One of the biggest myths writers believe is that book marketing begins after publication day. We picture a finished manuscript, a polished cover, a launch date, and then somehow the readers magically appear. I wish it worked that way. It usually doesn’t. Nope – you have to promote yourself from the very beginning.

The truth is simple: book marketing starts before your book is finished. It starts when you begin building visibility, relationships, and curiosity long before your book hits the world. If you wait until launch week to introduce yourself, you’re asking strangers to care instantly. If you begin earlier, you give readers time to discover you naturally.

I get that it’s scary to put yourself out there but if you want your book to succeed, you have to promote yourself and market your book. 

My Dirty Little Book Marketing Secret

I absolutely suck a marketing my book. There, I said it. I have my Thinking Positive and my Thinking Positive Toolbox, which were huge non-fiction passion projects for me. I was and am fully invested in them, but when it comes to marketing, I’m kind of eh about it. I also have two other non-fiction books that I wrote. One is on gentle parenting and what it should really look like, and the other is about online dating.

Those two books were not passion projects, they were written because I saw a need and I wrote them to fill that need. But I did next to nothing to promote them. Or anything. At All. If someone were to look at me and say “Come on woman, you have to promote yourself,” I’d be like “Yeah, no.”

I’m trying much harder with Consanguinity. I’m making little book trailers, I’m talking about them on social media. I’m doing little teasers about the 4 main characters. It’s not a lot, but it’s a start.

When it’s finally done and published, you can bet I’ll be promoting the heck out of it. It’s not going to be easy because it ties back into the idea that it’s not “proper” to talk about things you’ve done, at least for me it does. But I’m totally going to quash those feelings under my heal like they were a big ugly bug! My new personal mantra for Consanguinity – aside from keep writing is “don’t be stupid, Tracie, promote yourself.”

If Your Book Is Still Being Written

This is actually a wonderful time to promote yourself and your book, because there is no pressure to sell yet. You’re simply letting people into the journey.

• Share your writing progress occasionally
• Talk about the genre you love
• Post about themes your book explores
• Show your writing space or routine
• Build a simple author website
• Start collecting email subscribers

You don’t need to reveal spoilers or post every chapter update. You’re building connection, not broadcasting every keystroke. If this feels overwhelming, start small. One post a week about your writing life can plant seeds you’ll appreciate later.

If Launch Day Is Getting Close

Now your book marketing shifts from quiet visibility to growing anticipation.

• Reveal your cover
• Create teaser graphics
• Share short character intros
• Announce your release date
• Recruit ARC readers
• Set up preorder links if available

Readers love being part of something before it arrives. Give them reasons to look forward to your launch.

For helpful publishing resources, Reedsy’s blog has practical articles for indie authors navigating launch plans and promotion.

If You Just Published

This is where many writers make a mistake. They publish, announce once, then go silent. Please don’t do that.

Your audience is busy. Many people miss the first announcement. Keep talking about your book in fresh ways.

• Share reviews
• Post favorite quotes
• Create short videos
• Talk about what inspired the story
• Mention your book naturally in future content
• Run occasional promotions

If Your Book Has Been Out for a While

Good news: book marketing does not expire.

Older books can find new life through fresh graphics, seasonal angles, bundles, updated blurbs, or renewed social posts. Some books take time to find their readers. I actually did this with my Thinking Positive Book and Toolbox. I just recently bundled them together. I was so proud of myself. You would have thought I just invented the wheel or something.

I’ve seen content gain traction months after posting and products sell long after release. Books can do the same thing.

If you’re building your author platform too, you might enjoy my thoughts on why authors need a website.

If You Want to Promote Your Book Without Putting Your Face Everywhere

Let’s also normalize something important: not every writer wants to become a full-time on-camera personality. You can absolutely do book marketing and promote yourself without turning yourself into a daily selfie project.

Some writers are private. Some are shy. Some are tired. Some simply want the spotlight on the work instead of themselves. All of that is valid.

• Create quote graphics using lines, themes, or mood from your book
• Use book cover images, mockups, and aesthetic visuals
• Make text-based reels or slideshows with music
• Share screenshots of reviews or reader reactions
• Post photos of your writing desk, notebook, tea mug, or workspace
• Write blog posts related to your genre or themes
• Use email newsletters to connect privately with readers
• Record voiceovers over images instead of appearing on camera
• Create character boards, playlists, maps, or world-building posts
• Let your website work for you while you stay comfortably offstage

You do not need to be loud to be visible. You do not need to be everywhere to be effective. Consistent quiet marketing often works better than forced performative marketing.

If being on camera drains you, build a strategy that fits your personality instead of copying someone else’s. This is me. I hate the way I look on camera. I am trying to work past it to promote myself and my work, but it’s hard. For me, I’m trying because it’s a goal I set for myself, but you don’t have to. Don’t do anything your not comfortable doing, because yes, you can promote yourself and market your book without ever showing your face!

The Real Secret of Book Marketing

The best marketing rarely feels like shouting. It feels like showing up consistently, being visible, offering value, and reminding people you exist  – that’s the part where you promote yourself.

