Happy Friday,

Idleness is the writers devil. But we can’t write “all” the time, can we? Actually, it comes down to your definition of writing. In a previous note, I mentioned that writing alone is hard. Yes, we DO write alone, but without connections with other writers, we feel ALONE – then that little devil creeps in, lying to you: “You can’t do this? Why even bother? You don’t have the time.”

If you have two minutes (like reading this email) then you DO have the time. Period. No excuses. And you CAN do this.

Nope. I won’t listen to the writing devil speaking in your voice. I am shouting over it so you can hear me: You. Can. Do. This.

Here’s a short list of what I do (in random order), to inspire, motivate and get me moving toward my goal: a best-selling book within a year. Yep, that is my goal and I know I can reach it!

READING

Read a good book (good meaning well-written). These are not always the “free” books that we all grab for on Amazon. “The best way to learn to write well, is to read well-written books.”

Reading develops your writing skills. You see patterns, how words flow together. If you are like me, I actually write down passages that I found “brilliant.” However, if you read poor writing, then your own writing will suffer. So pay a little extra for books OR consider Gutenberg.org.  Hundreds of thousands of public domain works – free.

Also, you can read about Writing, Publishing. Or, what you are doing now: Reading an inspiring email.

VIDEOS, PODCASTS, WEBINARS

Watch a Video. From publishing to writing to plotting . . . Youtube has a plethora of videos.

Order and watch a professional video. I like JaneFriedman.com – she offers professionals that give sage advice for what they do. If you watch “live” the cost is only $25. I have chosen to choose one course / a month, whether I want more or not. Just one. At the end, I get the slide, transcript, audio and video downloads free to rewatch at any time.

WRITING EVERY SINGLE DAY

Writing Sprints. Writing for 5 minutes. Sit down, pick a topic, like: how to make tapioca pudding from scratch. Don’t know?  Take a couple of minutes to look it up on the internet, then write for five minutes about how you’d find out, and why you have to make the stuff in the first place, and whether the process made you gag, or not.

Choose your WIP. Imagine the chapter you are about to write. The character, the scene. Visualize it like a movie, then, write everything that you just saw, including all the sense if possible (smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch) as well as any internal musings.  Write like a mad person, words flowing out of your fingertips TYPOS and all. Do Not edit. Just write.

BUILDING GOOD HABITS

By Making writing a Habit — you will succeed as a writer. Period. If you have a habit of being on Social Media every few seconds, or like to read the news for hours, or binge watch a TV series, then MAKE A CHANGE. It is very difficult to just stop a habit that you enjoy – your endorphin levels will drop and you’ll just go back to the habit for your HIGH. BUT, if you slowly replace one enjoyable moment for another, then you will succeed.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

If you believe you will fail, then you will. Your mind will only let you succeed so far, and then… nothing more. Don’t let the writing devil stand in your way – ever! Push them aside and Keep Moving Forward. Because there is nothing more satisfying holding your book in your hand, hearing how your “fans” love your work, and are clamoring for more.

Remove the negative; ignore naysayers (that includes people who didn’t like your book.) You can’t please everyone!  In fact, to boost your confidence, take your favorite author and read some of the 1 – 2 star reviews. Some are pretty harsh. But, you know what? Those people are NOT your target readers – not your SUPER FANS.  Surround yourself with positive thinkers, and you WILL succeed.

= = = =

Inspiration comes in various forms, from one-on-one meet ups to even a daily morning dose from a video. For the past fifteen days, I’ve received a daily video from a course I am taking on how to change my habits so that I write daily. Seems simple, right? The point is that I now look forward to these videos every morning. I am drip fed the information daily, and I “can’t” skip ahead. This process has changed my daily routine—slowly, but it is working.

So, what will you do today to motivate, inspire your writing juices?

It only takes a few minutes and we ALL have that, right?

Until next time,

Suz

PS: HEY! So, are any of these posts resonating with you?  Let me know.

Photo: Time by @geralt from Pixabay.com