same time, though. Well, I suppose you technically can wear two hats at once, but neither will be effective and you’re going to look and feel quite silly doing so. Instead, simply don the writer hat and hang up the editor hat until its time to move on to the editing stage.

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” —Jodi Picoult

One thing writers will tell you is that writer’s block is alive and well in most of us, but the reality is that those who claim to experience writer’s block haven’t build up to proverbial muscle memory of writing without editing and it is easier to repeatedly fall victim to bad habits than to take time out to build new ones. Everything comes down to this: writer’s block is defeated by writing. Simple as that. So, why am I telling you all of this? Because once you realize that bad pages are better than blank pages, it will get exponentially easier for you to write despite writer’s block, and eventually it won’t be an issue for you anymore.

What Is Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block, as per Merriam Webster, is the problem of not being able to think of something to write about or not being able to finish writing a story, poem, etc. However, in recent years, the noun has become synonymous with the problem of not being motivated to write, or not being in the right head-space to do your best writing. Subsequently, this has been the definition of writer’s block I’ve come to know well, as it was the version that plagued me.

Blonde woman in a grey sweater, looking at blank pages in an unlined notebook. Photo by John Schnobrich.

Rough Drafts

See, here’s the issue with writers that cling to that second definition—everyone’s rough draft is supposed to be ROUGH. There’s a reason that’s why we call them rough drafts. Even New York Times’ bestselling authors and prolific writers create rough drafts. It is foolish to think that your best writing would come from your very first, second or even third drafts. This is why writing is a process and not temporary—it takes time, and usually several iterations to get to the best, most polished version of the work.

Writing and Editing

The reason so many writers struggle with cracking out that crusty rough draft and that’s because they have a hard time separating their writer and editor brains. These two modes of thinking are exactly as they sound—the writer brain is the creative one credited with using the creative process and is the one usually struck by the muse and the editor brain is the corrective one that is often employed during the editing and polishing process. The thing is—these two thought processes can’t coexist. This is why it is important to separate the two when you sit down to write, because it is nearly impossible to be creative when you’re using your editor brain, and it is likewise nearly impossible to effectively edit with your writer brain, since the two are diametrically opposed.

Blank Pages Or Bad Pages—Which Is Worse?

Blank pages are meant for the writer brain and bad pages are meant for the editor brain, specifically in that order. You must write first, then edit later if you want to effectively move through the writing process and better your craft. If you’re only ever stuck on blank pages because the editor brain won’t get out of the way, you won’t grow as a writer and the stories inside you will suffer because of it. However, if you can learn to write despite the writers block, by separating the two modes of thinking, you will find it increasingly easier to pick up the pencil (or keyboard) each time, and your rough drafts will get better over time.

And that’s it for my hot take on Blank vs. Bad pages and how the wearing both the writer hat and editor hat simultaneously can cause writer’s block! What do you think? Have you ever had writer’s block? Do you agree with this argument? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Bibliography

• Picoult, Jodi. “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” Goodreads Quotes, accessed September 12, 2019.

• Schnobrich, John (johnishappysometimes). “Woman wearing sweater opening blank book.” Unsplash photo, January 11, 2018 (Thumbnail photo).

Related Topics

• 5 Healthy Habits For Every Writer

• 5 Reasons Why Most Writers Quit

• When Writing Becomes Difficult 

• How To Overcome Writer’s Block

• Know The Rules So Well That You Can Break The Rules Effectively

• Writing Every Day: What Writing As A Journalist Taught Me About Deadlines & Discipline

• 7 Amateur Writer Worries That Keep You From Taking The Plunge (And Ultimately Don't Matter)

• 8 Reasons Why Having Writing Community Matters

• The Importance of Befriending Your Competition

• 20 Things Writers Can Learn From Dreamers

• Yoga For Writers: A 30-Minute Routine To Do Between Writing Sessions

• For Content Creators and CEOs with ADHD: Strategies to Succeed Despite Overwhelm and Distractions

• 8 Ways To Level Up Your Workspace And Elevate Your Productivity

• How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized as a Writer or Freelancer

Recent Blog Posts

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: March 17, 2025

Freelancing Basics

Hello readers and writerly friends!

If you’re a returning reader, welcome back and if you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by! In this blog post we’re discussing what it takes to get started as a freelance editor in the publishing industry. Freelance editing can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as editing for a traditional publisher, but likewise, it can be just as difficult getting started. I’ve put together a few lists to help you get started with your freelance editing business. If you’re not into freelance editing, that’s okay! Many of these tips can be applied to freelancers in other industries!