You do not need to become a slick salesperson. You need to become findable. 

So if your book isn’t finished yet, great. Start now. 

If your book just launched, great. Start now.

If your book has been sitting quietly for a year, great. Start now.

The best time for book marketing may have been yesterday. The next best time is today.

The post Book Marketing Starts Before Your Book Is Finished first appeared on Tracie Joy.

Relaxing counts as productivity. This is a hill I am willing to die on. Some of the most productive things I’ve ever done looked suspiciously like doing nothing.

We live in a world that praises motion. Busy schedules get applause. Packed calendars look important. Exhaustion is sometimes worn like a badge of honor. If you’re always doing something, people assume you must be succeeding. Not only do we praise motion, we actively criticize doing nothing.

But real life has a funny way of exposing that myth.

Because tired people are not at their best. Burned-out people are not more efficient. Overloaded minds do not suddenly become creative because they skipped lunch and pushed harder. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest.

Relaxing Refuels More Than You Think

Relaxing is not the opposite of progress. Often, it is what makes progress possible.

When you slow down, your body gets a chance to reset. Your mind unclenches. Stress eases its grip. You return with more patience, clearer thinking, and better energy than the version of you who tried to power through everything.

That quiet afternoon on the couch may not look impressive from the outside, but it may be the exact reason tomorrow goes better.

We Need a Better Definition of Productivity

Productivity is usually measured by visible output: emails answered, floors cleaned, errands completed, boxes checked.

But invisible progress matters too.

• Lower stress levels
• A calmer nervous system
• Renewed motivation
• Better focus
• More emotional patience
• Fresh ideas

Those things may not fit neatly on a to-do list, but they shape everything that comes next.

Especially for Teachers, Caregivers, and Tired Humans

If you spend your days giving energy to other people, relaxing is not selfish. It is maintenance.

Teachers know this well. By the time a break arrives, many are carrying weeks or months of decision fatigue, noise, deadlines, and emotional labor. Rest is not laziness after that kind of season. It is recovery. I have my spring break coming up, staring tomorrow, at 2:55. Not that I’m keeping track or anything, and I’m planning on doing nothing. Because relaxing counts as productivity, I know that while I am doing said relaxing, my mind will be thinking about lessons, and doing some school problem solving. I’ll still be productive – it’s just going to look a lot different and a lot more comfy!

If this speaks to your season, you might also enjoy this earlier positive thinking post.

What Relaxing Might Look Like

• Lunch with a friend
• A slow morning with tea
• A walk with no destination
• Reading for pleasure
• Napping without apology
• Laughing until your stomach hurts
• Doing absolutely nothing urgent

That all counts.

Relaxing Counts as Productivity

So if your schedule has open space this week, you do not need to rush in and fill it just to feel worthy. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is pause long enough to become yourself again.

Relaxing counts as productivity because restored people do better work, love people better, and carry life more lightly.

And honestly? That sounds productive to me.

For more on how rest supports mental clarity and stress reduction, the American Psychological Association offers helpful research-backed insights.

Part of the problem is that we have been taught to trust visible effort more than quiet restoration. If you spend the day running errands, answering emails, cleaning the kitchen, and crossing things off a list, it feels easy to say you were productive. You can point to what got done. You can see the results. Relaxing does not always offer that same kind of proof. There is no gold star for taking a breath. No one hands out medals for sitting on the couch in fuzzy socks and letting your nervous system calm down.

And yet, that kind of rest matters more than many people realize. When you slow down, your body is not doing nothing. It is recovering. Your mind is not failing. It is processing. Your emotions are not being lazy. They are trying to settle back into balance. Rest gives your system a chance to stop bracing. It helps lower stress, improve patience, and restore the kind of energy that constant busyness quietly drains away.

I think that is why so many good ideas show up when we finally step away. They appear in the shower, on a walk, during a quiet drive, while sipping tea, or while staring out the window pretending not to think about anything at all. The brain is funny like that. It often does its best work when it is not being shoved around with a clipboard.

You Do Not Have to Earn Rest Twice

So many of us treat rest like it has to be earned over and over again. We tell ourselves we can relax after the laundry is done, after the dishes are finished, after the emails are answered, after the errands are run, after one more thing. But there is always one more thing. The list never runs out. If rest only comes after everything is complete, then rest never really comes at all.

The truth is, living a normal life already takes effort. Working, parenting, teaching, caring, planning, worrying, driving, organizing, helping other people, and carrying responsibilities all count. You do not need to prove you are tired enough before you are allowed to recharge. You do not need to win some invisible suffering contest first.

Better Rest Leads to Better Work

Relaxing counts as productivity because it supports everything else. Rested people think more clearly. They respond more kindly. They solve problems faster. They create with more ease. They come back to their responsibilities with more of themselves available. That is not wasted time. That is preparation for real life.

So if part of your week includes lunch with a friend, an afternoon nap, a slow morning, or a little unstructured breathing room, that is not time stolen from productivity. It is part of productivity. It is what helps make the rest of your life doable.

