Develop a writing routine

If I had a Writers’ Sub Box for #30DaysWithaK today, what would I put in it?

One of the key elements of a rich Writing Practice is the act of purposefully adding a sense joy & luxury to it.

That doesn’t mean that you have to scream-laugh while you draft a blog post – or purchase a solid gold desktop to hide behind.

But it does mean that we can find fun stationery & cute room decorations and pens & notebooks for our space – knowing that it might actually help us finish our novel or About Page.

Without quite all of the melancholy that it might usually entail.

Joy is a good enough reason, but it's also effective! That's why an entire Unit of the #30DaysWithaK is all about finding and adding joy and luxury to your writing Click To Tweet

So, I’ve been dreaming of creating a Writers’ Sub Box to go along with a seasonal #30DaysWithaK live run through – filled with writerly joys to suit each season. Because joy is a good enough reason.

Candles & notebooks, stickers & pens, weird stationery bits, & special somethings for our writing space.

All popped into a box and sent out with a note from me, some stickers of my illustrations and enough prompts for 30 Days of seasonal free-writing together.

Perfect, right? Dreamy and exciting thoughts, friends! And they’re on the someday -soon list.

But I’m not yet at a place to build and source and sell such a thing – so I’ve put together a make-believe version for this Spring, filled with absolute sunshine and bliss.

Because Winter is Over! And I am ready for ALL the sunshine.

So here is what I’d send you all this Spring, if only I could:

*This is not an ad, and these are not affiliate links. I just love these things and want to play pretend that I can send them all out to you this week.

Add joy to your writing practice with this make believe spring writer's box

1. Book Scents Candle – Jamie K.

I’ve actually spent lots of time chatting with Nalana, the owner and chief candle maker extraordinaire behind Book Scents – about books and the idea of someday creating things together. She is amazing and lovely and truly *gets* the bookish side of me.

So it makes sense that I’d find the perfect candle for my first make-believe Writers’ Sub Box of Joy (the name is a work in progress) in her shop.

A candle makes any space feel like a writer's space

This bright and beautiful candle has a classic sandalwood scent with subtle hints of lime, and is the most Spring-yellow you could imagine. Perfect.

All of the Book Scents candles are inspired by a specific book, character, or author. Go see what you can find to inspire your next book – and comment below if you know where the “Jamie K.” candle got its name.

Burning a candle while you write can give your writing time a sense of specialness and luxury.

2. Rifle Paper Co. Notecard

Everyone who has an unhealthy love for stationery knows Rifle Paper Co., right? It’s been around for a while, and its telltale floral patterns are perfect for Spring.

Writing a note to a loved one on a beautiful piece of stationery feels absolutely precious – and can loosen up your writing brain when you feel blocked.

3. King Jim – Sticker Folder

Okay – this funky little folder for loose stickers is my new favourite thing. It’s made by a Japanese brand though, and isn’t easy to find here in North America.

Luckily, there is a company like “Cute Things From Japan,” where you can find all kinds of – you guessed it – cute things from Japan.

I use stickers to give myself extrinsic motivation to open my notebooks. It might be a hangover from grade school, perhaps? But I don’t care, because it works.

4. Citrus Book Bindery

Notebooks. Ahhhh notebooks. It wouldn’t be a real Writer’s Box without a beautiful notebook.

I can’t ever have enough notebooks, and I can’t ever get enough of folks like Citrus Book Bindery who take such obvious care with making them.

The intricate stitching, the beautiful binding, the colours! Any number of their books are on my wish-list, but these bright colours are fitting to my Spring-fever mood.

Don’t leave your lovely notebooks on the shelf or in a drawer! Use them and enjoy every page.

5. Modcloth – Cat Planter

I mean…cats. Right? And also plants.

So, this might be one of those things that only brings my own personal brand of joy, but I’m still adding it in here, because I love it that much, and I think you might too.

I’m a sucker for cats, and having a small plant in a cat-shaped planter feels right, considering that all of my plants are destined to be either eaten or knocked over by cats at least 5 times.

Having cute and sweet design elements in your Writing Space that feel like *you* is a piece of that taking up space and owning it thing that helps to make writing a thing that you just do.

6. Notebook Therapy – Mildliner Highlighters

You can find these light and lovely highlighters at just about any stationery or art store. I’ve linked “Notebook Therapy” because they carry just a TON of really neat, quirky and fun stationery bits & bobs.

These Mildliners by Zebra are known for their more mild and relaxed colours, and they have a bullet nib on the other side too for adding notes in the margins.

I love a highlighter to categorize thoughts or help me mark up an outline or draft – but your typical one in *that* shade of yellow doesn’t feel luxurious.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this fun little adventure down enable-me-lane.

