Lorna Faith

Clean Fiction Author

065 How to Defeat 3 of the Biggest Writing Productivity Saboteurs with Colleen M. Story

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In today’s interview, nonfiction and fiction author Colleen M. Story, shares key insights that will help writers defeat the 3 biggest writing productivity saboteurs.

Colleen gives practical tips and strategies to help writers identify what has been holding them back from reaching their goals and she gives tips on how to get around the 3 biggest writing saboteurs.  You can connect with Colleen on Twitter or LinkedIn.

In the intro, I share about the new shift that I’ve decided to make in my author business. I’ve really needed to create space for writing and so sometimes that means sacrificing doing those things that we love. For me, that means I’ll be putting the podcast on pause for at least a few months and maybe longer. I love talking with all these amazing authors and I’ve learned so much from them, but I feel like it’s time for me to write all those stories I’ve been dreaming of writing. I want to encourage you, that if there is something you are super passionate about – that you haven’t committed time for – take a deeper look at your life and write down your big dreams and goals and begin to get started to achieving that dream 🙂

3 Books I’ve been reading lately that might be useful for you too…

1.Overwhelmed Writer Rescue: Boost Productivity, Improve Time Management and Replenish the Creator Within, by Colleen M. Story. This book will help you shift free from self-doubt, procrastination and distractions to help you focus on your most important task… writing.

2.I’ve also been reading Dean Wesley Smith’s book titled, Killing the Top 10 Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing.  Reading this book, has dispelled a few myths that I believed about being an indie author… it might do the same for you!

3.A short ebook to help romance writers, written by Mark Dawson and Serenity Woods called, Top Ten Tips for Topping the Romance Charts.  If you’re a romance writer, or want to write romance, this short ebook will help you understand how to write romance to attract your readers and then how to develop your brand 🙂

Listen to the Video Interview

Colleen M. Story is an imaginative fiction writer and full-time freelance writer living in the great Northwest. She is on a mission to inspire people from all walks of life to overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment.

With over 20 years as a professional in the creative industry, Colleen has authored thousands of articles for publications like “Healthline” and “Women’s Health;” worked with high-profile clients like Gerber Baby Products and Kellogg’s; and ghostwritten books on back pain, nutrition, and cancer recovery. Her literary novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, an Idaho Author Awards first place winner, and New Apple Solo Medalist winner, among others. You can find her inspiring and motivational blogposts over at writingandwellness.com.

In this interview, Colleen shares how many times as writers, our minds mess with us and cause us to delay, procrastinate and hinder our creative time to stop us from reaching the goals we’ve set for ourselves.

If you’ve struggled with procrastination or delayed finishing your book, listen to Colleen’s tips on how you can get around productivity saboteurs like perfectionism; workaholism and self-doubt.

Waiting creates fear. Action builds confidence. @colleen_m_story Share on X

Interview Highlights:

*Tips on how to learn to listen to and serve your readers.

*An overview of  7 writing saboteurs that apply to writers and creatives: writer’s guilt; dis-ease(too tired); self-doubt; perfectionism; workaholism; destructive goal setting; belief.

*Thoughts on how self-doubt tag-teams with perfectionism to cause you to delay and procrastinate on your writing goals.

3 Biggest Writing Productivity Saboteurs:

1.Questions to ask yourself to discover if you’re being sabotaged by perfectionism: are you hard on yourself when things go wrong; do you spend more time when you work on a task because you want it to be done just right? 

Problem: scientists have found that perfectionists are less productive and that because they fear failure, they procrastinate.

Solution: Set priorities in your life. I’ll do my most important task first before I do anything else. Then I’ll minimize my time on social media and email. It also helps to focus on productivity, and lower my expectations which helps you relax.

2.Questions to ask yourself to find out if you’re being sabotaged by workaholism: do you feel guilty when you are relaxing or taking a few days off? Think about how you were raised – were you raised in a family where hard work was valued over everything else? Hard work is a good thing to learn, but does that become the priority over everything… even writing? 