The post Relaxing Counts as Productivity first appeared on Tracie Joy.

Writing progress looks different to every writer, but there’s a stage in nearly every writing journey where it feels like absolutely nothing is happening.

You’re writing pages no one sees. Fixing scenes no one praises. Brainstorming ideas that still look messy and unfinished. You’re showing up, but there’s no parade, no fireworks, and no clear sign that your writing progress is leading anywhere exciting.

You may even look around and assume everyone else is moving faster. Other writers are announcing book launches, sharing cover reveals, posting word count wins, or talking about their latest success. Meanwhile, you’re over here renaming files, rewriting chapter three for the sixth time, and wondering if your main character has become legally allowed to sue you.

That quiet stage can be frustrating. It can make you wonder if you’re wasting time, moving too slowly, or somehow missing the magic formula everyone else seems to know.

But here’s the truth many writers learn eventually: nothing changes until suddenly it does.

Writing Progress Often Happens Underground

Growth doesn’t always announce itself.

Sometimes writing progress looks like deleting three weak chapters so the story can breathe. Sometimes it looks like learning to write stronger dialogue. Sometimes it looks like starting over with a better idea because your instincts got sharper. Sometimes it looks like finally understanding why a scene never worked in the first place.

Those moments can feel invisible because they don’t come with applause. But they matter more than most people realize.

Much like roots growing before a tree gets taller, writers often develop beneath the surface first. You may be building skill long before you see results. You may be building confidence long before you feel confident. You may be building discipline long before anyone notices consistency.

This is one of the hardest parts of writing. We live in a world that loves visible milestones, but creative work often rewards private persistence first.

The Breakthrough Usually Looks Sudden

Then one day, something shifts. You finish the draft. The story finally clicks. Your website starts getting traffic. Readers begin noticing your work. You write a scene that feels like the version of you that you’ve been trying to become.

To outsiders, it can look sudden. Lucky, even. But writers know better.

That writing progress, the “overnight success” was built from ordinary Tuesdays, tired Wednesdays, messy notebooks, self-doubt, false starts, abandoned outlines, second guesses, and stubborn consistency.

People often celebrate the visible result while missing the hundreds of invisible choices that created it.

What to Do While Nothing Seems to Be Happening

Keep going, but keep going intelligently.

Use slow seasons to sharpen your craft. Read better books. Study structure. Experiment with voice. Learn what kind of process actually works for you instead of forcing someone else’s routine. I was struggling today with a scene. I tend to write dialogue heavy. My characters have a lot to say. But I was struggling to find someone’s voice today, so instead, I focused on the setting, I wrote in depth about the area my characters were. That worked – the damn unblocked and there was a sudden gush of words on the screen.  That was progress!

Some writers thrive on daily word counts. Others work in bursts. Some outline every chapter. Others discover stories as they go. The goal is not to look productive. The goal is to become productive in a way you can sustain.

If this helped you, you might also like Writing Momentum: 7 Ways to Develop Strong Writing Skills.

You can also find encouragement and practical craft articles through Writer’s Digest, which has helped many authors stay inspired.

Don’t Compare Your Journey to That Others

It’s hard not to look at what other author’s are doing, and not compare yourself. Please don’t! You are on your own journey and your writing progress has nothing at all to do with theirs. You write your story and let them write theirs. Your writing progress is yours and yours alone!

Here is the thing you need to remember. Your writing journey is incredibly personal. Don’t expect it to look like mine, or like J.K. Rowling or even the people in your writing group. You’re not writing their story, your writing your story.

You also need to remember that your writing journey isn’t linear – it’s more cyclical. You are going to go though periods where you fee like you’ve made NO progress, and then suddenly, BOOM! Writing progress has happened. 

Your Suddenly Might Be Closer Than You Think

If you’ve been feeling stuck, don’t assume nothing is happening. Some of the most important phases of writing progress feel slow while they’re happening. You may be one revision away from clarity. One brave query away from opportunity. One consistent month away from momentum. One finished project away from believing in yourself again.

Keep showing up. Keep writing the imperfect pages. Keep trusting the quiet work.

Because sometimes nothing seems to change for a long time.

Until suddenly, it does.

The post Nothing Changes Until Suddenly It Does: A Truth Every Writer Needs first appeared on Tracie Joy.

When a Teacher Says “Easy to Understand”

• Students understood the task quickly.
• Directions were clear.
• The resource flowed logically.
• The teacher did not need to answer the same question seventeen times.
• The lesson started smoothly instead of spiraling immediately.

When a Teacher Mentions Visuals

When a Teacher Says “Clean”

When a Teacher Says “Accessible for All Students”

What Buyers Are Really Asking Before They Purchase

What Sellers Should Learn From TPT Reviews

• If buyers mention visuals, keep improving design.
• If they mention clarity, strengthen directions.
• If they mention engagement, build more active learning pieces.
• If they mention accessibility, continue designing for diverse learners.
• If they mention saving time, highlight that benefit in your listings.

