When it comes to politics, there’s a lot to know — and plenty of points of view. 

With the 2024 elections inching closer and closer, there’s a chance you have something to say about international, federal, state or local politics. 

The trick can be finding a political publication that’s a good match for your story. Do you bleed blue, stand firmly on the right or aim for that ever-elusive objective style of journalism? Do you want to craft an academic article, op-ed or political fiction? 

Whatever your style and passions may be, there’s probably a publication where you can pitch your political ideas.

Get paid to cover politics: 15 outlets to pitch now

Here are 15 political publications to consider pitching.

1. The American Conservative

This publication takes a conservative view on politics, world issues, culture and events. A reader can expect to find all of the previous alongside topics such as urbanism, current affairs, education and much more which creates a great amount of scope for writers to consider when pitching their work.

The American Conservative requests that you send pitches or drafts along with a short bio, with a requested length of between 800 & 1500 words.

2. The American Prospect

Searching for a publication for your progressive ideas? Consider The American Prospect, which covers topics ranging from the government’s handling of natural disasters to Brexit to the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The American Prospect is a quarterly print magazine, but it also publishes articles to its website daily. 

Online pieces typically run at around 1,000-1,500 words, but there isn’t a strict word count for print pieces. 

Payment will be discussed once your pitch is accepted.

3. DAME Magazine

DAME examines a variety of political topics, with a special emphasis on issues that affect women. You can pitch for the politics, policy, law and economics sections, but culture and science articles often include a political slant, too.

Word count and pay will depend on what type of piece you pitch.

4. Guernica

Itching to bust out your creative writing chops? Guernica publishes a range of political pieces, including personal essays, fiction and poetry. The publication also accepts reports and interviews with experts. 

Pay varies depending on the genre you pitch. Guernica does not pay for short-form nonfiction, which the website defines as being under 2,500 words. If you want to write nonfiction for the website, it does pay for long-form pieces.

5. Harper’s Magazine

This is a monthly magazine and daily website that covers both domestic and international news/politics. You’ll find topics ranging from dispatches in modern day Russia to musings on the Israel / Palestine crisis and the magazine accepts fiction submissions.

Word count and payment will be discussed once your pitch is accepted.

6. Jacobin Magazine

This is another publication that has both a print magazine (published quarterly) and a website that updates daily. Jacobin publishes left-leaning articles on a variety of political topics, from unions and wages to borders and immigration. 

Jacobin asks that freelance pieces be under 2,000 words. Rates are negotiable, but blog posts pay a minimum of $50 and print pieces pay at least $125.

7. JSTOR Daily

JSTOR Daily’s tagline is “Where news meets its scholarly match.” This should give you a good idea of the type of articles they offer their readers — scholarly takes on current events. Pieces are divided into five sections: Arts & Culture, Business & Economics, Politics & History, Science & Technology and Education & Society.

Blog posts run at 400-500 words, and feature stories are 1,500-2,000 words. JSTOR typically pays between $50 and $500.

8. The New Republic

This is a left-leaning magazine that also has a website. It publishes nonfiction and poetry related to politics, culture and climate. The New Republic also publishes reviews of politically-based books, so if you have a take on a recent book, this could be the place to publish your thoughts.

Poems are limited to one page in length. The New Republic does pay for both poetry and nonfiction work, but the website doesn’t specify how much.

9. POLITICO

POLITICO is unique in that it places a heavy focus on policy. If you have an opinion or perspective on a certain policy, ranging from cannabis to space to immigration, you might consider pitching. The website also has an entire section dedicated to the 2024 election. If you want to write about how news, polls, money, endorsements or issues play into the elections, POLITICO might be a good match.

POLITICO doesn’t specify length of pieces or how much it pays writers.

10. The Progressive

As the name suggests, The Progressive is a left-leaning website. It publishes investigative reporting related to current events, activism, social movements and the United States’ relationship with foreign policy. 

Blog posts range from 900-1,400 words and generally pay $100. Print pieces will be longer and will probably pay more.