Problem: If you have workaholism you end up with “get-done-itis” – which means that you might sacrifice your well being to get things done. Scientists have found the when people who are older than 35 years working more than 25 hours a week could cause a negative impact on mental functioning.

Solution: ask yourself what am I really getting for working so many hours? Ask what are you getting in return for this hard work and is it worth not being able to invest in your writing. Ask yourself where do you want to be in 5 or 10 years?  Keep a journal to track your time for 30 days and see what you can get rid of to make more time for writing. Take a one or two day retreat to reflect and think about your life and what needs to shift.

3.Questions to ask yourself to uncover if you’re being sabotaged by self-doubt: when you get a rejection or someone doesn’t like your work, do you feel like a total failure and/or feel like you should just quit writing? Do you often sacrifice your creative time for others who ask you to do things for them? Do you secretly you’re not as good or talented as others think you are? Do you still worry that others will discover the “truth” that you really aren’t talented?  Side note: pretty much all writers deal with at least one of these challenges.

Problem: If you’re making excuses not to write, that this can be in the unconscious mind and you might not realize this is happening. Example: if you’re putting other people’s goals before your own, then your writing hardly ever gets done.(Lorna: I struggle with this one big time… in the process of changing that now).  Self-doubt keeps you held down from believing you can make money with your writing or why you don’t have time to do this.

Solution: Recognize the trigger. If you’re getting any of the above thoughts, you have to realize what triggers those thoughts to come on. Example: maybe you’re struggling with a spot in your novel. Instead of seeing it as a typical problem spot that all novelists go through, maybe that thought of: man this novel isn’t coming together like it’s supposed to maybe there is something wrong with it. Recognize that trigger… that you have a habitual response. Self-doubt is a HABIT. All you have to do is Break that habit. Break the habit by taking an immediate action of some kind. The second you take action, it will help you build your confidence.

Overall takeaway to get around these writing saboteurs…

We have to get to know ourselves better as creatives. It’s important to take writing seriously so we can reach our goals.

Ask yourself, what is it about my habits or the way I’m approaching writing that’s holding me back?

Many times the problem is that we are often looking outside of ourselves, which is something we can’t change. All we can do is change what we are doing. Ask yourself: what habits do I have or what beliefs do I have that are holding me back? How can I adjust this?

To change your approach to writing so that you become more productive…

1.Believe in yourself more.

2.Be willing to invest in yourself.

3.Be willing to change some of your everyday working habits to fit that writing in. To make sure that the writing will happen everyday no matter what.

 

“If you honour that voice inside of you that says it’s time to write, you grow more as a writer and as a person.” Colleen M. Story

 

To find out more of what Colleen is up to, check out her website or connect with Colleen on Twitter or LinkedIn.

064 How to Shift From Hobby Writer to Pro Writer with Honoree Corder

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In today’s interview, bestselling nonfiction author and coach Honoree Corder, shares key mindset shifts to help writers shift from hobby writer to Pro Writer.

Honoree gives practical tips and strategies to help first-time writers to write and successful self-publishing books and to become prosperous writers. You can connect with Honoree on Facebook or Twitter.

In the intro, I share about the new shift that I’ve decided to make in my author business. I’ve really needed to create space for writing and so sometimes that means sacrificing doing those things that we love. For me, that means I’ll be putting the podcast on pause for at least a few months and maybe longer. I love talking with all these amazing authors and I’ve learned so much, but I feel like it’s time for me to write all those stories I’ve been dreaming of writing. So if there is something you are super passionate about, that you haven’t committed time for, I encourage you to take a deeper look at your life and write down your big dreams and goals and then begin to make a plan to begin 🙂

Two super useful series of nonfiction books for writers mentioned in the intro:

1. A set of three nonfiction books just released, written by Honoree Corder and Ben Hale called: Write Like a Boss; Publish Like a Boss; and Market Like a Boss. All three books are amazing to help  writers make the shift from Hobby Writer to Pro Writer.

