DeInfluencing Your Writing | 7 Things You Don't Need

I've entered a period of downsizing and decluttering. It could be related to the reflections I was having when I turned 30 this past March and craving change amid my desire for more stability and control in this new decade of life. Not a total overhaul, but hoping to move into a new space sooner rather than later. Reevaluating what's important to me. What I want vs what I need.

And the algorithm knows it.

My YouTube feed has especially been tailored to my reassessment efforts, with a lot of the recommended content being about organization, productivity, beginner-friendly financial management tips, downsizing, minimalism, and de-influencing; Rachel Louise quickly became a favorite in that latter category.

All of that made me take a good, hard look at my writing. I realized there were areas in need of tweaking, whether that meant decluttering, talking myself out of unnecessary or impulsive purchases to save space and money, or shifting my priorities away from what aligned with the image of being a writer on social media and toward the kind of writer I want to be.

Let's get into it!

You Don't Have To Be A Plotter

While the majority of entries on this list are going to be based around a product in some way, as much of de-influencing content is, I actually want to start with a mindset-related one because it's been one of the most significant shifts I've made for myself as a writer.

You don't have to be a Plotter.

Back in the earliest days of my writing journey, I spent so much time seeking guidance. I wanted to make sure I was writing the right way, not necessarily the way that was right for me. So many of the how-to books I read, blogs I looked at, and AuthorTubers emphasized the importance of being a Plotter.

In other words, having a detailed outline before you begin drafting your story. This works well for many writers. Having a sort of map to fall back on can help keep you moving forward at a steady clip. That's one of the reasons for an entire month's worth of plotting and other prep ahead of NaNoWriMo.

However, I eventually came to the realization that extensive plotting just doesn't work for me. It actually made writing more stressful!

I spent a lot of time trying to fit myself into the Plotter box. Nine times out of ten, whatever outline I developed would be made irrelevant in just a few chapters because things would veer off the path I'd laid out for myself and I'd have no choice but to follow. From there, I'd rework the outline to align with the new vision—only for that outline to be made irrelevant shortly thereafter.

But still, because I'd been told either directly or indirectly that being a Plotter was the way to be a writer, that readers would 100% be able to tell that a novel was Pantsed (and not in a good way), I continued trying to be a Plotter.

It's only been for the past year or so that I've begun to embrace my Pantser side. And you know what? That's done wonders for me!

Knowing that I don't need to have the perfect outline before I start writing has taken a weight off. I'm still learning how to chase the vibes and trust my intuition (which is one of the reasons I've started a lower-stakes, for-funsies project and writing it in tandem with my current historical WIP), but I can already feel the difference in my mindset.

You Don't Need An Extensive Physical Home Library

In the days before CleanTok, Marie Kondo's decluttering tips were making waves. But one piece of advice that didn't resonate with the bookishly inclined was her suggestion to keep fewer than thirty books in your home.

Turns out, this was misconstrued, as she went on to explain that the thirty books was more of an example than a hard-set rule.

Still, when the thirty-book max comments made the rounds, I was inclined to agree with those against it. Because, well, books. Need I say more?

Years later, and my stance on this has kind of changed.

Don't get me wrong, those home libraries with shelves upon shelves of books organized by color are absolutely gorgeous and something I'd like to aspire to someday, but the keyword here is someday. Not right now.

I don't have the space for that many books in my current, small residence, nor am I in a position to put up and permanent fixtures or make any major renovations like in-wall shelves.

I do a lot of reading on my via the Kindle app on my tablet and through audiobooks, neither of which takes up any tangible space. And as for physical books, unless I absolutely adored it or plan to read it again, I pass it on to a Little Free Library; I'm in the habit of dropping off two books for every one book I borrow, and will still put a book into a Little Free Library I visit even if I don't find anything of interest.

My dream space does include a nice reading nook with plenty of books, but I'm not in my dream space yet. So, I'm prioritizing being sensible with the physical books I do own and often opting for non-physical books.

Speaking of which...

You Don't Need The Newest Kindle (Or Its Plethora Of Accessories)

Author's note: I started drafting this post prior to the announcement that Amazon would be ending support for older Kindle devices. According to my research as a non-Kindle reader, you can still manually load books onto your device, though that may not be a feasible option for all users; keeping your access to the Kindle store is a valid reason to shift to a new device in that instance. Same goes for when your device no longer functions. This bit of the post is more for those who might feel influenced to upgrade just to have the latest device.

I call myself a wannabe Kindle Girlie. I read on a Samsung Galaxy tablet. While it's a little larger and heavier, it serves me well.

Still, I get that twinge of well, maybe I oughta... when I see someone showing off their Kindle. I actually talked myself out of purchasing one as recently as last week! I think a lot of that has to do with the term "Kindle Girlie," making it feel like an exclusive club I just have to be part of, like my tablet and I are on the outside looking in.

My tablet works perfectly fine, though! I did get a matte screen protector for it, which has helped reduce the glare of the screen and makes it feel more Kindle-esque. I've also put a couple of stickers on its case.

However, you also don't need to turn your Kindle device into an American Girl doll with all of the accessories. Chances are, you've seen those clips of people personalizing their Kindle with fancy cases or clear cases where they've laid out stickers still on their backing (which I do admittedly love the idea of as someone who stresses out over the permanent placement of stickers) and other ephemera on printed backgrounds, PopSockets, those little charm doodads that are stuck into where the charger plugs in—and probably a whole host of things I'm not thinking of.

There isn't anything inherently wrong with personalizing your eReader. Having a couple of these accessories, or a collection that builds gradually, is totally fine and lots of fun! I've been playing with the idea of creating a few printable templates for Kindle case inserts to sell in my Etsy store. And things like PopSockets or those remote-control page turners can improve accessibility for users and are therefore worth investing in.

