Britney Gulbrandsen

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

My top tools that make writing quicker, easier, and more fun.

Best Tools for Writers

This post contains affiliate links (you know, to support my book buying habit!). Technically all you need to be able to write is a piece of paper and a pen. But where’s the fun in that? I love finding new things, trying out new products, and adding to my collection of writing tools. While paper and a writing utensil are the very basics you need to be able to write, there’s a whole slew of other tools I’ve found that make writing quicker, easier, and more fun. I’ve arranged the best tools for writers into FOUR categories: books, technology, office… Read More

12 Habits That Will Make Your Writing Stronger

We all know that good habits help us with productivity and reaching our goals, but there are also some specific habits that will help writers make their writing stronger. 1. Take care of your body. I feel like this is a combination of habits that all come together for one main goal: health. The habits will vary from person to person and what makes YOU feel good. Some habit ideas? Drink a gallon of water a day. Get eight hours of sleep per night. Exercise five times per week. Eat four servings of vegetables daily. The tiny habits that you choose… Read More

Book Hook Battle: July 2017 Edition

This post contains affiliate links (you know, to support my book buying habit!).  **Note: If you didn’t catch our June 2017 Book Hook Battle post, check it out to learn what Book Hook Battle is and to score a FREE printable version of the game so you can play it yourself! For this month’s Book Hook Battle, we decided to do two categories: middle grade and young adult. We basically did the same thing last time, but there was no rhyme or reason to it. We both just browsed those sections and picked the books that stood out to us. This… Read More

How to Write A Fast First Draft

This post contains affiliate links (you know, to support my book buying habit!).  Have you ever spent weeks writing a book, only to realize you’re still on chapter four? I know I have! And sure, the first four chapters had sentences that shined and little to no grammatical errors. But the story wasn’t going anywhere. Plus, who knew if my opening was even going to stay the same? I could’ve wasted hours perfecting a scene that wasn’t even going to make it into the final product. So I decided on a new tactic: Write my first draft as quickly as… Read More

How Reading Can Improve Your Writing

In order to be a writer, you MUST read. Some people even argue that for every hour you spend writing, you should spend two reading. I’m not sure I’d go that far (depending on how much time you can devote to reading & writing), but I do believe that you’ll never reach your full potential as a writer if you don’t read often. So why is reading so important for writers? Because reading the words of others can teach us about the craft of writing and how to improve our own. How can we use our reading time to learn… Read More

How to Keep Your Sanity While Revising A Manuscript

Oh, revisions: the necessary evil that makes writers feel like they’re losing their minds. I don’t know about you, but revising a manuscript makes me feel a wide range of emotions in a short amount of time. One minute I feel like I’m on top of the world, ecstatic that I wrote such a beautiful sentence. Then I read the next line and I’m ready to call it quits on this whole writing thing. Who am I to call myself I writer when I can’t even compose a simple sentence? Sound familiar? It’s part of the highs and lows of… Read More

The Importance of Having A Writing Routine

Writers love to write. Why else would we subject ourselves to the dreaded blank page, the massive amounts of rejection, and the isolation that typically comes with writing? We love it. We have to. So why is it so hard to get ourselves to sit in the chair and put words on the page? There are probably several reasons, but that’s a whole different post. Today I’m going to focus on the importance of having a writing routine. If you want to get yourself to write, the first step is to set-up a clear writing routine. Having a writing routine is important… Read More

5 Reasons I Use Scrivener

There are so many different ways to write, and the further technology develops, the more diverse our options seem to get. Some people prefer going old school and handwriting their manuscripts. Some use a typewriter. The vast majority prefer a computer or laptop. Some dictate into a recorder or their phone. Each of these methods holds its own myriad of sub-methods. Do you handwrite on napkins? Loose leaf paper? A special notebook for each manuscript? Do you use Microsoft Word? Google docs? Scrivener? Do you use an app or several apps for various aspects of your writing process? With all these… Read More

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