11. Slate

Slate is a progressive website that presents pieces on news, politics, culture, technology, business and human interest. Each category is split into subsections, making it easier to determine what type of piece to write. For example, under News & Politics, your pitch may fall under “War Stories” or “The World.”

Length and pay will depend on what type of piece you pitch.

12. VICE

VICE publishes articles on a wide range of topics, but the categories related to politics are news, technology, money, drugs, election 2024, identity and the environment. However, its other sections occasionally include pieces with a political emphasis. Writing tends to lean to the left.

VICE does not specify length or how much it pays writers.

13. Washington Examiner

This conservative publication covers politics, policy, news, opinion and business. The most common way to get your piece published by the Washington Examiner is to pitch an op-ed piece.

The Washington Examiner requests that op-eds remain under 700 words, and it does not say how much it pays writers.

14. World Politics Review

World Politics Review is known for its relatively objective take on political issues. It focuses on global politics and news, so if you’d like to pitch a piece about politics in another country, World Politics Review could be for you. If you want to write about the U.S., your pitch should probably focus on international relations.

You can pitch an idea for a briefing, which will run at 900-1,100 words and pay $250. Features are 3,000-4,000 words, and pay is on a case-by-case basis.

15. Yahoo

You don’t have to cover federal or international politics to write for Yahoo. You can address all levels of politics, right down to what’s going on in your own neighborhood. Yahoo accepts personal essays related to politics and memories of major events. It also publishes commentaries, opinions and stories about your city or state.

Length and payment will depend on what type of piece you write. 

With the 2024 elections fast approaching, nearly every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to have political opinions. By choosing the right outlet for your story, you might be able to make your political voice heard over all the noise.

Photo via Joaquin Corbalan P / Shutterstock 

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

I fancy myself a pretty organized person. But when it comes to freelance writing, it’s easy for me to lose track of things.

Did I save that contract in Microsoft Word or Google Docs? Am I on invoice number 1038 or 1039? I thought I was happy with the rate my client is paying me, but I’ve been working on this project for who knows how long — is it even worth it?

When we’re our own boss, we have a lot of balls to juggle. If you were working in a traditional office, you might have a system for categorizing files or an accounting team to track work-related expenses. But since you’re on your own, how are you supposed to track everything?

In swoops Bonsai. In this Bonsai Review post, we’ll break down what it is, how to use it, how much it costs, and more. Ready?

What is Bonsai?

Bonsai is an online platform that aims to help freelancers streamline their numerous daily tasks. 

When you create an account, go to the dashboard to access things like your contracts, invoices, proposals and client information. By keeping everything in one place, you can stay organized and hopefully accomplish tasks more efficiently.

Bonsai’s goal is to provide you with everything you need for a freelance project, from start to finish (or proposal to payment). You’ll receive a 14-day free trial when you sign up, which should give you time to get a feel for how Bonsai can influence your daily life.

What can you do with Bonsai?

Here’s what you can do with Bonsai.

Keep track of clients, projects and tasks

From your dashboard, you have a section for clients, where you can store information like clients’ contact information and social media profiles, and even how much money they owe you. 

For example, let’s say I enter information for my three main clients, Finance Company, Travel Blog and Beverage Website.

Then you can create projects for each client. Under Finance Company, I may add projects for credit card pieces, student loan pieces and equity pieces. For Travel Blog, the projects could be January blog posts, February blog posts, etc.

Finally, you can create specific tasks under each project. For instance, under January blog posts, I might add each individual blog post as a task, assuming I write more than one blog post per month.

This is essentially a digital version of a binder filled with folders and color-coded tabs. Monica Geller from Friends and Amy Santiago from Brooklyn Nine-Nine would have a field day with Bonsai if they were freelance writers.

Time yourself

In the top right corner, you’ll see “Start Timer.” When you click this, you can choose a specific project and even a task to time. You can also add notes, like “research” so you know you spent that time researching, not writing.

