Your Writing Career Needs Trickster Energy
Escaping the Publishing Grind
After my last post about escaping the publishing grind, I received messages from authors asking the same question: "Okay, Lynn, I'm convinced the hustle culture is killing my creativity. But what's the alternative? How do I build a sustainable career without falling into the productivity trap?"
The answer lies in what Tricia Hersey calls "trickster energy"—and it might just be the most powerful tool in your author arsenal.
What Is Trickster Energy?
In We Will Rest! The Art of Escape, Hersey writes about "trickster rebellion in the face of capitalism and white supremacy."
As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to rest.
But what does that actually mean for authors?
Think of the trickster as the character in folklore who outsmarts the powerful through cleverness, subversion, and play.
The trickster doesn't fight the system head-on—they find creative ways around it, under it, and through it.
For authors, trickster energy means:
Subverting expectations instead of meeting them
Playing with boundaries rather than accepting them as fixed
Setting your own rules while others follow the prescribed path
Finding joy and humor in the process of resistance
The trickster doesn't burn out, because they're not playing by the exhausting rules everyone else follows.
They've created their own game.
What Trickster Energy Looks Like in Your Author Career
The Content Creator vs. The Trickster
Let me show you the difference with two authors I've worked with:
Author A (Content Creator Mode)
Sarah felt pressured to post writing tips daily on Instagram. She'd wake up anxious if she hadn't scheduled her posts, spend hours crafting captions about her writing process, and measure her worth by engagement metrics. Her website was a museum of productivity—writing schedules, word count trackers, and endless blog posts about "how to write faster."
Author B (Trickster Mode):
Maria decided to subvert the game. Instead of daily tips, she posted mysterious fragments from her work-in-progress that left readers curious and engaged. Rather than sharing her writing schedule, she created a section on her website called "The Rabbit Holes" where she explored the weird research tangents that informed her stories. Her email newsletter came out "whenever the moon moves me"—and her readers loved the unpredictability.
Guess which author had higher engagement, better book sales, and actually enjoyed her author platform?
Trickster Moves in Action
Here are specific ways to channel trickster energy in your writing career:
Instead of posting daily writing advice → Share the strange questions your character development creates
The market is saturated with writing tips. But only you know why your protagonist is afraid of yellow flowers or what song your villain hums while cooking. These glimpses into your creative world can be far more engaging than generic productivity advice.
For example:
Instead of posting: "Wrote 2,000 words today! Character development is so important! #amwriting"
You could post: "My beta reader just asked me why my protagonist hates the color yellow, and honestly, I have no idea. Now I have to figure out what happened to her in a field of sunflowers. 🌻”
Or:
"My villain wants to know if evil people get lonely. Well, do they? Asking for a fictional friend..."
"Character question of the day: If you could only save one photo in a fire, which would it be and why? My MC is judging all my answers."
"My love interest just demanded to know why he has to be the 'love interest' and can't just be a person. Fair point, fictional man. Fair point."
Instead of announcing every book milestone → Create mystery and anticipation
Rather than posting "Chapter 12 done!" try sharing an intriguing sentence from that chapter. Instead of "Book cover reveal!" consider a series of close-up details that slowly reveal the full image over time. The key is sharing your genuine reaction to your own work while keeping the specifics mysterious!
For example:
Instead of posting: "Just finished Chapter 12! Only 3 more chapters to go! #WritingProgress #AlmostDone"
You could post: "She found the letter. Everything changes now. (Chapter 12: complete, but my heart is not okay.)"
Or:
"Just wrote a line that gave me actual chills: 'Some secrets are buried for a reason.' Now I need to figure out what that reason is..."
"Today's writing soundtrack: ominous piano music. Today's writing mood: 'Oh no, what have I done to these poor characters?'"
"Research rabbit hole of the day: Victorian mourning jewelry.”
Instead of following trending hashtags → Create your own language
One author I worked with invented the term "plot bunnies gone rogue" for story ideas that derailed her current project. Her readers started using the phrase, creating an inside joke that built genuine community. In other words, don’t be afraid to color outside the lines. You never know what will resonate!
For example:
Instead of posting: "Struggling with writer's block today. Going to push through! #WritersBlock #KeepWriting"
You could post: "The plot bunnies have gone completely rogue today. They've chewed through my outline and are now demanding a subplot about sentient houseplants. Send help."
Or:
"Caught a case of the 'character mumbles' again—when your characters know exactly what they want but refuse to communicate it with anyone. Including the author.”
"Suffering from acute 'research vertigo'—when you've fallen so deep into Wikipedia that you've forgotten what your characters were originally supposed to be doing."
"The story gremlins struck again last night. I went to bed thinking I wrote a perfectly good scene yesterday. Now I’m reading it back and cringing.”
Instead of competing with other authors → Collaborate in unexpected ways
Trickster energy loves collaboration over competition. Maybe you and another author swap characters for a writing exercise you share with readers. Maybe you create a joint "writing soundtrack" playlist. The key is doing something no one expects.
