“I believe that closing the aspiration gap by developing your authentic voice is the primary job of any creative…. The process of developing your authentic voice is not linear, it is a curved line. There is an ebb and flow to growth, and you will often feel like you have to take a few steps backward in order to advance. This is because growth demands that you push yourself to your limits – and often beyond – in order to increase your capacity.” Todd Henry Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice
Artists who create anything, begin with a gap between the work they want to create and what they are actually capable of creating at the moment.
When you are a beginning writer this gap seems highlighted as you look at other authors work you admire and measure it against your own.
That was one of my big mistakes when I started writing. I began to see how far I needed to go to get really good at the craft of writing – my own high expectations – and quite often that would leave me paralyzed for days, unable to write.
Or even worse… I wanted to quit.
Have you ever felt the tension between creating work that is trying-to-be-good and work that isn’t-as-good-as-you-expected?
If you’re in that place of stretching, you’re not alone.
If you are a beginning writer and you are feeling the stress of trying to close the gap between what you aspire to create and what you actually are creating in the moment, read on…
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How Most of Us Begin…
Most of us start out writing without a whole lot of experience. That’s normal.
For many writers, its the vision we have in our imaginations of the books we want to put out into the world, that gets us into the game in the first place.
That’s where I started. I had never published anything. In fact, because of a bad experience in elementary school(where my teacher said my writing was like chicken scratchings), I thought my dream of writing books was a curse, rather than a blessing. I think the worst part was that for years I believed my writing wasn’t good enough. So why bother? I stopped trying.
For years after that, I blocked out the idea of writing, until I started homeschooling our four kids. As I helped our children write their fiction stories, the dream came back stronger than it had ever been. That’s when I tentatively started writing ideas down for book ideas. It wasn’t until I started to find some other writers in Facebook groups and an online class that I started to believe in myself again.
When I started writing, I was disappointed by the gap that existed between the words I wrote on the page, and the great novel that I had envisioned in my mind.
So what does it take to go from being a beginner to master artist?
It takes commitment to work hard at learning your craft. It takes daily practice, month after month, year after year. It takes not giving up, even on the tough days.
This is the daily struggle that budding artists and writers who want to create work that’s unique and great, go through.
It’s tempting to quit. It’s even more tempting to move onto something that seems more “reasonable” simply because we’re frustrated by our temporary inability to reach our goal.
If we want to get really good at anything, we need to practice. Most often our practicing will mean that we’ll go through trial and error much of the time, feeling like we’re failing.
When you are learning a new skill and make mistakes, it’s not failure. Rather, you are constantly being stretched as you try new things and discover your own unique style – your voice.
Then as you reach new levels of expression, you will be better prepared when the moment of opportunity comes. As you build your platform and your instincts and intuition is honed, you continue to get better at expressing yourself and growing in your craft.
The only catch, is that as a writer, you must be willing to ride out a time period of months or even years, in order to see growth and to progress in closing the gap between that of a beginner and master artist.
Stretching beyond where you feel comfortable, will mean that you’ll feel ‘not good enough’ or ‘less then’ for awhile.
Don’t give up when you’re in gap. If you keep writing and creating work you love, you’ll start to see that you are getting better.
Keep discovering more of who you are and what you love to write. Keep modelling and emulating those writers that you admire until you reach new levels in your craft.
“…It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. It’s going to take a while. It’s normal to take a while. You’ve just got to fight your way through.” Ira Glass
I hope you’re inspired by this video by Ira Glass, as he talks about the struggles people have in the creative process:
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Why my first book took so long to write(an excerpt from the newest book… )
It’s true. My first book took many years, from idea, to writing and publishing it.
Why did it take that long?
That’s what I want to share with you today. I wanted to take you through the first few paragraphs of my story that I put at the start of my upcoming book, Write and Publish Your First Book.
If you’ve dreamed of writing your very own book, but have felt stuck or scared to put words to paper for some reason, read on…
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So why did it take years to write my first novel?
I was scared. I was worried about rejection and that others would judge me for my words. Here’s my story…
“Your work – what you create – tells your story. It lays bare your hopes, your dreams and speaks about what matters most to you. It shows people what you really think of the world around you. Your voice needs to be heard.