The timer is especially helpful if you charge clients by the hour. I don’t charge hourly, but I still prefer to use the timer. If I charge $100 for a piece but realize it required 10 hours of work, I might think twice before taking on a similar assignment.

Before signing up for Bonsai, I used a time tracker called Time Doctor. The program experienced several glitches over the months I used it, which was annoying because I was charging by the hour back then. So far, Bonsai’s timer has been more reliable and accurate.

Create invoices

Kim T., a writer who has been using Bonsai for two years, says the invoicing software might be her favorite part of the platform. “Bonsai is great for effortless invoicing and payment,” she explains.

“Effortless” really is the appropriate word. You can create an invoice, then link it to the timer so that the amount of time you spend on a project automatically shows up in the invoice. This can save you time plugging in numbers if you charge hourly.

Or you may choose to create invoices manually. Bonsai provides you with invoice templates, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

I despise creating invoices in Microsoft Word, even with Word’s templates, so I have to agree with Kim — Bonsai’s invoices are a huge plus.

Write proposals and contracts

Time to pitch a big project? You might need to write a proposal.

Bonsai provides several proposal templates depending on what type of work you’re proposing. There’s one for writing projects that divides the proposal into Context & Objectives, Timeline and Why Me. 

There are also templates for other types of work, like Design or Consulting. (Because we all know at least one writer who has expertise in more than one field!)

Once a client accepts your proposal, you can write up a contract. Bonsai’s contracts are even more customizable than its proposals, and it’s the customizability that Kim says makes Bonsai stand out from other platforms. There are numerous contract template options, including a “custom” option that helps you create a contract from scratch.

Record business expenses

The Expenses section is where you’ll keep track of items like Uber and Lyft rides, airplane flights, business meals — anything a client might reimburse you for. You can subdivide expenses into categories like Advertising, Office Expenses and Supplies. Bonsai will track which billable expenses you have been reimbursed for and which ones you’re waiting to be reimbursed for.

You can also track non-billable expenses, which can be useful when tax season rolls around and you’re thinking, “Oh, what business expenses can I write off?”

Be your own accountant

The more clients you have and the more diverse your freelancing work is, the more likely you are to benefit from an accountant. But if you’re already paying for a subscription to Bonsai, why bother hiring an accountant? Use the platform to act as your own accountant!

You can link the Accounting section to your Expenses and Invoicing sections to track your business budget. The layout is useful for tracking both billable and non-billable expenses so you can see how much you’re spending on your writing career versus how much you’re bringing in. 

What could improve about Bonsai?

The invoicing may be convenient, but the system isn’t flawless. 

You can only customize invoices to a point. The sections are “Item name,” “units,” “rate” and “total.” But for one of my clients, I need to have a separate section for “item code,” and I don’t need a “units” column. 

It would be great if I could just replace “units” with “item code,” but unfortunately this isn’t an option.

When you set up an invoice, you choose a payment method, and a few of these methods involve fees. I always request direct deposit when I can, but Bonsai charges a $5 fee for direct deposit. I’d rather just create an invoice through Microsoft Word and pocket the $5. They do offer instant payouts as a type of alternative though, and the fee is 1.5% of the total invoice to have it deposited into your account immediately.

Kim has been using Bonsai for much longer than I have, and although she’s a fan overall, she finds herself wishing she could use the platform for more complex tasks. 

“It’d be wonderful if I could take a client/project and run a report that tells me the total amount billed as it relates to the total hours spent,” she says.

We can only hope Bonsai continues to develop each section so that freelancers can do even more with the program.

Bottom line: Should you give Bonsai a try?

If you’re a freelance writer with multiple clients and/or projects, it’s certainly worth setting up a Bonsai account. Storing all my information in one place has made me feel less frazzled.