My Takeaway After My First Feedback

My Reality From My First Feedback

The post What Teachers Really Mean When They Leave TPT Reviews first appeared on Tracie Joy.

How a story is born is not the same for everybody, and stories rarely arrive as polished masterpieces with chapter titles, character arcs, and a clean three-act structure. If they did, writers everywhere would be calmer, richer, and significantly less attached to notebooks. Wouldn’t it be nice if they did?

Most stories begin smaller than that.

They begin as a sentence you can’t shake. A face in your mind. A strange dream. A feeling that won’t leave you alone. A single question that keeps tapping on the inside of your brain asking, “What if?” It’s that little spark you can’t get rid of.

That’s the real birth of a story.

Some of my own ideas have started with almost nothing. A mood. A character dynamic. A scene that appeared before I knew who anyone was. Sometimes I know the emotional heart of the story long before I know the plot. Sometimes I meet one character first and everyone else arrives later like they were delayed in traffic.

If you’re waiting to begin until you know everything, you may be waiting forever.

The Myth of the Perfect Story Idea

Many writers believe they need the full concept before they can start. They think real authors sit down with complete worlds, perfect pacing, and a dramatic reveal planned for chapter twenty-three.

That’s adorable. It’s also completely and utterly untrue!

Most of us are building the road while driving on it.

A strong story idea doesn’t need to arrive complete. It only needs enough energy to make you curious. Curiosity is fuel. If you want to know what happens next, there’s a good chance readers will too.

According to many professional writing communities, momentum often matters more than perfection in early drafting. The beginning phase is about discovery, not brilliance.

How a Story Is Born in Real Life

Here are some of the most common ways stories begin:

• A Character First: You hear a voice or picture someone clearly.
• A Scene First: You suddenly know two people are arguing in a parking lot at midnight.
• A Question First: What if memory could be inherited? What if the wrong person found the truth?
• An Emotion First: Grief, longing, rage, hope, jealousy.
• A World First: A place appears before the people do.
• A Conflict First: Someone wants something badly, and something blocks them.

None of these are wrong. None are lesser. They’re simply different doorways into the same house.

What to Do When the Spark Shows Up

When an idea appears, do not politely assume you’ll remember it later. You won’t. Ideas have the survival instincts of soap bubbles. Write it down immediately. Use your phone notes, a notebook, a receipt, the back of a permission slip, whatever is closest. For the love of all that is holy, if you take anything away from any of my blog posts, make it be this.

Then ask a few simple questions:

• Who is at the center of this?
• What do they want right now?
• What is stopping them?
• What secret or tension exists?
• What could happen in chapter one?

You do not need all the answers. You just need enough to move.

The Story Birth Template

If you have a spark but don’t know what comes next, start simple. You do not need a full outline today. You just need a few honest answers.

Try This Quick Story Spark Exercise

• Who is this story about?
• What do they want right now?
• What is standing in their way?
• Why does this matter emotionally?

Even four answers can unlock surprising momentum. They are the little spark that can explode into a full blown idea

Want the full printable Story Birth Template with deeper prompts to grow your idea into a real plot? Visit my Writing Resources page for free tools and downloads.

If Your Idea Feels Too Small

Some of the best stories begin quietly. Not every idea enters the room throwing glitter and yelling about destiny.

Sometimes the smallest spark becomes the longest fire.

If this helped you, you might also like my free writing resources here, including an expanded version of this template.

Final Thought

You do not need the whole book today. You need one true thing. One interesting person. One impossible choice. One strange moment. One emotional wound. One question worth chasing. That is often how a story is born.

Everything else comes after.

The post How a Story Is Born: Turn One Spark into Something Real first appeared on Tracie Joy.

If you’re a writer wondering whether you really need an author website, you’re not alone. Plenty of authors assume websites are only for bestselling names with giant marketing teams and movie deals. Meanwhile, the rest of us are over here trying to finish drafts, answer emails, remember passwords, and locate the coffee we just set down five minutes ago. Or if you’re me, you’re looking for the tea.

But here’s the truth: an author website is no longer a luxury. It’s one of the smartest tools a writer can have. Social media can help you get discovered, but your website is the place readers come when they want to know more, buy your books, join your email list, or decide whether you’re someone worth following.

If you’ve been asking yourself, do authors need a website, the short answer is yes. The better answer is why, and that’s where we’re headed today.

1. Social Media Is Borrowed Land

You don’t own your Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok profile, or whatever shiny platform appears next week. Algorithms change. Reach drops. Accounts get hacked. Trends shift faster than a toddler with a juice box.

Your website is the one online space you control. That matters. You choose the look, you choose the content. It’s your opportunity to customize to your heart’s content and make a space that is truly your own without worrying about parameters laid out by anybody else.

2. Readers Need One Place to Find Everything

If someone hears about your book, where do they go next? If the answer is “well… first they search Instagram, then maybe click a random bio link, then wander into the digital woods,” that’s not ideal.

Your website gives readers one clear place to find your books, updates, links, freebies, and contact information.