However, you must be willing to be brave. You are the only one who can choose to let your original self – your ideas and life – be heard. You are the only one who can uncover, grow and ultimately be courageous enough to share your unique perspective with others.
I’m passionate about helping people uncover and begin to use their authentic voice. For too many years, I hid in my safe little world. And because of different moments of pain and trauma from my childhood, I lost what it meant to be me for awhile. I desperately wanted to uncover my authentic voice but didn’t know how to find it again. I was scared this farm-girl turned homeschooling mom didn’t have what it took to step out to reach her dreams of writing page-turning stories.
I thought about writing a long time before I even put pen to paper. That’s how nervous I was about putting my thoughts onto the page. This book is for first-time writers who have longed to write a book but have felt stuck for many reasons, like I was.
Maybe you’ve been unsure of how to write, edit, format, compile and get your ebook or print book into the world. But more than that, you’ve been plagued with fear of not being good enough. Afraid of failure and that your dream of writing will crumble into the dust. You see that’s where I was almost ten years ago when I had my first thought of writing a book.
At first it took me quite a few years to get to the point where I thought writing a book might be possible for me. I waited for years from having the idea for a fiction book I wanted to write, to finally sitting down and getting it written. Why did it take me so long to put pen to paper?
The reason is simple. I thought I had to wait to be picked. In my mind, I needed the approval of a gatekeeper in the publishing world – an agent or publisher – to tell me I was a writer. I didn’t believe I was good enough to write my own stories without messing it up completely. I thought if I tried to write my own book, I would ruin the story and I might wreck any chances I had to get any future books out there.
This was a new kind of learning that somehow seemed more difficult than the farm work I was used to. I was intimidated, scared of rejection and worried that somehow I wouldn’t be able to take the steps needed to get closer to my writing dream.
Yet, there was one thing I had going for me. I had a strong desire to learn and the grit to keep at it day after day. I started to learn and so far I’ve spent hundreds of hours reading books, blogs and listening to podcasts so I could learn what it really took to write, publish and market a book. It took me six months longer than I thought it would to edit the book, but with the help of a professional editor, I did it. It was such a steep learning curve, that there were many days I wasn’t sure if publishing the book would ever happen. But I’m happy to say it did. I finally got my first historical romance written and published. I was thrilled.
But, here’s the thing. I never forgot the struggle I went through to learn what I needed to know. It was such a huge struggle for me and a steep learning curve, that I’ve made it my goal to do what I can to help first-time writers. I want to help make the process so much easier for new writers who are thinking about putting their first book into the world.
So that’s the reason for this book. To give you the layout of what it really takes to go from hardly knowing a thing – like where I was when I started – to having the details you need to publish your book and upload it to digital retailers like Amazon, Kobo, iBookstore and many more.
I’m excited for you as a new writer, I really am. The writing and digital publishing world has never looked brighter than right now. There are many successful indie authors who are mid-list authors who are earning a living with their writing. If that’s your goal, you can do that too. The hard part is to be disciplined to write every day, to set your goals and learn all you can along the way from other authors.
Writing is on the I-really-want-to-do-this list for 81% of people, but most never do it. They don’t even start. I hope you won’t be one of those that gives up before they even try. I really hope you give yourself the chance to fulfill your writing dream.
I want to encourage you to begin today. Get five hundred words in before you go to sleep tonight. You’ll be so happy you did. It’s a great place to start, and a habit that you can repeat tomorrow. Keep writing and get that first draft done as quickly as possible.
So that’s my story of why it took me so long to write my first book.
I hope you were inspired to keep writing. My desire is that many first time writers will believe in themselves, so they can push past resistance to write the story they’ve dreamed of sharing with the world.
Have you struggled to write and publish your book? What were some of your biggest obstacles to get past? I’d love to hear your story and ideas in the comments.
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4 Keys to Create Space to Write
Your creative work is what gives you passion and is intrinsically life-giving.
That’s an awesome But, that just means that resistance, is constantly trying to stop you from getting it done.
Right when you sit down to write, the children need your help, the laundry desperately needs to get done or your friend calls and needs to talk. Or if real life obligations don’t try to stop your progress, your fears, insecurities and worry will.