Your ability to access certain features depends on which plan you select. Here are your options:

• Bonsai Starter ($24 per month): Ability to create invoices, proposals and contracts, track expenses, access a basic CRM, and use chat support.
• Bonsai Professional ($39 per month): All the features you can access with a Starter membership, as well as the ability to subcontract through Bonsai and white-label (or legally replace a brand’s logo with your own). You can also add multiple users to your account and integrate with Zapier, Calendly, and Quickbooks.

If you’re looking for a more affordable deal and are open to long-term commitment, you can sign up for annual billing. You’ll receive the equivalent of two months free, which comes to only $17 per month for Bonsai Starter and $32 per month for Professional.

You might give the two-week trial a go and see if you want to sign up for Bonsai Plus. However, I don’t see much use for Premium unless you either have some very specific, advanced needs, or you employ other people and want to add them to your account.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

Photo via JKstock/ Shutterstock 

I can’t count the number of times an editor has assigned me a word count for a piece. In the world of writing, word count matters more than we might think. Many publications determine how much to pay for freelance writing jobs based on article length.

Word count matters for book writers, too. How many words in a novel? Did you know novels should be at least 50,000 words? And that memoirs should be under 100,000 words, but biographies can be up to 200,000 words?

As a writer, do you compose drafts in Google Docs? (Here at The Write Life, we’re pretty big fans of track changes in Google Docs.) You may be wondering how to see the word count in Google Docs.

Good news — it’s simple.

How to see word count in Google Docs

When it comes to word count, there are three types of writers: Those who look at the word count after completing a draft, those who prefer to check in every once in a while and those who want to see the word count throughout the entire process.

If you fall into either of the first two categories, here are two strategies for viewing word count in Google Docs. (If you’re in the third group, don’t worry, there’s a method for you, too!)

1. In the upper left corner of Google Docs, click on Tools and scroll down to Word count.

A box will pop up that displays the number of pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces in the Google Doc. Take a look and press OK when you’re ready to hide the box.

2. There’s a second way to check your word count in Google Docs: use the shortcut! Just hit Ctrl+Shift+C for the box to appear.

How to check word count in Google Docs for a chunk of text

Do you get the hunch that chapter three of your novel is running a bit long? There’s a way to check word count in Google Docs without copying and pasting the chapter’s text into a separate document.

Highlight the relevant text, then either select Word count under Tools or use the Ctrl+Shift+C shortcut for the box to pop up. 

This time, the box will display how many pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces are in this chunk of text with respect to the total number in the Google Doc.

How to view word count in Google Docs as you type

This strategy is for the third category of writers. Let’s say an editor instructs you to keep an article under 1,200 words. You don’t want to finish a draft only to discover it’s 1,800 words, then make heavy edits before you can submit the piece. 

Just keep track as you go!

Either click on Word count or use the shortcut to bring up that little box. Then select Display word count while typing. A small rectangle pops up in the lower left corner of the Google Doc that displays the word count.

Click the rectangle’s arrow to see the number of pages, characters and characters excluding spaces. Is the rectangle becoming annoying? Click that arrow and select Hide word count to get it out of your hair.

Once your document exceeds 3,676 words, the rectangle no longer shows the number of words. (Why that number? I have no idea.) It will just say View word count, and you can click on the rectangle to see the details.

What is not included in the word count?

Be aware that Google Docs does not include certain things in its word count. It doesn’t count anything in the header, footer or footnotes, even if you highlight the words in those sections and select Word count.

Google Docs also doesn’t count symbols, such as # or $, in its word count. It does count them as characters, though.

It does include em-dashes, which look like — this. (Curious about how to type an em dash? It stumps a lot of writers, but we’ve got a simple guide.) Keep in mind, it only counts an em-dash as a word if there are spaces on either side of it. If you type it like—this, Google Docs doesn’t count the em-dash.

For example, I count 63 words in the above paragraph when I count manually, because I take symbols into consideration. But when I highlight the text and count using Google Docs, the word count appears as 60, because Google Docs didn’t count either of the symbols or the em-dash without spaces. 