For example:
Instead of posting: "So excited to share this interview with fellow author @JaneSmith! Check out her new book! #AuthorInterview #SupportAuthors"
You could post: "@SarahWrites and I swapped villains for a week. I had to write her sunshine romance hero as a morally gray antihero, and she had to make my serial killer... nice. The results were disturbing and delightful."
Or:
"Challenge accepted! @FantasyAuthorMike and I are writing the same scene from our protagonists' POVs to see how different our worlds really are. Spoiler: his dragon would definitely eat my detective."
"Book soundtrack swap with @ThrillerQueen! She curated the perfect playlist for my rom-com, and I made her a murder playlist that's surprisingly romantic. We may have created something beautiful or…deeply concerning."
"My critique partner @WriterofWords and I decided to write each other's 'About the Author' bios. Turns out she thinks I'm much more interesting than I think I am, and apparently I've been underselling my weirdness this whole time?"
"@MysteryMaven and I are doing a 'character therapy session' live on Instagram tomorrow. Her detective is going to counsel my emotionally unavailable love interest. This can only end well."
How Trickster Energy Shows Up in Your Author Brand
Your website is the perfect place to showcase trickster energy. Here's how to infuse your online presence with subversive creativity:
Visual Trickster Moves
Unexpected navigation: Instead of standard "About/Books/Contact," try "The Author/The Stories/The Conspiracy" (for thriller writers) or "The Dreamer/The Dreams/The Portal" (for fantasy authors)
Hidden easter eggs: Small surprises throughout your site that reward curious visitors
Asymmetrical layouts: Break the expected grid pattern in thoughtful ways
Playful color psychology: Use your genre's expected colors in unexpected ways
Content Trickster Moves
Anti-author bio: Instead of listing credentials, write about your failures, weird hobbies, or the strange path that led you to writing
Process transparency: Share the messy, human parts of writing that other authors hide
Reader collaboration: Create spaces where your audience can contribute to your creative world
Fan art: Create a section to display the fan art that readers so thoughtfully create, and link it back to their socials as an extra “thank you!”
The Rebecca Yarros Trickster Case Study
Remember how I discussed Rebecca Yarros's branding challenge in my author brand blog? She's actually a perfect example of trickster energy in action.
Instead of trying to make her adult romance and dark romantasy brands match, Rebecca leaned into the contrast.
She didn't apologize for writing in different subgenres or try to hide one side of her work.
She made the diversity of her writing a feature, not a bug.
The trickster move? She positioned herself as an author who refuses to be contained by genre expectations.
Her readers now anticipate her range rather than expecting consistency.
That's trickster energy—turning what could be a branding problem into a brand strength.
Trickster Energy vs. Grind Culture: A Side-by-Side
Practical Ways to Start Today
Ready to embrace your inner trickster? Here are three moves you can make this week:
1. The Platform Flip
Look at your current social media or website content and ask: What would be the opposite of what everyone else in your genre is doing?
If everyone shares their top five writing spaces, share your worst writing spaces.
If everyone posts book recommendations, post book warnings ("Don't read this book if you're afraid of falling in love with morally gray characters").
The key is to have fun and start thinking outside of the box.
2. The Expectation Subversion
Pick one "rule" about author platforms and intentionally break it.
Maybe you email your newsletter subscribers only when you have something important to say instead of weekly.
Maybe you write blog posts in second person.
Maybe you include audio recordings of you reading passages aloud.
This teaches your nervous system that “breaking the rules” can be safe, effective, and actually rather fun! Plus it will put you on the track of figuring out what works best for YOU, instead of feeling that you have to follow what other authors are doing.
3. The Collaborative Trick
Find one way to involve your readers in your creative process.
Maybe you let them vote on character names.
Maybe you share a writing problem you're stuck on and ask for their thoughts.
The trickster thrives on community and collaboration, plus this is a great way to make connections and remind yourself that you’re not alone in this creative journey!
But Will This Actually Work for My Career?
I hear this concern a lot: "This sounds fun, but will trickster energy actually help me sell books?"
Here's the thing—the authors who embrace trickster energy aren't just happier and more sustainable. They're also more memorable.
In a saturated market, the authors who stand out are the ones who refuse to follow the prescribed path.
Think about your favorite authors. I bet they have elements of trickster energy in how they approach their careers. They're not doing what everyone else is doing. They've found their own way.
As Hersey reminds us, "There is another way. Focus on the escape. Focus on the transformation."
Trickster energy is that other way—a path that honors both your creativity and your need for a sustainable career.
Your Turn to Play Trickster
The beautiful thing about trickster energy is that it's inherently personal.
What works for Maria won't work exactly the same way for you. The key is finding your own version of creative subversion.
Start small.
Pick one area where you've been following the "rules" and ask yourself: "What would be more authentic to who I am as a writer?" Then do that instead.
Remember, you became a writer because you had stories that only you could tell. Your author platform should reflect that same uniqueness.
In my next post, we'll dive deeper into the creative process itself, exploring why your writing needs sacred pauses—not just more productivity hacks.
Because once you've embraced trickster energy in your career, it's time to bring that same revolutionary spirit to your craft.