Getting Started As A Freelance Editor

• Apply to internships while still in school and even after, to build your real-world experience in the industry, as well as your experience working with industry-standard programs and editing techniques.

• Take masterclasses specializing in the different degrees of manuscript editing, grammar, and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS.)

• Aim for editing certifications to show your education and qualifications.

• Join editorial associations to build connections with other editors in these networks and build your repertoire of resources in the editing industry.

• Read all the books you can—on industry, writing, style and everything in between. Seriously. (And novels in your specific genre too, of course!) I have an ever-growing list of my favorite craft books. These are so helpful, not only for becoming more familiar with the editorial industry, but they will help you read and think more critically as an editor as well. Click here to view the list.

Notebook next to black eyeglasses and a cup of pens. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

Finding Work As A Freelance Editor

• Collaborate with other editors online and in-person to gain new perspectives, techniques and successful practices of others.

• Connect with literary agents and other editors for their “reject” clients to build experience and make connections with artists who are just getting started. (reject clients may include clients the other editors and agents simply didn’t vibe with our didn’t have time to take on the projects of and does not necessarily;y refer to clients that are incompetent or lacking.)

• Offer services both online and in your community to increase your experience.

• Apply to any business or person with an online presence. Writing online copy is just as important as manuscript editing, especially in the digital age.

• Specialize. Don’t try to do everything when you’re just starting out. Try a couple of different types of editing to see what you like and stick with that for a while. You’ll hone your skills and be more experienced in that niche.

Brown suede couch draped in leopard print throw blankets. Photo by Erik Mclean

Working From Home As A Freelancer

• Time batch similar tasks. Freelance Editor, Mollie Turbeville, from Molliereads on YouTube, and bestselling author, award-winning speaker and entrepreneur, Amy Landino are both uber-successful boss ladies, living their best lives and managing their time with time-batching. The key to this is to schedule similar events and tasks on the same days, to eliminate wasted time. One way they use this practice is on days when they film for their channels, they will film several videos in one day while their “film-ready” or they’ll schedule several meetups in one day at the same coffee shop to cut down on time spent getting ready and travelling.

• Keep looking for work. While your schedule may dance between being busy and slow work days, it’s important to keep multiple projects lined up. In this industry, its best to prepare for situations out of our control, such as when a writer backs out of a project.

• Plan realistic hours for your work. It’s important to keep busy, but it is likewise important to create a meaningful and sustainable schedule for yourself. As an editor, burnout comes more often and destructive than for other occupations. Similarly, it is important to remember that when it is time to work, you must be responsible for yourself and your time. Editors cannot wait for motivation or creativity to strike because most projects are time-sensitive. Set realistic hours and stick to your schedule.

• Create a workspace conducive to successful business practice. Environment is everything for freelance editors. For the same reason it is important that students don’t sleep where the study or study where they sleep, freelancers need a workspace that can be differentiated from their home environment. In the student example, it’s easy to see where the mental lines become blurred if one studies in their bed. This has been proven to decrease study effectiveness and degrade students ability to stay on task and alert in an area they associate with sleep. Similar to this example, freelances must be able to separate work life and home life to avoid burnout and to avoid blurring the lines between work and play. This may mean implementing a physical distinction, such as a divider or even setting up a home office separate from sources of entertainment. This distinction should make it so that when you’re in your workspace, you aren’t distracted or tempted to procrastinate and when you’re in your home, you don’t feel the pressure of work when it’s time to wind down.

Bibliography

• Sikkema, Kelly (@kellysikkema). “White printer paper on brown wooden table.” Unsplash, September 1, 2020 (Thumbnail photo).

• Hazelwood, Suzy (@suzyhazelwood). “Close-up photography of notebook near pens.” Pexels photo, June 6, 2018.

• Mclean, Erik (@introspectivedsgn). “Deer painting over brown fabric sofa with reading torchiere on corner.” Unsplash photo, March 28, 2019.

Related Topics

• 15 Misconceptions About Freelancing

• The Importance of Befriending Your Competition

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• Oversaturation In A World of Overconsumption (There's No Such Thing)

• Editing Misconceptions: Editors Aren’t Monsters

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• 8 Ways To Level Up Your Workspace And Elevate Your Productivity

• 5 MORE Ways To Stay Organized As A Writer Or Freelancer

• How To Organize Your Digital Life: 5 Tips For Staying Organized As A Writer Or Freelancer

Recent Blog Posts

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: March 17, 2025