Counting words can be a little like losing weight. Some people prefer to step on the scales constantly, others like to check in every once in a while, and some just do a final weigh-in when they’ve completed their diet. Whichever method works for your writing style, there’s a way to check word count in Google Docs.

Photo via Rido / Shutterstock 

We submit what we believe to be the perfect pitch to a publication — then we wait for a response. And wait. And wait.

After a couple weeks, we muster the courage to send a follow-up email: “Hi, just checking on the status of my submission!” Then we wait some more.

Only to never hear back.

It’s a frustrating experience, and all too common for freelance writers. Of course, we want to hear our inbox ping with an acceptance email. But often a polite rejection would give us the closure we need, and a rejection with one or two lines of constructive feedback could help us grow as writers.

How do we know if we’ll receive a response when we submit a pitch, though?

Pitch to publications that make responding a priority

It makes sense that most editors can’t respond to each and every email from a freelancer. 

However, there are publications that make an effort to respond to freelancers, whether it’s an acceptance or rejection.

When you pitch to one of these websites, you’re all but guaranteed that someone will read your email, which could give your pitch a better chance of being accepted. If you receive a rejection, at least you’ll know the status of your submission, and you can pitch the idea to another relevant publication. If the editor is kind enough to provide you with a little feedback, you can learn how to improve.

I spoke with numerous editors about whether they responded to all freelance pitches, and many of them made the same two comments: 

1. They’re human, so it’s possible a pitch will fall through the cracks every now and then. If you believe this is the case, it’s acceptable to send a friendly follow-up email.
2. For the love of all that is holy, please pitch according to their submission guidelines! The fact that these publications will respond to your pitch does not give anyone a free pass to send a sloppy pitch. If your pitch obviously doesn’t meet the guidelines, several editors said they will automatically reply with a rejection email.

14 paying publications that will respond to your pitch

How do I know that these publications will respond to your pitch? 

Some of these websites state that they try to respond to all emails on their submission guidelines pages. In other cases, I’ve personally talked to publications’ editors to ensure they try to get back to writers.

1. Amendo

Amendo seeks blog posts that cover culture, lifestyle and spiritual issues for a target audience of 20-somethings. The publication is Catholic-affiliated, but the pieces don’t necessarily have to focus on religion. 

Pieces are short, in the vicinity of 500-600 words, and payment is $75. Amendo does ask that freelancers send pitches rather than complete drafts, and allow two to three weeks for a response. 

Check out the website’s Write for Us page to learn more about pitching.

2. Backpacker Magazine

As the name suggests, Backpacker Magazine publishes articles related to hiking and backpacking. You can write about backpacking gear, survival skills and types of outdoor trips.

The magazine requests that freelancers send pitches, not finished pieces. If you submit a pitch for the print magazine, expect to hear back in two to four weeks. Writers pitching pieces for the website should receive a response within two weeks. 

Depending on the type of piece you write and your previous experience, you’ll earn between $0.40 to over $1 per word. 

Read Backpacker Magazine’s Contributors’ Guidelines to learn more about pitching.

3. Bitch Media

Bitch Media publishes content about the relationship between feminism and pop culture. Topics run the gamut from the lack of portrayal of African American women with mental illnesses in the media to how to celebrate Galentine’s Day.

Depending on the type of piece you write, an article could be up to 3,000 words, and you can earn between $150 and $1,000 upon publication. Bitch Media welcomes both pitches and finished drafts. 

Take a look at the Contributors’ Guidelines for more information.

4. Craft Your Content 

Craft Your Content is a publication geared toward writers and entrepreneurs. You’ll find how-to articles, productivity tips, writing inspiration and more.

The website accepts both pitches and full-length submissions. If your piece is well-crafted but isn’t the right fit for Craft Your Content, the editors will often recommend another publication. You’ll earn $75-$150 per piece. 

Read the Write for Us page to learn more about how to pitch your ideas.

5. Cruising World

Cruising World is your go-to publication for anything boating related, from sailboats and charter lines to destinations and gear.