3. An Author Website Builds Credibility

People judge professionalism quickly online. Fair or not, a clean and updated website signals that you take your writing seriously. You don’t need anything flashy. You just need something real, organized, and easy to use. If you’re indie publishing, this matters even more. A professional site helps bridge the trust gap some readers still have. Social media is great, but you can build an author website and get your name out there consistently. You don’t have to keep posting and coming up with things to share like you do on social media.

4. Google Can Actually Find You

This is where an author website becomes powerful. Search traffic matters. Someone may search your name, your book title, your genre, or writing advice related to what you create. Without a website, you’re depending on third-party platforms to represent you.

With a website, you can build long-term visibility. If you use WordPress, tools like Rank Math SEO can also help optimize your content for search engines. And then one day you get an email that says google is starting to see your email in search results, and you dance around your classroom seeing. Oh wait, that was me. I did that!

5. You Can Grow an Email List

Email lists may not feel glamorous, but they’re one of the most valuable assets an author can build. Readers who join your list are raising their hands and saying, “Yes, tell me when you release something.” That’s gold. I’m going to be super honest here you kind of have to be diligent when it comes to your email list when you build it. Lots of spammy type of accounts sign up, which can start to cost you money depending on what email list platform you use. Unless you know lots of people named Xkjd9eeax Smith. In which case you can keep them on your email list. A simple sign up form on your author website is a great way to grow your mailing list.

Services like Mailchimp make it easy to start small and grow over time.

6. You Can Sell More Than Books

Books may be the main event, but many writers also sell journals, printables, courses, signed copies, bundles, or related resources.Your website gives you room to grow beyond one sales channel. It can become your business hub, not just your book page.

If you’d like an example, you can see how I combine writing and resources in my own Words & Wonders shop. In it I have my books, teacher resources because hey, I’m a teacher, and my fan fiction. I’m also working on a section for the writing resources I’ve created. It’s slow going because I’m, you know, writing a book, but it will get done.

7. It Helps Future You

Maybe you only have one draft right now. Maybe you’re unpublished. Maybe you’re still figuring everything out. That’s fine. Starting now means future you won’t be scrambling later when a book launches, an opportunity appears, or someone says, “Where can I learn more about your work?” Plus you can put a blog on your author website like I do. For me, my blog is an invaluable resource. Even when I’m stuck writing Consanguinity, I can write a blog post and still feel like I’ve accomplished something.

What Every Author Website Needs

Keep it simple. You do not need twelve tabs and cinematic music.

• Homepage
• About page
• Books or projects page
• Contact page
• Email signup form
• Links to buy your books
• Optional blog or updates section

If you need help creating content regularly, visit my free writing resources page.

Final Thoughts: Do Authors Need a Website?

Yes. Not because you need to “look important.” You already are important, but because you need a home base.

Your author website works while you sleep. It introduces readers to your work, builds trust, collects subscribers, and helps people find you long after a social media post disappears. You don’t need fancy. You need functional. Start simple, improve as you go, and let it grow with your writing career. If this helped you, save it for later or share it with another writer who keeps saying they’ll build a site “someday.” And hey, if you have any questions, leave a comment, or drop me a line. I’m not a tech genius by any stretch of the imagination, or at all, but I’m more than happy to share what I’ve learned and mistakes that I made when I made my author website.

The post Do Authors Need a Website? 7 Smart Reasons the Answer Is Yes first appeared on Tracie Joy.

Today is Thursday, and Thursday is my positive thinking blog post day. However there is one small problem with that. I’m in a horrible mood and am not feeling it at all. But then I realized something. I’m sure I’m not the only person this happens to.  I’m sure it happens to lots of people, and we don’t acknowledge it and we certainly don’t talk about it.

It’s the moment when someone tells you to “just think positive” and you want to politely smile, but internally you’re thinking, yeah, that’s not happening today. Because here’s the truth no one puts on a motivational poster:

Positive thinking doesn’t always work. And more importantly, it’s not always supposed to.

The Pressure to Be Positive All the Time

We live in a world that loves a good quote.

“Choose joy.”
“Good vibes only.”
“Everything happens for a reason.”

And listen, those ideas can be helpful sometimes. But when you’re overwhelmed, frustrated, exhausted, or just plain done, those phrases can feel less like encouragement and more like pressure.

Like you’re failing at something as simple as having the “right” attitude. You’re not. You’re being human.

Positive Thinking Isn’t a Switch

Here’s where we I think we need to shift the conversation. Positive thinking is not a switch you flip. It’s more like a muscle you build over time. Some days it shows up strong. Other days it takes the day off and doesn’t even leave a note. Trying to force positivity when you’re not in that place doesn’t make you stronger.

It makes you frustrated. Because deep down, you know it’s fake.

Fake It Till You Make It… Sometimes

Now, let’s be fair. There are moments when “fake it till you make it” works. You walk into a room, straighten your shoulders, put on the teacher voice, and suddenly you’re actually okay. You start writing even when you don’t feel like it, and ten minutes later, you’re in the zone.

That’s not fake. That’s momentum. But here’s the key difference: You’re not denying your feelings. You’re just choosing to move anyway.

