500 Words at a Time: Mariella Hunt’s Creative Routine
Exploring the Tools, Spaces, and Habits Behind Mariella’s Writing Process
Hey, welcome to Methods, a new series where I collaborate with fellow Substack writers to discuss the creative processes behind their work.
Today, I’m thrilled to feature Mariella Hunt from The Literary Ladies' Tearoom, where she highlights lesser-known historical figures and shares her fiction.
For a great starting point, check out this article:
- Mary Shelley: An Introduction & Her Dream
In this piece, Mariella shares her writing routine, how she designed her room to be the perfect creative space, and how she selects her research notebooks.
Enjoy!
Know someone with a unique creative process? Drop their name in the comments—I’d love to feature them!
Writing Routine: 500 Words at a Time
I try to sit down and write 500 words after my first coffee of the day. They can be 500 words of a blog post or a novel; I just need to get my creative muscle moving.
Throughout the day, I continue to do this: I sit, grab the laptop, and do not allow myself to get back up until I've written 500 words.
I take breaks for meals, of course, and I read a lot (because no respectable writer can claim the title if they do not read). I've learned to be fairly consistent, but on days when I'm feeling ill or have something of importance to take care of, I'll improvise and try to do my work at night.
As a matter of fact, I feel more creative and motivated to get my writing done at night, which has been interesting for my sleep schedule!
Writing Space (/ Library / Music Room / Study)
I do the most (finalized, not first draft) work in my library/music room/study.
Let me explain. It started out as a bedroom where I had my desk and a bookcase; then I got another bookcase; then I got another bookcase. Then, my grandma gave me one of those electric keyboard/pianos, and it sits in the middle of the room like a neat little divider. Somehow, I wound up with 3 acoustic guitars that I keep within my reach so that I have no excuses to not practice them (it works; I practice nightly). I also have 2 ukuleles.
It doesn't LOOK like a bedroom anymore, but it looks like the inside of my head. A nice high-backed blue armchair next to the perfect reading lamp I inherited from Grandma is the cherry on top. My workspace is chaotic. I love it.
For a look at another author’s chaotic workspace, check out this article: Hemingway Wrote His Best Books in a Messy, Cluttered Bedroom.
Tools: Sharpies, Yellow Legal Pads, & The Value of Cheap Notebooks
Are there any specific tools or materials you always use when creating?
I use my laptop to write novels, but I have those plain yellow legal pads for note-taking for nonfiction. I tried doing this in fancy leather notebooks but found myself too afraid of ruining such nice journals that I decided that would not be the way for me.
My rule of thumb for research notebooks: the cheaper and plainer, the better. Then I don't feel bad when I need to tear out a page or cross out a paragraph. That way, I actually get work done. Oh, and there's the Sharpie pen. I do most of my work with Sharpie pens.
What books or products have enhanced your creativity?
Indie/acoustic music. Billie Marten's album Feeding Seahorses by Hand has been my go-to writing album since 2019. The Lumineers, especially their first two albums. My Kindle, because I get to carry a library with me in my hand. Used books that I get on eBay, because they provide important resources for the price of a cup of coffee. Zebra highlighters and Sharpie pens. Always the Sharpie pens.
The idea of serially published fiction has fascinated me since I was young, so when Kindle Vella was introduced by Amazon, I was over the moon that I would be able to publish stories in that format. Vella taught me a lot about releasing material serially; I decided to move on to Substack because I liked the community, and I also liked the fact that I would have a neat page of my very own.
Influences
Who are your biggest influences, and how have they shaped your work?
This should not be such a difficult question to answer.
The truth is that my work has become so varied and, if you include the musical/historical aspect of things, I can no longer simply say that J.K. Rowling inspired me to start writing (though she is one of the people who did).
Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen are influences; Beatrix Potter and Laurel and Hardy are influences; the men who invented the printing press are influences!
The world is one big story, and I've learned in my 30s that I find great joy in focusing on the people who created beautiful things. Oh, I AM a Swiftie, by the way. It would be sacrilege not to mention her.
Methods: Lists and Poetry
Do you have any habits that enhance your creativity?
I make lists. Lists of people I want to write about - poetry I want to pick apart - ideas I want to explore - characters in my own novels who want spin-offs and how I can make that happen - books I want to read. Here's the catch, though: most of those lists are in my head. I am by no means an organized person!
Check Out: Ray Bradbury’s Art of List Making
Have you ever tried a unique method that changed how you create?
I took up writing poetry, and am in the process of studying the standard methods of constructing a song. I'm fascinated by the written word in any form that it might take, and songwriting is so important; everyone loves music! No, I don't think I'll be joining any bands, but I think that my prose will be so much lovelier if I can understand how to write a good song, even if no one ever hears it.
Fun fact: Writing poetry was actually a piece of advice John Steinbeck gave to friends struggling with writer's block.
Superstitions and Growth
How has your creative process evolved over time?
Serial fiction is great, but it created a habit where I kept writing without thinking about how the story is going to end. I've been trying to rectify that by putting thought into how a story will end while I'm writing it. It lifts stress from my shoulders and creates tighter, crisper writing that's just a lot easier to manage.
Do you have any superstitions or rules about your creative process?
I don't write disturbing scenes that will make a person lose sleep. I am not a horror author. I don't want to be that writer who planted a scene in someone's mind that would steal their peace from them; I want my stories to have the light of hope in them, and even if there are inevitable scenes that aren't "happy," I don't want to leave my readers scarred.
Thanks to Mariella for sharing her insights!
Be sure to follow her work, check out her novel The Graveyard House, and look out for her upcoming series Davy Jones's Daughter.
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Thank you so much for the opportunity! It was an honor to answer these questions:)