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Take yourself and your writing to the next level.
Role models have a unique ability to guide and inspire us.
As authors, it’s one thing to theoretically understand what we need to do. It’s another entirely to see a writer we admire shining brightly, lighting the path for us to walk.
Special Note: This is a guest post by Chandler Bolt, he is the host of the Self Publishing School podcast & the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.” He’s also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School, the #1 online resource for writing your first book.
If you’re feeling fearful, or doubtful, or like you’re not enough, you’re far from alone.
Any writer woe you’re facing has been overcome before.
When you find someone who has overcome similar challenges to those you face, you give yourself the belief that you can do the same.
Here are some examples to help you move forward.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Have you ever doubted your academic ability? Does some part of you fear that your educational history disqualifies you from writing?
Considering the prominence F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work would go on to have in the classroom, his background is a little ironic.
Fitzgerald was a notoriously poor speller, and with hindsight, many believe he had A.D.D. Traditional academic success was not something Fitzgerald was able to attain.
In spite of that background, he became one of the most studied and loved authors in American history.
How can we draw inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald when facing our own fears as writers?
- Love is more important than technical ability. For many of us, having our writing criticized, and being expelled academically, might cause us to give up. Not Fitzgerald. He persisted regardless, spending his time and energy on crafting the stories he loved. The difference? These days, we’re blessed with a lot of tools to help us overcome our technical limitations.
- Our background doesn’t define us. Often, we’re under intense pressure from a young age to have a predefined life path in mind and an academic background that seems ideally suited to it. If there’s something in your academic past that makes people scoff at your odds of becoming a writer, don’t let it stop you.
The next time you find yourself letting a typo or spelling error knock your confidence, stop.
Remember Fitzgerald.
Our academic ability and technical skill don’t determine if we succeed as book writers.
Only we do.
Paulo Coelho
As writers, we know how it feels to be doubted. To be treated with a little scorn if we open up about our ideal future or express our creative side a little too strongly.
Paulo Coelho experienced things more severely – he was committed to an insane asylum multiple times by his own family.
After attending law school, and ignoring writing for years, Coelho returned to his calling at the age of 39.
Tens of millions of copies sold later, and countless lives touched, we can conclude that things worked out for Paulo Coelho.
But how can we apply ideas from his journey to our own writing goals?
- We can let down our loved ones. While some of us are fortunate enough to have parents that want us to chase our dreams, many do not. While Coelho’s story is an extreme case, it’s possible that even the most painful disapproval can result in superb success.
- We can switch paths throughout our life. One trap a lot of writers fall into is feeling like it’s ‘too late to start’. Just peruse some writing quotes from famous authors and you’ll quickly discover that it’s never too late. Coelho’s commitment to eventually following his heart’s desire shows us we can become successful writers even after a long period of doing something else.
One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit we’re on a different road to success than people we love and respect wish for us. Or to drop a prestigious and seemingly stable career such as law to pursue something creative.
If you ever happen to find yourself in either of those scenarios, recall Paulo Coelho. Both his fiction and life story can provide you with the courage to carry on.
Agatha Christie
Did you know Agatha Christie didn’t always seem destined for writing stardom?
Christie was known for struggling with spelling and writing in general. Even among her family group, she was not believed to be particularly intellectual.
The fact that Christie went on to sell over 2 billion copies is remarkable.
So what lessons can we take from Christie’s background and apply to our own writing lives?
- We blossom at different times. Sometimes, we can sadly let our perceived role within the family group determine the path we later take. Christie didn’t. If being seen as less able among her own family didn’t hold her back, please don’t let it hold you back either. You can achieve your potential later in life, regardless of how your childhood seemed to set you up.
- We use the tools we have. Christie achieved a lot of her best work by dictating it. Think about the advances in technology we have enjoyed since Christie’s era. If you are struggling to get your words down, try recording them. Hearing our writing out loud also improves it on the page.
Try and use Christie’s story as proof that our perceived identity within our family growing up doesn’t define who we later turn out to be. Also, using technological tools doesn’t make us any less of a writer.
We all need to do the best we can with what we have, just like Christie did.
Which Author Has Inspired You The Most?
So which author has inspired you the most throughout your writing life?
Are there any other authors you like to lean upon mentally when times get tough?
Please feel free to share some examples and takeaways from your personal favorites in the comments.