That’s powerful.

And Sometimes You Don’t Fake It

Other days?

You don’t push through. You don’t slap a positive quote on it. You sit with it. You acknowledge it.

You say, “Yep, today kind of sucks.”

And oddly enough, that honesty is what starts to shift things. Because ignoring your feelings doesn’t make them disappear. It just makes them louder.

Leaning Into What You Feel

There’s something incredibly grounding about letting yourself feel what you actually feel.

Frustration.
Disappointment.
Burnout.
Even anger.

Not forever. Not as a permanent residence. But long enough to understand it. When you lean into those feelings instead of fighting them, you take away their power to sneak up on you later.

You process them instead of carrying them. If you’re in a mood, own it.

In fact, experts on toxic positivity point out that rejecting difficult emotions can actually get in the way of processing them in a healthy way.

Real Positive Thinking Is Honest

This is the part that changes everything. Real positive thinking is not about pretending everything is fine.

It’s about holding two truths at once:

“This is hard.”
“And I’m going to be okay.”

That’s it. No glitter. No forced smiles. No pretending. Just honest, grounded, steady belief.

A Better Way to Think About Positive Thinking

Instead of asking yourself:

How do I feel positive right now?

Try asking:

What do I need right now?

Sometimes the answer is action. Sometimes it’s rest. Sometimes it’s venting to someone who gets it. Sometimes it’s going into your room and punching a pillow, or screaming into said pillow.

And sometimes it’s just a quiet moment with your tea, staring at your screen, gathering yourself before the next thing hits.

All of those count, and all of those are okay.

If This Is You Today…

If today is not your positive thinking day, you’re not doing anything wrong. You don’t need to fix your mood to be worthy of moving forward. You don’t need to force a mindset you’re not ready for. You just need to take the next step that feels manageable.

That’s enough.

Bringing It Back Around

Positive thinking isn’t about forcing yourself into a better mood. It’s about trusting that even on the days when you’re not okay, you’re still moving forward. Some days you lead with confidence. Some days you lead with honesty. Both count. And both are stronger than pretending.

The post When Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work (And That’s Okay) first appeared on Tracie Joy.

I noticed something the other day, and it has to do with writing momentum. There’s this weird thing that happens when you actually start writing consistently. Not perfectly. Not every day. Not even on a schedule that would impress anyone on the internet. Just… consistently enough.

You’d think writing would drain you. That the more you do it, the more you’d want a break.

Nope.

It does the exact opposite.

The more I’ve been writing lately, the more I want to write. Ideas are coming faster. Scenes are clicking into place. Random moments during the day turn into “wait… that could work in the story” instead of disappearing five seconds later. And here’s the kicker. When I can’t write? It’s annoying.

Like genuinely, irrationally annoying. I’ll be in the middle of something else, doing something responsible like teaching or grading or, you know, functioning as an adult, and my brain is over here going:

“Hey. We should be writing right now.”

That didn’t used to happen. The more I write, the more I want to write. I have jumped on the writing momentum train and I’m really enjoying the ride.

Why Writing Momentum Is a Real Thing

This is what people don’t always explain when they talk about building a writing habit.

It’s not just about discipline. It’s not just about showing up.

It’s about writing momentum.

Once your brain realizes, “Oh… we’re doing this now,” it starts helping you instead of fighting you.

Ideas don’t feel forced anymore. They feel like they’re waiting for you.

When Ideas Start Showing Up Uninvited (In the Best Way)

Once writing momentum kicks in, something shifts. You’re not sitting there staring at a blank screen thinking, “What should I write?” Instead, ideas start finding you. Driving to work? There’s a scene. Standing in the kitchen?
There’s a line of dialogue. In the middle of explaining something to your students? And let’s not forget the joy of thinking in the shower, and the less joyful trying to write down the idea while water drips off of you.
Boom. Random connection to your story that you absolutely cannot write down at that moment because of course that’s when it shows up.

It’s like your brain finally trusts that you’re going to use the ideas instead of ignoring them… so it starts offering more.

And not just more ideas, but better ones. Ones with layers. Connections. Callbacks. That “oh wait… that actually fixes that other problem” kind of clarity that only shows up when you’ve been spending time in your writing world consistently.

Why Writing Momentum Makes Everything Easier

Here’s the part that surprised me the most. Writing doesn’t just become something you do. It becomes something your brain is already doing in the background. So when you sit down to write, you’re not starting from zero.

You’re continuing.

And that changes everything.

• It’s easier to start
• It’s easier to stay focused
• It’s easier to keep going

Because you’re not forcing it anymore. You’re picking up a thread that’s already in motion.

That’s writing momentum.

And research backs this up. When you stay engaged in a creative task over time, your brain becomes more efficient at accessing ideas and staying in flow, often referred to as the flow state.

If This Sounds Familiar…

If you’ve ever had a stretch where:

• writing felt easier
• ideas came faster
• and stopping felt more frustrating than starting

That’s not a fluke. That’s momentum doing its thing.