Feature pieces max out at 2,000 words, while you’ll write up to 1,200 words for a non-feature. Depending on what type of piece you write, Cruising World will pay you between $25 and $1,000. The editors could take up to 12 weeks to respond to a pitch. 

Take a look at the Guidelines for Writers page to learn how to send either a pitch or a complete draft.

6. Fashionista

Fashionista publishes content related to fashion and beauty. They accept pieces about a wide variety of topics, as long as you can naturally tie fashion and beauty into the article.

Send Fashionista pitches, not complete manuscripts. 

If you take a look at the How to Pitch page, you’ll see that the editors really do want you to succeed! They give you tips about the best months and times of day to send pitches and tell you when to follow up if you don’t hear back. Word count and payment are discussed once they accept your pitch.

7. Hakai Magazine

Hakai Magazine publishes articles related to coastal science, with columns such as Coastal Jobs, Salvaged and Old Coast, New Coast. Any pitches that are unrelated to coastal issues will automatically be rejected.

Hakai prefers pitches, not full-length drafts. Depending on what type of piece you write, you could end up with a piece ranging from 300 to 5,000 words. Pay starts at 65 Canadian cents, or 49 US cents, per word. Hakai’s editors try to respond within two weeks of receiving your pitch. 

Read more about how to pitch on Hakai’s Submission Guidelines page.

8. Jacobin Magazine

Jacobin is a quarterly political magazine, but editors also publish articles to its website daily. You’ll find left-leaning pieces about everything from education and the environment to food and literature.

Jacobin welcomes complete manuscripts from freelancers, and drafts should be under 2,000 words. The publication does pay writers, but it does not specify how much or how quickly they will get back to you. 

Check out the Contact Us page for more details.

9. McSweeney’s Internet Tendencies

Looking for a publication to pitch your funny ideas? McSweeney’s Internet Tendencies might be a good fit. This website publishes humorous and satirical pieces. Some of my favorite columns are Open Letters to People or Entities Who Are Unlikely to Respond and Amongst the Liberal Elite.

McSweeney’s will respond to your pitch if — and only if — you submit a complete draft, and pieces should be under 1,200 words. The website pays for most pieces, but can’t pay for Reviews of New Food articles. 

Check out the Guidelines for Web Submissions page to learn more.

10. Narratively 

If you’re looking to publish your personal essay, Narratively could be the publication for you. Narratively publishes essays about topics ranging from animals to crime to the environment. Two of my favorite categories are Super Subcultures and Secret Lives.

Narratively accepts both pitches and complete drafts and typically pays around $300. 

Visit their Contribute page to submit your essay.

11. Next Avenue

Next Avenue is a website geared toward readers over age 50, covering topics like money, health and caregiving.

Next Avenue prefers pitches to full-length manuscripts. If your pitch is accepted, your article will be between 800 and 1,000 words, and you’ll earn between $200 and $500. You should hear back from an editor within about four to six weeks. 

Read the Submission Guidelines page to learn more about the types of pieces Next Avenue wants to read.

12. The Rumpus 

Looking for a place to submit your creative work? The Rumpus is an online literary magazine that accepts essays, stories, poetry and book reviews.

The Rumpus only accepts finished drafts, but you can submit a pitch if you want to publish an interview. 

Check out the Writer’s Guidelines page to learn more about pitching, reading periods and the payment process. You can expect to hear back about prose within three months and about fiction and poetry within eight months.

13. Wear Your Voice Magazine

Wear Your Voice focuses on feminist issues and gives a voice to marginalized writers, such as women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community. It covers politics, race, sexuality and more.

The editors will respond to your pitch as long as you follow the pitch guidelines provided on the Writer Submissions page, and they’ll try to get back to you within two weeks. You should submit a pitch, not a complete draft. Wear Your Voice pays $100-$150 per piece, and because they can’t pay more, they usually don’t accept pitches for pieces that would require weeks of research and labor.

