S2/E5: Productivity Hacks for Writers by Jessica Brody

This week we’re reviewing another class: Productivity Hacks for Writers by Jessica Brody class in her “Writing Mastery” series offered on the Udemy platform. She also offers courses through her website on topics such as how to deal with writer’s block, how to brainstorm and write a bestseller, and how to submit to a major publisher.



Jessica has written and published more than seventeen novels for teens, tweens, and adults, but you may also know her for her bestselling writing advice book, Save the Cat Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need. Her books have been published and translated in over 23 countries and several are in development to be made into films. She publishes about four books a year.



She’s done all that by writing for only about two to three hours a day. So she has a thing or two to teach us about how to be productive and efficient.



She divides the course into three main components:



* Hacking Your Brain* Hacking Your Space* Hacking Your Devices



I’ll go ahead and pull one thing from each of these categories, but know that there are many, many other good hacks under each of these topics.



Three Things



1 The Hack Your Brain component makes up a good chunk of the course. During it she makes a strong case for following what she calls the “Morning Magic Routine,” before you write every day. The routine urges you to try getting dressed and moving right away after the alarm rings. Then she encourages you to follow that with a quick fueling of your mind (through meditation), body (with nutritious, protein-rich food), and soul (through gratitude journaling). Finally, a small writing ritual of your choosing. (She, for instance, doesn’t have her first sip of coffee until the computer is on and her work-in-progress is loaded up on the screen). She does have suggestions for you Night Owls, as well, called (wait for it) the “Evening Magic Routine.