Look at your life, and you’ll see your commitments. For example, you might be committed to watching the news on TV for an hour every night, writing a blog post every week, exercising daily, working on your book project for an hour every day, eating chocolate when you feel stressed, drinking 16 ounces of water when you wake up, being…
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Most people do whatever they can to avoid rejection, and it’s no wonder. Rejection hurts. Literally, your brain reacts to being told “no” as if you were physically injured. Who wants that pain? Not me. The topic of rejection has been on my mind lately as I move toward the completion of a book proposal and prepare to find a…
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Have you ever doubted your writing abilities, accomplishments, and talents to the extent that you feel like a fraud? If so, you might be suffering from Imposter Syndrome. And this “condition” can keep you from realizing—or recognizing—your potential as a nonfiction writer. Simply said, it holds you back from accomplishing your writing and publishing goals. Imposter Syndrome affects people from…
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You are the average of the 10 people with whom you spend the most time. That’s right. So do an accounting right now… What friends, family members, and co-workers do you hang out with every day or week? Do you want to be more like them…or less? And do they help you succeed as a nonfiction writer? Let’s say, for…
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Writing can be challenging at times, especially when feeling overwhelmed by the size of a project, afraid of rejection, or unsure of your abilities. That’s when finding a positive writing role model proves helpful. Whether it be a favorite author, prolific blogger, or committed writing buddy, having someone to look up to, learn from, imitate, and glean inspiration from can…
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Write for your readers. Aspiring and published authors hear this advice more often than any other publishing wisdom. But no one warns that following this advice can dampen your passion for writing projects or leave you feeling creatively off course. Worse, it stops you from listening to your wise inner voice. When you lose your writing mojo or feel frustrated, hopeless,…
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If writing feels difficult, unpleasant, or slow, it’s time to refocus. After all, slogging through a writing project means you aren’t excited or passionate about the subject. But if you change the subject to one you are obsessed with, writing will feel easy and joyous, and you’ll write quickly. I know this is true. When I sit down to work…
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