In today’s world, you’ve got countless opportunities to express yourself in writing.
It’s fun when you’re in your safe space. The words flow. Your heart is at play. You’re free to be you – no restrictions, no outside expectations, and no worries. Yeah, right…
Special Note: This post is by Positive Writer regular contributor, Frank McKinley.
Then you get to the end.
The publish button stares at you. Should you press it? Or should you edit the piece a bit more?
The longer you hesitate, the harder it is.
In those moments of hesitation, your fears amplify and could cause you to quit.
The following are some of the worst ways you can imagine.
Writer’s Worry 101
Your mind races as you consider everything that could happen.
- Someone will laugh at your work – in public – and tell all their Facebook friends.
- The day after you publish you’ll think of something you could have included in the post.
- You might make a point you deeply believe in and one of your readers will mercilessly criticize you for it.
- Your post gets lost in a universe of countless whispers – and no one reads it, comments on it, or cares about it.
There’s no guarantee that any of this will happen, of course. It’s the possibility that scares us.
It’s enough to make your heart race, your palms sweat, and your creativity run into hiding.
So to protect ourselves from that pain, we hold back. We soften our message. Maybe we even post less frequently, or not at all.
If you’ve read this far, and felt any of these feelings, you’ve come to the right place.
You may not be able to make these fears go away. But you can manage them. You can move past them. And you can use the weight of your gifts to lean in and write something awesome.
And you’ll be able to press publish with no regrets.
Accept the fact that fear will never completely go away.
That’s good.
If you’re stretching yourself, you’ll second guess yourself. You’ll wonder if you should have said it the way you did. And you’ll feel a bit unqualified to even address the topic at this level.
It’s okay. Don’t quit. No, you don’t want to do that.
Nobody knows everything. Not Even the experts. They just know enough to appear smart. Watch them enough, and you’ll see someone throw them a curveball. Chances are, they’ve learned more about handling the unexpected than they do about their topic.
When you’re growing, you’ll always feel a bit unprepared and short of knowledge. You’re learning. Don’t let it scare you. Share your wisdom anyway. Someone will appreciate it. You just have to find the people you can serve best, and do your work for them.
Reframe your fear as enthusiasm. This is an adventure. You’re going somewhere you’ve never been before. Maybe no one has. Go. Do it. Make your mark.
If you’re persistent, fear will step aside and let you shine.
Take risks with your writing – regularly.
If you keep a journal, you’ve done this already.
Now it’s time to take that great idea and go public.
In today’s world, you can get almost instant feedback. Use it to move forward, refine your writing, and learn to deal with critics.
You can’t learn all this just by reading about it.
You learn to swim by getting in the water. You improve your speaking skills by giving speeches. You find out what your readers want by sharing your writing with them.
If a post bombs, you can write another one. Keep writing and next week no one will remember what you wrote this week. You’re only finished if you give up, so do yourself a favor. Keep writing. Hit publish. And don’t be afraid to look foolish while you’re building your career.
The key is to take a new risk every week. If you can stand it, take a risk every day. Don’t let disappointment derail you. Learn from it. Move on. Create something new.
Your risk tolerance will grow stronger with every step you take outside your comfort zone.
Prepare as well as you can.
Is there anything you need to know?
Look it up.
Are your writing skills not as good as they could be? Take some lessons.
Having a hard time coming up with ideas? Brainstorm a list.
If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll love this tip. But don’t build a nest here. Kick your children out so they can fly. In other words, set a time limit to get ready, then go.
Publishing is the goal of preparation.
Don’t stop short of the finish line.
Be a brainstormer.
Want to pull out your inner genius?
Pick your own brain. Dump your thoughts on paper.
Here are a few ways I generate and refine my own ideas.
Mind maps. This tool reflects the way your brain works. You start with a word (or picture) in the center. Then you branch to other words as they come to mind. It’s best to keep each word in its own bubble. That way you can make connections to anything that makes sense to you.
Here’s what one looks like.
Free writing. Set a timer. Use a prompt. Write until time runs out. You’ll have a draft, and maybe even uncover some new insights.
If it’s not all you wanted, just do it again.
This is also a great way to make your writing more conversational. Imagine yourself telling your thoughts to someone else. Then read it aloud. If it sounds like coffee with a friend, your readers will have more fun reading it.