It slides into excessive consumption when you feel the compulsion to be constantly buying new accessories, like having a bunch on a seasonal rotation, like a Christmas set and a Valentine's set in the same vein as Boo Baskets and Brr Baskets. Especially if you're doing it for content and not for your own contentment.

I will probably get myself an actual Kindle down the road, but I'm holding off until my tablet no longer serves its purpose. And when I do, I'll be getting a refurbished one to save a little money and don't see myself going all out with accessories. Maybe a couple to personalize it when I get it, just because, but nothing excessive.

You Don't Need To Look Like A Writer

Social media is a fantastic tool for writers. It fosters connections with fellow writers and is full of things to learn and draw inspiration from. One of the things it can easily inspire, regrettably, is imposter syndrome.

I remember falling into this ahead of NaNoWriMo 2023, where I was planning to attend a few write-ins at a not-exactly-local-to-me library and felt like I needed to look the part.

That carried over into my writing space, feeling like the tiny desk in a corner of my bedroom wasn't enough. And of course, like I worried would happen, I was fretting over aesthetics when I was setting up my filming space for my YouTube channel.

Guess what: your aesthetic as a writer is cultivated over time, just as your skillset as a writer is developed gradually through exploration. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't need to "look like a writer" because, when all is said and done, writing is an act, not an aesthetic.

All that matters to me now when it comes to "dressing like a writer" is staying comfortable and confident. And as far as my writing (and filming) space goes, I'm focusing on making it cozier little by little.

You Don't Need Fancy Writing Software

You may have heard of the "writer's toolkit." As it was explained to me, it's the collection of your skills as a writer and understanding of different elements of fiction. It, I think, can also extend to the literal tools you use as a writer.

It only takes a minute of scrolling for me to see ads for writing software, whether it's a word processor, planner apps, a formatting program or—worst of all—a generative AI software to "help" you write your book.

A lot of these offer features for organizing your ideas and plotting, distraction-free modes, and creating an aesthetic digital workspace. While those can be cool and helpful for some writers, they may not suit everyone's needs.

Scrivener is an incredibly popular choice for writers, but it does come with a one-time $60.00 price tag for the desktop version. Sadly, as a Chromebook user, I can't download it onto my laptop where I do the majority of my digital drafting (even though I did buy it a few years and two laptops ago), and there isn't a browser version, though that's beside the point of this post.

One of the other reasons I didn't stick with it was simply because I was overwhelmed by all of its bells and whistles. There was a lot to learn, and because it was recommended by so many writers out there, I felt like I had to master it.

That, and because I'd already purchased it. And at the time, as a new graduate coming off a minimum wage, seasonal stint at Party City and looking for the next job, that was a sizeable chunk of change!

Okay, it's still a sizeable chunk of change...

And the reason I dropped that sizeable chunk of change on it? I was influenced to believe it was an essential for the writer's tool kit. Everybody else was using it. It was the software I saw promoted over and over.

I do want to take the time to learn Scrivener. Maybe the features that overwhelmed me then will help my writing in the future. But if not, that's okay. I'm not going to put that pressure on myself to use it if its bells and whistles don't ring true for my natural writing inclinations. AKA, how my brain works.

You Don't Need Expensive Writing Courses

I have an entire post about this kind of thing, but to sum it up, you don't need to splurge on pricey online writing courses.

There's been a trend of creators putting together online courses with an exorbitant entry price. The one referenced in that blog post, which was essentially a query letter crash course, cost about $500.

The controversy around that particular course was sparked by two things.

1. The price

2. The content

Conversations on Threads revolved around how so much of the information promised in the course could easily be found online for free or for significantly less than $500 if there were a cost. And it's not the only instance of this kind of thing happening.

There's been a rise of industry pros and industry "pros" swearing they have all of the answers and will teach you how to land a lucrative book deal or write a bestseller, neither of which can be guaranteed because nobody can predict the future and everyone's path to publication is different.

Chances are, you don't need to spend so much money on courses or workshops like this. At least, not hundreds of dollars.

There are exceptions to this, like attending a conference or webinar or if there's a course from a creator whose content you already find value in.

You Don't Need Another Fancy Notebook (Unless...)

Unless you actually plan to use it.

I'm as guilty as any writer when it comes to hoarding notebooks. It doesn't matter if it's because the cover is pretty or the paper feels nice, I've contended with that urge to splurge on another notebook more times than I want to admit.

As a writer who prefers handwritten drafts whenever possible, I've felt like I can justify buying another notebook. And another one. And another. Tools of the trade and all that.

The problem is that these notebooks have often remained unused. I think that a lot of writers struggle with that fear of marring the pretty notebook with writing that isn't good enough for it. Ideas that aren't deserving of its pages.

Notebooks are easy to accumulate because they're usually on the inexpensive side, and small enough to not take up space until you have an abundance of them. Using up an entire notebook last year felt like the equivalent of using an entire tube of ChapStick without losing it. If you know, you know.

This doesn't mean you can't buy the pretty notebook you're drawn to or buy one for a specific project before you're ready to begin writing it. But if you've got a notebook stockpile, it might be time to go through it and make use of what you already own.

And on a similar note, no, you probably don't need another pack of pencils or pens right now. Use what you have before adding to the stash.

None of this is to say you can't accept these items as gifts or put them on a wishlist or purchase them for yourself as a pick-me-up or to reward significant moments in your writing. It's about being mindful with your purchases and your space.

It's easy to end up with too much of a good thing or buy things you don't need because the people behind them swear that that's what is going to make you a better writer.

When in doubt, do your research, whether that's asking a trusted friend or looking for reviews.

Have you done any de-influencing in your writing? I'd love to know! Tell me about changes you've made or things you've embraced or stepped away from in the comments.