Featured Writer on Wellness: Margo Kelly

The key to my creativity is cultivating a positive and active brain.

If I let in too much negativity (from social media, the news, and other people), I lose my creative energy. Likewise, if my brain is sluggish (from poor health, poor eating, or poor sleep), I’m incapable of creativity.

Why Time Away is Critical for Writers

The biggest emotional challenge of being a writer is avoiding the bottomless pit of dejection. In the publishing world, rejection never ends; it comes from agents, editors, industry reviewers, and readers.

Rejection is part of the process. Dejection is a choice.

And it derails my writing goals.

One time, I truly struggled to climb out of that dejection pit. My solution was to leave—go away on a two-week camping trip into the boonies with no internet, no television, and no phone.

The first few days with no technology were a challenge, but I went on walks, listened to the river, napped, and read books. The second half of the trip, I set up a table and wrote nonstop for seven days.

When I returned home, I felt like my soul had been rebooted.

Writing while camping.

Other Creative Pursuits Help Writers Reboot Their Souls

I’ve learned to defeat the power and pull of dejection by dabbling in activities that reboot my system. (We can’t always take a two-week trip to the boonies.)

Creative pursuits like quilting and card making help me access my artistic brain from another angle, which ends up fueling my writing.

Reading inspiring nonfiction helps, too. My most recent go-to book is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, in which I’ve highlighted stirring passages. When I feel stuck in my process, I’ll randomly open the book and read words I’ve marked. Inevitably, I feel encouraged.

Additionally, gardening reboots my soul. Being out in the stillness of the morning as I pick berries allows me to breathe and think. The process of refueling through these various activities helps me keep my life and my goals in proper perspective.

Making green juice.

The Foods Writers Need to Refuel

I’ve also learned that avoiding sugar (in all its forms) helps me sidestep the pit of dejection. Sugar affects the way my brain functions, the way my stamina operates, and the way my emotions cycle.

If I want to have a happy and productive day, I intentionally start with a warm herbal tea (or apple-cider vinegar) in the morning, drink a green juice an hour or so later, and then eat whole foods (berries fresh from the garden, an apple, slices of jicama, etc.).

I save my favorite pizza, cookies, and ice cream for later in the day, after I’ve accomplished my writing goals, because once I indulge, my brain gets sluggish, my stamina drops, and my emotional resilience lowers.

But I don’t fall into dejection, because I’ve already accomplished my goals for the day. Whenever I’m on fire with my writing, I continue with whole foods throughout the day to keep me well fueled.

How a Timer Helps Me Keep My Writing Brain Fresh

Other aspects of the writer lifestyle that influence my physical being include sitting in a chair and typing at awkward angles for too many hours.

Using a timer has become an essential part of my routine. I set the timer for 59 minutes. This serves two purposes: one, if I’m writing or revising a tough scene, I encourage myself to keep at it until the timer chimes, and two, if I’m immersed in writing an awesome scene, the timer reminds me to get out of the chair and move my body.

Sometimes I’m relieved when the timer goes off, and sometimes I’m frustrated. Either way, I get up, set the timer for 15 minutes, and tackle something else on my to-do list, like vacuuming the house, watering the garden, walking around the block, changing the sheets, anything that requires me to be mobile.

Often during those 15 minutes, fresh ideas spark my imagination, and I’m excited to return to my writing. Consistent monthly massages and ergonomic desk arrangements help with the strain of typing day after day.

Berries in my garden.

If a Writer Is to Achieve Her Goals, Her Tenacity Must Overcome Her Self-Doubt

The one thing that has kept me true to my path as a writer has been determination to overcome my self-doubt.

The question I often ask myself comes from a Tim McGraw song, “How Bad Do You Want It?”

I can hear his voice singing the words in my head. Sometimes I play the song before a writing session.

If I’m going to achieve my writing goals, my tenacity must be greater than my skepticism.

One of my quilts on a long-arm machine.

Take Care of Your Well-Being to Ensure You Can Write!

My greatest triumph as a writer came the moment a mother came up to me at a presentation and told me my book, Who R U Really?, saved her daughter’s life.

Words matter. Taking care of our well-being to ensure we can write those words, is essential.

Advice for a Young Writer: Write, A Lot

When anyone (young or old) tells me they want to be a writer, I respond by saying, “Then write.” If you want to be a writer, you need to write. A lot.

Then you need to revise a lot. And you need to read a lot. Throughout the process you need to strive to improve your abilities.

* * *

Margo Kelly is an award-winning writer and speaker. Her critically-acclaimed debut, Who R U Really?, was published in 2014, and her second novel, Unlocked, released in October 2016. Both titles are available through Simon & Schuster. School Library Journal has called Margo’s writings suspenseful, realistic, and dramatic.

She enjoys writing thrillers for young adults and hopes her stories give readers the goose bumps or the itchies or the desire to rethink everyday things.

For more about Margo’s work, visit her website or Amazon author page, or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.


Who R U Really? When Thea discovers a new role-playing game online, she falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair.

As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.

Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of her control.

Available at Amazon.

Unlocked: Seventeen-year-old Hannah is losing her grip on reality and is terrified she’s headed for a horrible life like her dad.

Hannah’s boyfriend Manny doesn’t believe her wild stories, and new girl Chelsea is practically replacing her at school. Only artsy outsider and self-proclaimed occult expert, Plug, agrees to help Hannah discover the truth, but even he can’t help Hannah reclaim her mind from whatever is taking over.

She’ll have to do that on her own, especially if she wants to save her friends, her mom, and herself.

Available at Amazon.

4 Comments

  1. Such good advice. I know what you mean about sugar. It changes perspectives. I’ve cut way back on sugar consumption.

    Berries. I miss having access to picking berries.

    You have a long arm machine? Wow. Your quilt is lovely.

    1. Hi Susan, thanks for your comment. No, I don’t have a long-arm machine, but my friend does! She’s generous enough to let me use it whenever I want. I love quilting. 😉

  2. What a great author! One of my very favorites!

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