If this is hitting home, you might also like this post on building stronger characters while you’re in the flow:
https://traciejoy.com/2025/09/17/character-development/

You Don’t Need Perfect Consistency to Build Writing Momentum

Here’s the part I think matters most. This doesn’t happen because you suddenly become one of those “I write every single day at 5 AM without fail” people. (If that’s you, I respect you… but also, how?)

This happens because you write enough.

Enough to stay connected to your ideas. Enough to keep your brain in that creative space. Enough that when inspiration shows up, it recognizes you.

That’s it.

You don’t lose writing momentum because you miss a day. Or two. Or even a week. You lose it when you disconnect completely and stop showing up at all. And the good news? You can rebuild it faster than you think.

The Real Shift

Once you’ve felt this, your relationship with writing changes.

It stops being:
“I need to find time to write.”

And starts becoming:
“I need time because I want to write.”

That’s a very different energy.

That’s not pressure. That’s pull.

A Small Next Step (No Pressure, Promise)

If you want to build (or rebuild) your writing momentum, don’t overthink it.

Don’t plan the perfect schedule.  I’m a schedule girl, I like a plan, and I actually wrote a blog post about it, as well. For me though, my schedule isn’t rigid. I find I write more than my schedule says to write, and if life gets in the way, I don’t mind tweaking the schedule either. But either way, I’m finding that the the more I write, the more I want to write.

Don’t wait for a full free afternoon. Just write something. A paragraph, a scene, a messy idea that you may not even keep. Just get it down. Scribble it on paper, put it in the notes app in your phone, whatever, just do it. Because once you start, your brain will take it from there.

And if you’re anything like me…

You’ll probably end up wishing you had more time to keep going.

The post Why the More You Write, the More You Want to Write first appeared on Tracie Joy.

Teacher burnout is a thing, and a lot of it is caused by student apathy. Let’s just say the quiet part out loud. If the kids don’t care… why should the teachers?

I know. That sounds harsh. Maybe even a little dangerous to admit in a profession built on passion, patience, and the occasional heroic level of caffeine intake. But if you’ve been in a classroom for more than five minutes, you’ve felt it.

That moment when you’ve planned the lesson, prepped the activity, reminded them three times, given them class time, checked in, encouraged, redirected…

And they still don’t do it.

Let’s Talk About Today

In one of my classes, we’re studying the renaissance. It’s a very short unit, and I decided I didn’t want to give the kids a test on it. I did assign them 7 slides in a digital notebook. Not slides they have to create, just some copying and pasting of info, adding some pictures and other basic activities.  I only see them every other day, but on Friday, I gave them about 40 minutes to work on their slides, and today they had 50 minutes. 90 minutes to work on 7 slides. 14 kids didn’t do anything. Not one. Single. Thing. I get this is not the most thrilling topic in their TikTok centric lives, and that is precisely why I didn’t go in deep on this. Be aware of what happened, be aware of a few notable names of the time and what they did.

The One-Sided Effort Problem

This isn’t about one student having a bad day. This is about a pattern. It’s about watching a growing number of students treat deadlines like vague suggestions, effort like an optional add-on, and learning like something that should happen to them instead of because of them.

Meanwhile, teachers are over here bending time and space trying to make it all work. Extensions. Redos. Extra help. Modified assignments. Gentle reminders. Not-so-gentle reminders. Practically crying at their desks – oh wait that one may just be me, today, after that class.

At some point, it stops being support… and starts being a one-person show.

Teacher Burnout from Student Apathy Is Real

We talk a lot about workload, testing, and paperwork when we talk about burnout. And yes, those things matter.

But teacher burnout from student apathy hits differently. Because it’s emotional. It’s standing in front of a room, trying to care enough for 25 people… while realizing only a handful are meeting you halfway. It’s sad, it’s depressing, and it’s basically a calling card for teacher burnout.

It’s pouring energy into lessons that get met with shrugs. It’s answering “When is this due?” when it’s been on the board, in Google Classroom, and verbally announced since the dawn of time. And eventually, whether we want to admit it or not, something shifts.

The Moment Teachers Start Pulling Back

It doesn’t happen all at once. It’s subtle. You stop over-explaining. You stop chasing missing work quite as hard. You stop bending over backwards for students who won’t take a single step forward.

Not because you don’t care. But because you can’t be the only one who does. And here’s the part no one likes to say out loud: that shift? It’s self-preservation.

I got two emails today from guidance about meetings to set up 504’s for students. One student has done next to no work, misses test, and never makes them up despite constant reminders. The other uses his computer to play games about 60% of the time instead of doing work. How about we hold them accountable instead of giving them accommodations? It pains me to say that, but at some point student apathy plays a role, and accommodations aren’t going to fix that.

This Isn’t About Giving Up

Let’s be clear. Good teachers don’t suddenly stop caring. That’s not how this works. We still show up. We still teach. We still build relationships and celebrate the wins and try again the next day, and some days we cry at our desks. But we start choosing where our energy goes.

We invest more in the students who are trying. We set firmer boundaries with the ones who aren’t. We stop lighting ourselves on fire to keep a system running that depends on us doing exactly that.