2.I’ve also been re-reading James Scott Bell’s series called Short Subjects with Big Impact: How to Manage the Time of Your Life gives you 21 power tools for mastering your time and tips on removing obstacles that get in the way of writing. How to Achieve Your Goals and Dreams, inspires and gives simple steps to solve problems that hold many writers back from achieving their writing dreams. How to Write Comedy, is based on notes that James Scott Bell took from a course he took from Danny Simon(Neil Simon’s older brother).

Watch the Video Interview

Honoree Corder is the author of dozens of books including many books for writers like: You Must Write A Book, The Prosperous Writer Book Series, and the newest three book series she has co-authored with prolific fiction author Ben Hale which includes Write Like A Boss; Publish Like A Boss; and Market Like A Boss.

In this interview, Honoree shares mindset tips and practical strategies that she encourages writers to take to shift themselves from Hobby Writer to Pro Writer.

Difference between Hobby Writer and Pro Writer: Hobby Writing is something fun that you do and costs you extra money, and Professional Writer makes money with their writing is something you do daily.

Grow yourself first, to grow your author business. @Honoree Share on X

Interview Highlights:

*On the difference between being a Hobby Writer and a Pro Writer. Hint: a hobby costs you money and is sporadic and a business earns you money and is unconditional and daily.

*Steps writers can take to begin to think strategically about their author business. 

*On finding writing role models which inspire you to say: Here’s where I’d like to be at some point…  

*Tips on choosing to make that shift to where you see yourself in the future.

*Learn how writers can develop that habit and motivation to reach your goals.

*Thoughts on using Gamification strategies to reach your goals. Example: write X’s on the calendar for everyday that you write and don’t quit until you have a streak of 3 days.

*On how the brain works(science of neuroplasticity) so that if you say something over and over again, one of two things will happen: 1)you’ll either start doing it 2)or you’ll stop saying it.

*Two Key Mindset shifts writers need to make become more prosperous. Begin saying: 1)I believe I can make money as a writer and become a full-time writer. 2)I believe I can learn what I need to learn as a author entrepreneur.

*The four steps a writer’s business plan should consist of are: 1)A Vision Statement; 2)A Purpose Statement; 3)Specific Measurable Goals; 4)Identifiable Action Steps.

*On choosing to commit to writing each day and becoming addicted to that feeling of success.

*The importance of finding an accountability partner who won’t let you off the hook and will encourage you to reach the goals you set for yourself.

 

To find out about new book releases or about coaching for writers, you can reach out to Honoree at www.honoreecorder.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

063 Successful Writing and Self-Publishing Tips with Phillip Strang

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In today’s interview, British Crime detective and thriller author Phillip Strang, shares his writing journey.  He shares his inspiration for writing. After years of travelling to different countries and meeting unusual people, his wife and daughter encouraged him to write down places he’d been and people he’d met. That’s how he got started writing and self-publishing his novels and he has 15 novels as of this interview. You can connect with Phillip on Facebook or Twitter.

In the intro, I share a couple of books I’ve been reading lately that have helped in my own writing journey. Maybe one of these books will help you too:

1) Overwhelmed Writer Rescue: Boost Productivity, Improve Time Management, and Replenish the Creator Within, by Colleen M. Story. This book has really helped me get unstuck and through the exercises I’ve been learning how to train my brain to focus faster. If you struggle with procrastination or lack of focus, I encourage you to read this book.

2) Dream Job Redefined: The New Rules for Creating A Career That Matters and Doing Work You Love by Mitch Matthews. Reading this book helped me gain clarity on my dreams and goals and in many ways reinforced my love of writing stories I love. If you need clarity on your dreams and goals, I encourage you to read this book 🙂

Watch the Video Interview

 Phillip Strang, was born in the late forties, the post-war baby boom in England; his childhood years were spent in a comfortable middle-class upbringing in a small town, two hours drive west of London.