Creating space for writing asks you to strategize and rethink your approach to your work, so you can actively grow this important part of your skills as a writer.
Find Time to Create
Artists need to find time to create the work they were meant to do.
Writers, want to write. To push past resistance and to come to the place where you realize that the act of creating something has value all by itself.
That’s why you need to find the time to listen to what your soul is telling us and do the creative work you were meant to do.
Here’s 4 keys to help you create space you need to write
1.Value the creative work you do. We long to create the art that stirs our soul, but sometimes we don’t make the time we need to do the things we value most. However, if you admit to yourself that writing is huge part of who you are, and resolve to put first things first, then you’ll have a new urgency to find time to write. And when you are madly chasing after work you love, you won’t need to be talked into finding the time to do it. Because you’ll be much too busy searching for every chance you can to spend time doing what you love.
2.Practice mindfulness in your creative work. This is simply learning how to focus long enough in your creative work, so that you are absorbed in it. You might have to start with short 10 – 15 minute blocks of time and build up from there, but that’s okay. Blocking out time and getting rid of distractions is critical in order to build up endurance.
Normally, I write for 25 minutes at a time, take a 10 minute break – get up to stretch and grab a tea, and then focus again for 25 minutes. If during my break I check email, Facebook or any other social media platform, I get lost. I work best when I can just focus all my attention on the book I’m writing or class, or whatever the task is at hand. It’s being mindful of what you’re doing and not worrying about all the other things that are going on in your life while you’re writing(which frankly, isn’t easy to do).
For instance, right now I’m trying not to think of the videos I still need to make for the online class this week, or that I’m behind in my goal to have the book completely edited in a week. I’m doing my best to write about how to help you, stay in the process while you’re writing. Of course, we all have real life outside of writing, so it’s important to be mindful to stay productive of the few hours we can invest in pure creative work.
3.Take time away from thinking about creative work to pay attention to other tasks. As a writer I’ve noticed that my mind wanders back and forth between the newest plot point of my story, or how I need to fix my blogpost. But, I’m trying harder to stay present and focussed on the task at hand even when I’m cleaning or doing laundry.
If you give your brain a chance to have a break away from your creative work, you’ll probably finish your task quicker and an added benefit is that your creative mind will get a break too. If you’re focussed on what groceries you need to buy for your evening meal, then gather your thoughts around that, and trust that your subconscious mind will work out the struggle you’re working through in crafting your story. Of course, being a creative means that sometimes we can’t help it – we’ll get ideas while we’re washing dishes, vacuuming or having a shower – which is great. It’s only if your feeling stressed or overwhelmed, that it really helps to pull back and give your brain a rest.
4.Fill up Your Creative Tank. Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way
The key is to find ways to fill up your creative well.
Refill your creative well. Read books, watch movies or free write… just for fun. [Tweet this]
I’ve discovered that when I choose deliberately to do stuff that inspires me, I have renewed energy to work on the next creative project.
These are ideas that I hope help you to refill and create space in your life for writing. When you are mindful to do something everyday that inspires you and fills your creative soul, you’ll find that you will be more productive, write more words and have more ideas. It’s a win – win.
Since I’ve started doing a little something everyday that inspires the child artist within, I’ve found that I’m less tired and feel like I’m energized to write the next time I sit down. Try it, you might be surprised 🙂
What do you do to fill your creative well? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
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5 Steps to Set Up Your Blog & Email List
What does it mean to have a platform? Why is it important?
Have you ever walked down the sidewalk and noticed someone playing and singing? Or maybe you’ve heard someone speak passionately on a topic they love and a crowd started to gather around them?
A blog and email list is a platform much like that.
It’s a place to ‘stand’ and talk to those people who want to hear what you have to say.
It not only makes sense to have a blog as a writer, but it helps to grow your platform. The larger your platform, the more people you can reach with what you have to say.
My Blogging Story…
I started my first blog 3 1/2 years ago. I didn’t have a regular schedule. I just began blogging whenever I felt like it. Which is quite normal for many writers when they get started. However that blog and the one after it, ended in failure.
There were so many details I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how to reach out to others through blogging. These were simple details that I missed out on, that would have made my blog much more effective.