If you’ve ever questioned whether that makes you a “bad teacher,” let me save you some time.

It doesn’t.

So… Why Should Teachers Care?

Here’s the answer. We care because it matters. We care because somebody has to hold the line on expectations. We care because that’s who we are. We are teachers. We are suffering from teacher burnout and student apathy but we just can’t stop caring.

We care because there are still kids in that room who are trying, who are listening, who are watching how we respond.

But we don’t have to care more than they do. That’s the line. That’s the shift. And honestly? That might be the only thing that keeps teachers in the classroom long enough to make a difference at all.

If you’ve been feeling this lately, you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong. You’re just finally recognizing that caring isn’t meant to be a solo act.

If this hit a little too close to home, you might also want to read this post on keeping your mindset grounded when everything feels like it’s spiraling.

And if you’re curious about the bigger picture, this article from Edutopia breaks down the causes of teacher burnout and why it’s hitting so many educators right now.

Hang in there. Do your job well. Protect your energy.

That balance? That’s the real work.

The post If the Kids Don’t Care, Why Should We? Teacher Burnout and Student Apathy first appeared on Tracie Joy.

I didn’t sit down one day and decide to create a writing playlist. Honestly, I didn’t even realize that’s what I was doing. And it certainly wasn’t anything I thought I needed.

When I was writing Tomorrows Yet to Come, one song kept looping in my head over and over again: “Invincible” by Pat Benatar. Not occasionally. Not when I felt like it. Constantly. It’s a good thing I like the song, or it would have gotten really annoying! I’d play it on repeat in the car after work, thinking through plot points, replaying scenes, tweaking dialogue in my head like I was mentally editing a movie.

That story became one of the best fanfics I’ve ever written, in my humble opinion.  Anyhow, Tomorrows Yet to Come, which you can peek at here, and get for free, ifyou’re curious because of that song. That song didn’t just match the story. It unlocked it. Actually did more than that. It became a plot point in the story. And I didn’t fully understand why at the time.

Now? I do.

Sometimes Your Book Doesn’t Need a Playlist… You Do

Here’s the thing most writers don’t realize: a writing playlist for authors isn’t just about setting the mood. It’s about accessing something deeper.

There’s a difference between creating a playlist that represents your story… and creating one that actually helps you write it.

Story Playlist vs. Writing Playlist

Story playlists are cinematic. They capture your characters, your world, your big emotional moments. They’re the soundtrack you imagine playing if your book were a movie. I’ve actually seen books where the authors suggest a story playlist for you to listen to as I read. That’s a pretty cool idea. I’ve also seen people who will name each chapter after a specific song, or lyrics from a song. It’s me, I’m authors.

A Writing Playlist is functional. They help you focus. They trigger emotion. They get you unstuck when your brain would rather reorganize your pantry, do your laundry, do your taxes, do anything rather than write chapter five.

One lives in your imagination. The other gets words on the page.

3 Signs You Might Need a Writing Playlist

• You know what happens in your story, but you can’t quite feel the scene
• You keep getting stuck in the same chapter over and over again
• Your characters sound flat, even though your plot is solid

If any of those sound familiar, it might not be your writing that’s the problem. It might be the silence.

How to Build a Writing Playlist (Without Overthinking It)

You don’t need fifty songs. You don’t need the perfect mix. You don’t even need variety.

• Start with one song that matches the emotion of the scene you’re working on
• Loop it. Yes, on repeat. No shame.
• Add more songs only if they actually help
• If you don’t want to hear the song again after five plays, it’s not the right one
• Think about the setting of your story a story set in the 50’s gets doo wop music

Repetition is where the magic happens. That’s where your brain starts connecting the music to the story. That’s where the scene opens up. And can I just tell you this is a heck of a lot easier than it ever used to be. When I wrote Tomorrows, I had a tape deck in my car. I had to keep rewinding and playing the song. Today’s streaming services make the whole thing a heck of a lot easier to manage!

There’s actually research behind this, too. Studies discussed by Harvard Business Review show that the right kind of music can improve focus and help your brain stay engaged longer. In other words, that song on repeat? It’s not weird. It’s strategy.

A playlist isn’t just a writing playlist. There are playlists everywhere, grocery stores, on hold, and other places. If the world can use music to motivate, why can’t you. Make yourself a writing playlist.

If this idea clicks for you, you might also like exploring how emotional connection shapes your characters in this post: https://traciejoy.com/2025/10/22/character-attachment/

The Music They’ll Never Hear

Your readers may never hear your playlist. They won’t know which song was playing when you finally figured out the scene that worked… or the one that carried you through the chapter you almost gave up on. But they’ll feel it. So make the writing playlist and let the magic of music flow into your story.

Because when the music, the story, and your brain all line up for just a second…

That’s when the magic happens.

Tell me, because I want and need to know. What is on your writing playlist. You share yours and I’ll share my writing playlist for Consanguinity!

The post The Magic of a Writing Playlist (A Writer’s Secret Weapon) first appeared on Tracie Joy.