In his early twenties, with a degree in electronics engineering in hand, he left the cold and damp climes of England for Sydney, Australia. Now forty years later he still lives in Australia… and has spent time in many other countries as well.

You must write. You must write everyday. @phillipstrang Share on X

Interview Highlights:

*On beginning your writing journey, and how to keep going even when the learning curve is difficult.

*How to stay inspired and to keep working hard at writing even though it might take a few years to really develop your writing voice.

*Ideas on finding inspiration for your characters and settings from real people you’ve met and places you’ve visited.

*Thoughts on choosing to write what you feel comfortable with.

*Tips on how to write bullet points of your main scene ideas before you begin writing each day.

*On choosing to put the dedication in to write each day.

*Tips on how first-time writers can get past self doubt and fear of failure to just start writing.

*How to write in different series, to keep track of characters and how what you are writing in one series can spark ideas for your other series.

 

To find new book releases, connect with Phillip at www.phillipstrang.com or you can find him on Facebook or Twitter.

3 Truths About the Mindset of a Successful Authorpreneur

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One of the most important keys to success in any Authorpreneur’s journey is mindset.

When I started blogging and writing books back in 2012, I didn’t realize any of this. It didn’t cross my mind that there was a shift in mindset that I needed to embrace to accelerate my growth as a successful Authorpreneur.

Today, I share the three most important lessons I’ve uncovered about writing, growing as a author entrepreneur and developing your indie author business.

More on those lessons learned below…

Lessons Learned Along the Way…

It’s hard to believe I’ve been at this blogging and writing thing for a little over six years now. It’s been somewhat of a roller coaster ride of learning – with many mistakes, failures and a few wins thrown into the mix.

When I started out, it all I thought was that I needed to “do the action steps” and by doing that, success would come.

Umm… not exactly true.

What I’ve learned is that becoming a successful Authorpreneur, is about much more than ‘doing stuff.’  In fact, what I’ve learned is that it’s really difficult to keep ‘doing stuff’ (writing, blogging, podcasting and whatever else you’re doing), unless you’ve embraced a mindset that is flexible, resilient and committed to a continual learning process.

From what I’ve learned through many years of challenges and changes as a writer, blogger and podcaster, is that an author’s mindset is probably the most important key to your success as an author.

In fact, you can have a great book, blog, all the right marketing strategies, but if you don’t have the right mindset, none of the other stuff matters.

In this blogpost, I want to share with you three of the biggest things I’ve learned (and still learning) over the past six years about mindset and being an author entrepreneur.

1. You Were Meant to Do This.

I truly believe if you’re reading this right now, it means that you were meant to do this entrepreneurial journey of an author.

There’s a reason you naturally gravitate to reading posts like this one. It’s because you are in constant learning mode, to build your author business and to grow so you can step into a bigger sphere of success.

The reason you’re working so hard writing books, perhaps blogging and podcast or perhaps doing other side hustle things, is because you have a deep passion and drive to build your author business. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be reading this.

There’s many reasons why you have that inner drive to build a thriving author business. Maybe you’re unhappy with your day job, maybe you want to earn more money on the side or maybe you want to leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren. Whatever your reason, the bottom line is you know you want more and have decided to grow your author business…. and that’s exciting 🙂

Many times as author entrepreneurs we doubt ourselves. We say things like: well, not many people have bought or read my books, maybe I should quit trying. Or we might believe: I’m just not cut out for this, I’ve never written anything in my life. But, what happens when you accept that mindset? It stops you from being fully committed to your author business.

Being fully committed to learning and growing as a writer and as a author entrepreneur is what it takes to be successful. 

You need to go all in.

