Jess Keating's Blog, page 3

On Morning Pages and Sweaty Socks

I received a question via email not long ago and wanted to share the response here in case it’s helpful for others.

Anon asks: do you do “morning pages”? Have you found any routine like this helpful?

This is such a great question, and I’m happy to dig in, as I think it applies to anyone chasing a creative pursuit, rather than just writers.

If you’re not familiar, “morning pages” were introduced by Julia Camera in her book, THE ARTIST’S WAY. Here’s what she says about them:

Morning Pages are...

The Writer’s Notebook – Tricked Out Grasshoppers

It’s estimated that around 97% of the world’s creatures are invertebrates, yet I don’t think we spend nearly enough time marveling at their diversity.

It’s Pride Month – and there’s no better rep than this gorgeous fellow.

And this lovely grasshopper is also a beauty. Pink grasshoppers exist because of a genetic mutation called erythrism, which can cause an absence of normal pigment, or an excess of it. (I actually had to cut these guys from my book, PINK IS FOR BLOBFISH.) I hope they forg...

The Writer’s Notebook: Before There Were Post-Its

Hey all,

I shot my next episode of Animalogic yesterday (did you know I host a Youtube science show?) so after a day under lights in a big city, I’m extra content to sit in my quiet house with my laptop again, with the birds going bananas in Spring-mode outside. I’m always grateful for the chance to share what I love with the world, but time spent in your own little world seems to be equally important for the creative process (at least, to mine!)

Here are ten things that caught my eye t...

Go to the Mattresses

Twice a year, in mid-Spring and Fall, we flip our mattress.

It shouldn’t be a big deal, but it always gets me thinking, mainly because the first night sleeping on that wonky mattress reminds me of all the other areas in my life that stay the same out of habit.

I didn’t think I’d be getting into the physics of a mattress flip today, but let’s dig into it. We flip our mattresses once or twice a year because we don’t want them to warp permanently, weighed down from the one third of our liv...

Launching the Writer’s Notebook

Heads up! I’m sharing updates from my writer’s notebook every week! If you’re into creative and curious things, you can find a collection of all the posts here!

Hey all!

Ooh la la, welcome to the first post! Nothing like that little blinking cursor on a blank page to start us off on a new adventure, right? I’ll do an introduction to myself a little later on, but I wanted to start this collection of curiosities off right.

As many great things do, it starts with a string of words.

For as lo...

Waiting Pep Talks!

So you’re waiting! Maybe you’re waiting on query responses, or maybe you’re on sub waiting for an editor to make an offer. This is one of the most difficult times for a writer, so I thought some at-the-ready peps talks might help!

It’s no secret that querying and submitting is hard. They have always reminded me of Mr. Burns’ desk in The Simpsons. You know what I mean, where he sits there with his finger on the button and if he doesn’t like you, he pushes the button and whoosh, you fall throu...

Social Media for Authors

Hey guys!

I recently did a session on social media for writers at NESCBWI and got such great feedback that I decided to make the info available for everyone here. Let’s get into it.

But first:

My Philosophy on Branding and Platform Development:

If you’re a writer, you’ve likely heard the arguments about needing or not needing a platform or brand online. I’ve read that only nonfiction authors really need a platform, and that fiction writers should forget about it. I’ve also read that branding...

Platform Development for Writers

Hey writers!

If you’re here, you’re probably looking for ways to grow online as a writer, so you can reach more readers. There is so much to unpack about platform and platform development, I wanted to put some of it down in one place, so it will be the most useful for you! What follows is an adapted version of my SCBWI workshops! Grab a cup of coffee, and let’s get started.

Looking for my Social Media Playbook? You can find that here.

What is this platform business?

So, platform. What IS a pl...

Impossible Heroes

It started in Kiev. I watched with my heart in my throat as two undercover American agents interrogated a Russian man who believes he’s murdered a member of the IMF. They do their job, the adventure begins and then that infamous match is struck.

A fuse is lit, racing across the screen, as that ubiquitous and ominous riff starts up in the background. To this day, the Mission Impossible theme remains one of my favorites, simply because to me it represents infinite possibilities. It says to me:...

One Amazing Thing

Hi all!

I recently published a post for Tara Lazar’s Storystorm, and woke up to an absolute flurry of comments! So many people mentioned they wanted to print out some quotes from the post for their offices or notebooks, so I wanted to make it easier for you!

Click below the image for a downloadable PDF of some of my favorites, and please feel free to paste them anywhere that helps you in your creative pursuits! You got this! Once you click the link, a PDF will appear and you can save it from...