6 Writing Essentials For Writers On The Go
- Bair Klos
- Feb 7, 2024
- 5 min read
Are you a busy writer? Or need of finding solutions to help meet your writing goals and needs? Do you want the ability to write wherever you may be in the world? Then read on and get my advice writing essentials every writers needs.
Here is 6 Writing Essentials for Writers on the Go
1.) Invest in an ergonomic bag.
I’m somewhat of a fashion forward person… Oh who am I kidding, I’m a fashionista. I'm the bougiest person I know. I admit it—and with pride for that matter.
As much as I would love to always use a shiny, black, crocodile textile handbag, in the long run it’s not going to be the best for my shoulders of my arms. Regardless of gender, if you prefer to use your laptop or an iPad for your writing, investing in a good backpack or an ergonomic purse will save you back pain now and in years to come.
2.) A Writer's Notebook.
Okay okay, I’m sure many of your saw that coming or rolled your eyes, but it is an essential. Put into practice bringing a notebook with you everywhere (and don’t forget a pencil or a pen—this should be a no brained but I’ve done that one too many times to admit…) Then again, most of the time my phone is my notebook, which then in that case, I best recommend using the OneNote app from Microsoft for jotting down notes and ideas mainly because it’s free, doesn’t require a membership, and it can connect very easily to multiple devices—which is incredibly helpful. Not only that, but you can have several notebooks, with several separate files to organize all your many notes.
Read my blog here as to why a writer's notebook is crucial to every writer.
3.) A Nook or a Kindle.
As much as I am partial to an actual book, I’ve found for my life style, it’s just not logical for me. I live in a small apartment where I am physically limited in the amount of books I can have in a given space. For my favorite, special edition or signed edition books, I keep them in storage for when I can finally proudly display them in my personal library. So since I can’t have as many books as my reader-and-writer heart desires, I’ve opted for the next best thing—a virtual book. I have and constantly use my kindle, it’s much lighter and ergonomic for me (it’s also a bit more environmentally conscious, less paper and more trees and all that jazz). I can have as many books as I want and with my ADHD brain, I can read three books at a time!
4.) A foldable or collapsible keyboard.
If you’re like me and are partial to small bags, or don’t want to have to lug a laptop or tablet around, a collapsible keyboard that connect with your phone is a must.
Instead of condensing a keyboard to a tiny screen—which for me, when I type, I am never accurate and spew word Frankenstein abominations that spellcheck doesn’t know how to fix—just doesn’t work for me. I can never get out my words fast enough on my tiny phone screen, and most often I stop mid-sentence or thought because I can’t be bothered to complete my note on a tiny screen. Having and using a mini keep board has exponentially increased my word count and is now the leading reason why and how I manage to get in my daily word count. (Not to mention it's pretty cheap!)
I’ll leave the one I use linked here if you're interested in getting one for yourself.
5.) Sound deafening earbuds or headphones.
For me, my sound deafening earbuds have been a game changer. For some reason it hacks my ADHD brain allows me to sit down and focus for prolonged periods of time. Not only that, but it helps to minimize and noise distraction that may be going on around me.
A good pair of earbuds or headphones are great because they let you listen to your audiobooks and writing podcast on the go(click here to read my 6 Favorite Writing Podcast or here for My Favorite Writing Craft Books blog posts). Personally I prefer to wear earbuds more for the convenience of them. I enjoy being able to slip by earbuds out of my pocket and into my ears when I need to. I’d also recommend purchase a pair of earbuds or headphones that not only are they noise canceling but allow for “hear through.” Noise canceling is helpful for those of whom who live in a busy or loud house hold, or for those who enjoy writing at cafes but may not want to hear the busily sounds of said café.
6.) Snacks
Notice how I didn’t say coffee or any kind of caffeinated drink. Whether you’re writing your first chapter, 53rd, or are working on your author platform, any kind of mental work is going to burn a lot of energy and calories. Creativity can be, and is, incredibly draining. Therefor writers must properly fuel their brain and body. Of course, that being said, it doesn’t hurt to have your favorite tea or water, but nourishing your body is a must and should not be neglected. As much as that chocolate scone or croissant my be delicious—and yes, it can be soulfully and spiritually fulfilling—it’s not going to give your brain the boost it needs. Opting for the fruit parfait, yogurt, or the whole wheat sandwich with avocado and tomatoes will ultimately give the necessarily nourishment your brain—and body—needs. Even a good granola bar is a better choice than Cheezits or cake.
That being said, once you've accomplished your goals, definitely treat yourself to your favorite snack. Be it, extra chocolately-chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream on top or avocado toast, don't forget to celebrate your achievements—big or small.
Two Bonuses!
Every writer should have book related gear. For me, that means my phone case, kindle case, and computer case all look like old books. Twelve South has many cute book related cases for all types of tech. The amount of time I've accidentally left my phone in a changing room or at a restaurant is an embarrassing amount of times... Thankfully, it was never stolen since my phone case looks like a mini book, the logic here being: who's going to steal a little book? (If you answered: "Me!" then I only have one thing to say to you... Same.) But I'll leave a link here for you to go and check out Twelve South.
My last bonus tip is, if you're a writer on-the-go, a good wifi connection is a no brainer, so I'd suggest considering getting a personal hotspot.
Anyways! Those were my top tips for writers on the go. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if any of these tips helped.
Happy writing!
—Bair✍︎
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