For instance, I didn’t create anything free to offer readers as an incentive to sign up and I didn’t have a newsletter that offered them great resources and free offers. Also, one of the key things I missed out on, was really listening to people who were connecting with me.
Through my many mistakes in blogging and reaching out to others, I learned a few things. I hope you find these steps useful to you as you set out on growing your own blog and email list.
5 Steps to Set Up Your Blog & Email List
Originally I started out creating a blog with Blogger.com, because a free blog was all I could afford. If that’s where you’re at, it’s a great place to start. You can also use WordPress.com as another free option.
However – as I learned much later – I was being limited by using a website I didn’t own. I was limited to what I could add to my website – I couldn’t use plugins – to help it function better, and I was limited by content as well. Also, I didn’t realize when I use a free website, that if they want to shut me down one day, I wouldn’t have any say in it. Without warning all the blogposts I wrote, could disappear without a trace.
So that’s why I wanted to set up my own WordPress site. Here’s the steps I took.
- Set up your Website. If at all possible, set up your own wordpress.org website. WordPress.org works great to have your own email signup form. There are a number of ways to add sign up forms to your blog. I use SumoMe and I really like it. Copyblogger has a great article on 3 simple strategies to reach more people on your blog. At the end of the day, it’s really about having the freedom to add email signup forms where and how you like. Some people like to add the form to the top of their webpage or you can add your signup form to the right hand side of your website – like the one I have on this blog.
- Find an email service provider. An email service provider will deliver your emails, newsletters and blog broadcasts to your readers. Most service providers have great customer service support. I use Aweber and they’ve been really helpful. Other email providers are also good. If you go with Mailchimp, your first 2000 subscribers are free. Other providers are iContact, Constant Contact and Get Response. In the end, the most important detail that matters is that you can add people easily to your list and send the messages you need to connect and give great information to those people who want to hear what you have to say.
- Create a Sign-up Form. Like I mentioned in the first step, it’s really easy to create your email signup form. I use Aweber to the create the form that you see on the right hand side of this blog. I also use SumoMe at the top of the page as well as for a form that pops up once a week. I’m still tweaking this – still learning. but I like using those tools so far. At the start of this year, I decided to start offering a Library of free stuff, which I will keep adding to. So far it seems to be what people like. A key to choosing what to give your blog readers, is to start listening to what they want from you. When you hear what they ask about a lot, or what they struggle with, if you create a resource that helps solve their problem, you’ll make your readers happy. Or if you’re a fiction writer, offering your blog readers a free novella or the first three chapters of your book, is a really great to add more readers to your email list. At the end of the day, a happy reader is what you want.
- Create an Automatic Reply Message for Subscribers. This is sometimes called a autoresponder message. (Look back to step #2 for a list of some service providers). This step is important because you want to be able to thank people who sign up to your email list and you want to use the autoresponder to deliver your free gift. It’s great when you begin to really connect with your readers and your emails become conversations with a good friend. This is the best part of writing the email messages.
- Start to give the link to your book out to readers. If you’ve written a book that you’ve published on Amazon and other digital retail websites, it’s great when you can use your book to link people back to your website. On the back of your book, you can put a CTA(call to action). Think of what your readers wants when you’re writing your CTA. What would compel them to go to your website at that moment and sign up for your email list? Also, double check that your CTA link is clickable. There aren’t many people who will take the time to go to their computer and type your URL into a web browser. They want to get to the link as fast as possible, right from the ebook they’re reading. If you’re writing your book using Scrivener, this is easy to do. You just highlight the text you want to link, go to Edit, click Add Link and type in the URL. Then test the link to see that it works, and you’re good to go.
Once you’ve gone through the steps, your email list should begin growing. It might start off slowly, but if you add the different tools and your content appeals to your readers, it will keep building.
The beautiful thing is, the reason your readers have joined your list in the first place is because they were interested in what you had to say. So you don’t really need to be bashful about letting them know when you have a new book finished. And it’s awesome to begin to get to know and bond with your readers.
I hope these steps have simplified the process of reaching more readers for you.
What have you struggled with as you’ve tried to grow your email list? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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