A few years ago, I came across this post—Happy Writers’ Society: Love Lists by Stephanie Perkins—on author Natalie Whipple’s blog. Anna and the French Kiss is one of my all-time favorites, so I’m a big fan of Stephanie Perkins, and I also fell in love with her idea of creating “love-lists.”

“Whenever I begin a new project,” Stephanie tells us in the blog-post, “I also begin a list called ‘What I Love About This Story.’” She further explains, “I use this love-list as a touchstone to remind myself during the hard times why my story is worthwhile.”

As writers, we all know how easy it can be to lose sight of why we’re writing and what we’re writing as we slog through a first draft or endless rounds of revision. Creating a love-list can revive your sense of purpose and your love for your WIP, refocusing you on what’s at the heart of your writing.

Below are love-lists for my current projects. I’d love to see your love-lists, too, so please share in the comments below or provide a link to your love-list!

❤  Love-List for my YA contemporary-with-a-twist – How to Make a Heartbeat:

• A brilliant, awkward boy
• A girl who hums random oldies
• A dog like a little skeleton covered in fur
• A brutal accident
• The stunning, but harsh, Arizona desert landscape
• Love that defies death
• The whisper of a heartbeat

❤  Love-List for my new YA WIP – Just B (Working Title):

• A girl under pressure
• An elite boarding school
• A quirky Arizona ghost-town with a Roswell-esque history
• A desperate act
• An unfathomable creature with long, thin rabbit-ears (or are they antennae?)
• An odd, reclusive boy
• Falling stars
• Unlikely friends

*Be sure to check out this post for more of Stephanie Perkins’ thoughts on love-lists!*