Feel free to share this list with other stationery lovers you know (we tend to gather), and let me know in the comments if there is something you’d add to the list, because I always want to see more enticing stationery stuff to add to my wish lists.

I said enable me, Dammit!

You can also join the #30DaysWithaK free-writing challenge, if you haven’t already, to create a Writing Practice that will feel better and work better for you – in 30 days.

xo
Kris

Kris Windley

Kris is a writer, editor, illustrator, teacher, mother of two amazing young ladies - and enthusiastic cat-belly snuggler. A certified teacher, long-time blogger and experienced brand consultant, she writes about Writing, Business and Blogging...and sometimes about Changing the World.

Kris Windley

Kris is a writer, editor, illustrator, teacher, mother of two amazing young ladies - and enthusiastic cat-belly snuggler. A certified teacher, long-time blogger and experienced brand consultant, she writes about Writing, Business and Blogging...and sometimes about Changing the World.

You mad? Excited? Have a perspective to share? Please do!

4 Comments

  1. Katie on April 12, 2019 at 11:37 am

    Oh MAN did this imaginary sub box’s contents make me SO happy! I mean, you KNOW the cat planter is an automatic must have!
    What would I put in my box? Hmm…maybe some COSMIK Freeze Dried Ice Cream for ice cream on the go (just found this on google)?!
    https://www.cosmik.com/shop <3

    • KrisWithaK on April 12, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Odds the kitty planter gets destroyed within a month? I DON’T CARE! I will love his little face for his entire little life as my desk planter of kitty-cat joy 🙂

      I am also very interested in the space-person ice cream. It feels like an illustration waiting to happen 😉

      xo
      Kris

  2. Anita Van Hal on April 11, 2019 at 11:41 pm

    Love it! I too believe in surrounding myself with fun and beautiful things while I work! I use these same highlighters, keep beautiful fun candles, and notebooks galore! This post really spoke to my heart! Thank you!

    • KrisWithaK on April 12, 2019 at 3:23 pm

      Aw! I’m glad you liked my trip down stationery dream-land lane 🙂

      I’m staring out my writing room window right now, and dreaming still of even more notebooks and candles and beautiful things for even more pretend sub-boxes, so there will be more posts like this one to come.

      xo
      Kris

Leave a Comment





Want to read more? Check out these recent articles.

“I have a great story, but I’m just not a Writer!” | Kris With a K | Writing Coach

By |

I’ve heard this from too many intelligent, well-spoken women over the years. And it drives me bonkers, because you ARE a writer. You may not be a professional writer; you may not even be a proficient writer (yet), but you are a writer. Writing is simply the act of communicating with words on purpose. The rules and…

Your Readers’ Dirty Laundry can Spark-up Your Writing | Free Printable | Kris With a K | Writing Coach

By |

Stop Being so Smart! You heard me. I want you to stop being so darn smart and clever all the time. Because your readers don’t want you to show them how smart you are. They don’t want your big-words or your clever turns of phrase. They want your empathy. Yup. That’s the truth. Think about it…

When you Finish a Project, You’re Actually Building Willpower | Kris With a K | Writing Coach

By |

It’s Life Changing. It feels good like the second-to-last bite of a big café cupcake good (second-to-last, because there’s still one more bite left to look forward to, but you’ve had enough that you can slow down and savour it). That’s good, Kitten. Looking at a creative project that you’ve completed – especially a long, difficult one…

You Need to Stop Saying This to Yourself, if you Want to Succeed |Free Printable | Kris With a K | Writing Coach

By |

I know that I am usually the first to tell women to speak up. In fact, it’s my great big reason for being in this business…but today I have to tell you to shut up. I want you to stop telling yourself that you aren’t a “doer”, as if it’s some kind of magical ability some people are born…

How to actually keep your 2015 Biz Plans *Hint* Accountability is the key! | Kris With a K | Writing Coach

By |

My latest series – Brand Plan 2015 – is wrapping up this week, and that means it’s time for the hard part: Following Through With all the Awesome Plans!!!  Weeeeeeee! FUN! Right? Nope. Not fun, kitten. This is not a fun time. I’m an idea generating machine over here. You know this; I lament it often. I…

Tuesday Tips | The Art of Creative Goal Setting that will Help you Get Stuff DONE | Free Printable Worksheet!

By |

Be SMART. That’s the key. I’m not yelling. SMART goals are a thing…I’ll get to that. So you all know that I was a teacher for years, before I became KrisWithaK. I learned a lot from my students…like A LOT. But I learned a lot from administrators, bosses and professors too. I know – I…