I don’t know about you, but dopamine menus have been all over my social feeds lately. I watched How to ADHD’s video on the topic two years ago and loved the concept then, and now that the Internet has caught on, it’s time for Writer’s Atelier to create our own dopamine menus for writers.
Feel free to pick and choose from our selections here to customize your lists—it’s a menu, after all! Sample all you want!
Appetizers
In the world of dopamine menus, appetizers are the low-effort options. I’m also going to rope in here options that are great for before you start your writing session.
Read for 20 Minutes
You can, of course, lengthen or shorten this time as needed, but nothing gets you in the writing mood like reading other writers’ work!
Complete a 5-Minute Writing Sprint
It’s just five minutes, and you’ll be able to say you wrote for the day! I’ve found that every single time I tell myself I’ll write for just five minutes (or, because I’m a 4thewords user, just one Wignow battle), I have the urge to continue without the pressure to “make it count.”
Make a Special Writing Beverage or Snack
Yes, I am once again beating my get a special coffee creamer drum again. If you haven’t heard me say this before, just know that I will purchase special, extra tasty coffee creamers at the grocery store when I need to encourage myself to work on a project, then only use that creamer when I’m about to write. It’s the same principle as buying a latte when you write in a café, but much easier on the wallet.
Not into coffee? You can substitute types of tea, squares of chocolate, varieties of popcorn, or whatever other drinks or snacks you want. Just make it special, and mentally tie it to your writing.
Listen to The Write Meditation Episodes
The Write Meditation is slightly more involved because you’ll be paying attention to the breathwork prompts from certified yoga instructor Rita Sotolongo, but as an anxious writer myself, it’s worth the time!
Entrées
You can think of an entrée like, well, an entrée at a restaurant: it takes more time to finish, but it’s also more satisfying. These are suggestions for how to get that sweet, sweet dopamine while doing the bulk of your writing.
Write Outside Your Home
Let’s face it: writing at that café (or wherever you haunt) is just plain more fun than staying at home. But if this isn’t an option for you for whatever reason, you can “fake it” by playing soundscapes or using free virtual workspaces like LifeAt or Flocus.
Attend a Virtual Write-in
Having other writers tapping away at their keyboards “alongside” you can be so motivating! If you’re in our online community, you’re in the right place for attending the free virtual write-ins we put on, but if you just can’t get enough, we’re doing more during The (free to join!) Write Brave Challenge between September 15 and October 15.
Looking for year-round virtual write-ins that double as office hours with a writing coach? You’re going to want to check out The Write Gym, our premium writing accountability program.
Try a WA Word Crawl
We made word crawls—which are a series of mini writing challenges completed in one writing session—back in November of ’23 to help you write around 1,500+ words in a single sitting. They’re all cozy and autumnal in theme. My personal favorite is the baking-themed one, which includes real cookie recipes!
Already tried all our word crawls and exhausted the randomized playing card word crawl? Impressive! All that’s left to do is join The Write Brave Challenge, for which we created two new word crawls just for participants!
Sides
Already have a project going? Doing non-writing-related tasks throughout the day? Have a side!
Use a Writing Prompt
Sometimes we could use a break from our main WIP. Sometimes our main WIP needs a break from us. Carving out a little time to take on a writing prompt—whether they come from story dice, a random generator, or a whole book of prompts—can really help you get unstuck.
You probably already have a favorite resource for writing prompts, but participants in The Write Brave Challenge have 90 one-word prompts waiting for them in their participant kit, and you can browse other prompts we’ve written here.
Play Writing Podcasts
Listening to writing podcasts in general (or writing craft audiobooks!) makes you feel like a writer even when life is forcing you to step away from your words. What’s better than that?
Listen to Your WIP’s Playlist
Let it play while you’re doing almost anything. More on this in the next section!
Desserts
Desserts are treats you return to again and again, but that you shouldn’t have too many of, lest you begin procrastinating!
Curate a WIP Playlist
Are you able to listen to music with lyrics while you write? I certainly can’t. Does that stop me from mentally collecting songs that my main characters would totally slow dance to at their wedding? Nope!
Bright side to this dessert: it’s become popular to put your book’s playlist in the front of books and in newsletters as fun extras for readers, so you may end up using it when you’re marketing!
Dream Cast Your WIP
I can only imagine that once the rights to make your book into a movie are purchased (and you’re savvy enough to maintain a sliver of creative control), people are going to want to see who you originally envisioned playing your characters. It just makes sense. You don’t want to go to that meeting with the producers empty-handed, do you?
Make a Pinterest Board
Ah, the classic inspiration/procrastination technique! I can usually resist the urge to create Pinterest boards for my projects nowadays, but you can bet I have thousands of pins in a dozen or more secret boards (and I’ll still add to them). The fact of the matter is though that they can be fantastic for resparking your initial attraction to your story idea.
Flesh Out Another Idea
I’m not even going to pretend that this isn’t my absolute favorite dessert. It is downright addicting to sink my teeth into a new plot, new characters, new puzzles. Every day is a struggle not to open up a different doc and start playing.
Tired of resisting your craving? Or maybe you’ve just finished a WIP and are ready for your next? Or maybe you’ve never finished a WIP before, and you’re determined to finally get to the end? We have a workshop for that!
Create Anything on Canva
Book covers. Book trailers. Vertical videos. Swag and merch. Maybe this is a me thing, but I will make anything and everything on Canva related to my WIP to avoid writing. My latest, which I’m publicly calling Project Blue Quartz, had seventeen variations of its cover at one point!
If you’re completely or mostly new to Canva, you might like my workshop!
Specials
These are the once-in-a-while indulgences. They’re not free, but they’re a big dopamine hit!
Attend or Plan a Writing Retreat
This, in my opinion, is the height of writing luxury. Being surrounded by fellow writers in a scenic location sounds positively dreamy to me, and it probably does to you, too. Typically, they come at a cost, but with a little research, you could find some scholarships floating around—or a few writer friends who might be willing to split a hotel bill!
If it’s not in your budget, you don’t have to shell out thousands or even hundreds of dollars for a week-long getaway. Get started planning your own mini writing retreat by following along with this blog post.
Invest in a Writing Workshop
You knew this was coming! We at Writer’s Atelier believe in being lifelong learners of the writing craft and the writing industry. That’s why we’re dedicated to hosting high-quality workshops for writers whether they want to try their hand at a new genre or learn a new skill.
Spoil Your Future Writer Self With Something From Our Shop
Who doesn’t love getting a gift from your past self in the mail? We recently added new items to our shop, and we’re looking to add more offerings in the near future!