Here’s a Big Key: whenever you doubt or question whether you should be doing this, always remember why you started this journey in the first place. Ask yourself, what is it about writing my books and growing my author business that excites me? What are the opportunities and dreams that you see ahead on  your path?

Remember: you were meant to do this.

2.Accept Failure as Part of the Process of Learning.

It’s much too common nowadays where we feel the expectation from others, for us to be perfect.

Many times even during grade school all the way through high school, we are taught to do everything correctly – from our marks in school to how we express ourselves. However, this continual pressure to ‘not make mistakes’ and to ‘do things perfectly’ puts stress on us and makes us afraid to fail.

I definitely experienced this pressure when I started writing in elementary school. I loved stories and attempting to write down my stories in grade school, but when I was ten, my teacher told me that my writing was like chicken scratchings. That one comment stopped me in my tracks, so much so, that I didn’t write down my stories again for over twenty years.

The sad truth is that this huge focus on not making any mistakes is all too common. We are expected to be as close to perfect as possible. Our society or culture around us many times is too focussed on the right answer. We’re too focussed on the what and not the how – the process of learning. I believe that often good enough, truly is good enough.

When you are in the process of becoming an entrepreneur, this inner need to be perfect, comes into conflict with what it really takes to be successful. Because if you’re scared of failure or making mistakes, you’re not going to get much done. The never-ending pursuit of perfection is going to delay you and cause you to procrastinate on doing what you really need to do to actually run and grow your business.

Sometimes we’re afraid of failing as we begin, because we believe those mistakes will ruin us. Just like in school, we’re afraid of getting a huge “F” on our score card at the end of the day. So we work harder, to try to avoid failure as much as possible. But when you are an entrepreneur — someone who creates value from nothing — failure is good because it’s in this process that we begin to learn.

So I encourage you to remember: even some of the most successful authors didn’t get to where they’re at overnight. They faced a ton of rejection, made a bunch of mistakes and persevered to make it as an author entrepreneur.

Here’s the thing: if you let failures stop you in your tracks, there will be many people who will miss out on the unique help and inspiration you bring.

I urge you to not let fear of failure stop you from letting others experience the uniqueness of you:)

3.It’s Never Too Late for You to Begin.

If you have just started on the path toward your writing dreams – and you are not as young as you once were – it can feel as if you’re too late to the game.

Maybe you look at writing, self-publishing and marketing your books and it all feels overwhelming. Or maybe you tell yourself “I wished I started earlier…”

If you’ve been feeling like it’s too late for you… I want to encourage you today:

1.You are not too late to write your book and grow your author business. This is the best time in history of writing and publishing, to write and share your books with the world. It’s easier than ever before, with the ability to self-publish our books, it’s faster than ever before(it only takes 24 hours and your book is on Amazon, Kobo, etc) and it’s more profitable than ever before, especially when you self-publish and you get to keep 70% of the royalties(when you price your book between $2.99 – $9.99).

2.When you decide to begin with focussing on learning one new thing at a time, it doesn’t become overwhelming.  As you begin to write and grow your author business, I want to encourage you to only learn those new things you need to know at the time. For example, if you’re just starting out writing your first book, then focus on writing. If you wanted to you could set up a free website(wordpress.com) where you could have your author profile. Maybe connect one or two social media profiles there, but that’s it. Then when you finish your book, learn the next step on how to self-publish your book(here’s a FREE eBook to show you how to self-publish your book). After you’ve uploaded your book(after it’s edited and you have a great book cover), then you could begin to learn how to market your book. That way, your learning curve is step-by-step and not so overwhelming 🙂

So I really want to encourage you that’s it really is not too late for you to begin to grow your author business.

You can get started now, to write and self-publish stories that you love that will create income for you and also that will leave a legacy for your family and friends. What an awesome gift that keeps on giving!

I hope you get started writing that book today.

 

Do you have fears or doubts that hold you back from growing your author business?  Please do share in the comments below… we can learn from each other 🙂

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