14. ZORA

ZORA is a publication by and for women of color. WOC can submit pitches about culture, politics, identity and self-care.

The website prefers pitches, not full drafts, and they explain what they look for in a pitch on their Pitch Guidelines page. They pay $1 per word and try to respond to pitches within a few days.

Know of any other publications that routinely respond to pitches? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

Yes, I’m a writer — and yes, I often prefer watching TV to reading books.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy reading. Is anyone arguing against writers reading books to provide us with creativity and inspiration? The more you read, the better you write.

But sometimes I grow weary of reading yet another blog post preaching that writers should constantly be reading in our free time. Even if the points those bloggers make are legitimate, people are beating a dead horse when they remind me to read, read, read.

I grow even more testy when I read pieces advising Americans to just stop watching TV in general. Let me do what I want!

I watched the entire first season of Stranger Things in one night. I have a hardcore crush on Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. Thanks to Parks and Recreation, I have a Leslie Knope and/or Ron Swanson quote for every life situation.

And that’s okay.

In fact, it’s good for writers to watch television. Maybe doing so can actually benefit you. Here’s why.

1. You can write about what you watch

That’s right, watching TV can actually lead to getting published. And hopefully publishing those pieces can lead to making moolah!

There are numerous online publications that pay freelancers for pieces focusing on TV programs, including Buzzfeed, Bitch Media and Paste Magazine.

You aren’t limited to publications that focus on media, either. Think outside the box. If you’re a personal finance writer, pitch a piece about how to access discounts on monthly network subscriptions. Travel writers can write about the best foreign programs on Amazon Prime.

Start counting all the dollars you earn as a direct result of your TV obsession.

2. You can use TV to add color to your pieces

A vital aspect of writing a strong piece is connecting with your readers. And guess what? Most of your readers probably watch TV, just like you.

While you may not necessarily write about TV shows, you can throw in a reference to a program that will automatically connect a reader to you, the writer. For example, if you type, “We were on a break!” then countless of 90s kids who rooted for Ross and Rachel all those years will understand your reference and crack a smile.

You may want to be careful, though. Throwing in absurd references may actually isolate you from your readers. Always take your audience into consideration. If you’re writing for a publication aimed toward teens, few of them are likely to understand your Touched by an Angel shout-out.

3. You watch shows to unwind

Yes, I write every day. And, yes, I read every day. Even bad writing!

However, reading doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to some people. I’m a slow reader, so while I enjoy it, in some ways it still feels like work. Reading for an hour doesn’t necessarily relax me, so I need to find an alternate way to unwind after a long day.

In order to be as productive as possible when you write, you need to create margins in your life. If you constantly work, stress, sleep for four hours per night, then wake up and start all over again, you will burn out. You need time to decompress.

Relax. Do something for yourself. Pour yourself a glass of wine and watch the episode of Jim and Pam’s wedding. Again.

4. You learn about character development

It’s worth mentioning that writing for TV shows is vastly different from writing novels, memoirs, blogs or magazine articles.

However, watching TV can definitely provide you with insights about storytelling.

TV writers have the advantage of extended time to develop people’s personalities and backstories. This may not always be the case with film writers, who have to pack everything into two hours.

Like TV writers, authors usually have space and time to allow characters to progress. Maybe that’s why movie remakes never seem to be as good as their book counterparts. Come to think of it, should we be making more books into TV programs?

5. Anything is worth writing about

Your everyday life may not always feel interesting, but nearly every aspect of your day can be written about.

You shouldn’t just sit in your office and write all day, every day. Your daily life becomes your writing material. From getting your kids ready for school, to shopping for bathing suits, to troubleshooting your computer, to watching TV.

Everything is writing material, even if you don’t know it yet.

No, sitting on the couch to binge-watch TV four hours per day probably isn’t the healthiest habit. (Although, I’ll admit, that’s exactly what I did last night after a terrible day at work.) However, there are plenty of reasons to finally give in and jump on the Game of Thrones bandwagon.

How has watching TV helped you with your writing process?