Journal. My journal is a stream of consciousness. It’s a chance to explore my thoughts and feelings. And often, it’s a test drive before I share my ideas with the world.
It’s also a way to keep your writing muscles strong.
Take an observation walk. We’re so busy we don’t have time alone with our thoughts. Leave your phone at home. Walk alone. Take whatever your mind throws at you and explore the possibilities. Or maybe you pick something to look for on your walk. Things of a certain color. Rough things. Smooth things. People that catch your eye. The news you just heard.
When you’re uninterrupted, you can go places your busy life will never take you.
Set your own deadlines. Remember Parkinson’s Law? Any activity will fill the time you give it. If you want to be productive, set a deadline.
And keep it short.
If you’re doing something huge like writing a book, set a deadline for every single piece.
Writing? Figure out how long it takes to write the required number of words and add 10%.
Set a time limit on your editing, too. You don’t want to polish all the life out of your post, your book, or your poem.
Set (and meet) deadlines regularly and you’ll become the prolific writer you always dreamed you’d be.
The time to overcome your fears is now.
I know all these techniques work because I use them.
Last week, I sat in on a client meeting. The presenter asked the audience a thought-provoking question. I took the question, mind mapped the answer and wrote a short inspirational post. My total time investment? Less than one hour.
That’s the measurable time.
The intangible effort was the connections I made to things I already thought about before I heard the question.
Writing ideas are available. Now you have the tools to grab them.
When you do, fear may rear its ugly head, but it won’t be a factor working against you and you won’t quit! No, you won’t do that.
Serious Writers Never Quit: They Find The Way
There’s a fear that is devastating. When it hits we either succumb to it (as most do) or we realize the truth and use it to our advantage. Indeed, the fear is real and it can kill your next project almost instantly. In fact, when you think about it, you will realize it’s already caused you to quit several times, even before you started.
It’s the fear of, “This might not work.”
It’s not an illusion. It’s not a shadow. It’s not a figment of your imagination. It’s the most valid fear we have.
That pile of clothes in your corner chair which looks like the boogeyman at 3am is still just a pile of clothes, but the fear of your next endeavor not working is real and the fact that it might not work means exactly that:
It. Might. Not. Work.
What if I write this book and no one cares?
What if the one person who reads it laughs at me and calls me a phony?
What if there’s a typo in it and I lose all credibility?
It is the ultimate fear for any artist because it can cause you to quit before you start and effectively keep your talents sheathed and hidden from the world, especially now when we need them so desperately in these strange times.
What if no one comes to the concert?
What if no one comes to our opening night at the gallery?
What if no one purchases a copy of my latest book (ever)?
What if this embarrasses me?
Frankly, my friend, it might not work. There’s no magic formula, no special pill, and no guarantees of any kind anyone can give you that what you’re doing will work.
And that’s okay. That’s the edge. That’s where the real art is created, in the nether between not creating and no one caring and creating, and still, no one caring.
This is an opportunity. It provides clarity. Your art is first and foremost for you.
Art is, as it should be, personal.
Since it might not work you might as well create the art you were called to create. If the masses love it, great. But the goal, and the only goal, should be to create work that matters to you. Make it personal.
Art should never be about the bottom line. It should never be about pleasing the mainstream viewers, listeners, and purchasers. Not if it’s really and truly, art. This isn’t to say it won’t do those things, but should it be intended to? That’s the question, and if we answer yes, the stakes go up and the odds increase that it won’t work.
Art has always been about creating on the edges, out on the fringes, creating something that matters to the artist first.
Art has always been about creating on the edges, out on the fringes, creating something that matters to the artist first. Click To TweetIt doesn’t have to work.
If working means pleasing everyone, hitting the NYT’s bestseller list or making the top 100 billboard charts.
The fear that it won’t work is a good fear to have because that means you are creating art you care about and not some replica you hope to pawn.
Choose to be yourself.
If no one else gets it that’s their loss. Do it anyway. By its very definition art is something new and unique, something others might love, hate or ignore.
Art doesn’t give us guarantees, nor do we deserve them. Art needs you to fear the fear of failure, it needs you to take risks, it needs you to do it from your heart, and in the end, art in of itself matters because it simply is.
The only way to reach new heights is to risk slipping off the edge and falling. The fear of failure is real. Use it to your advantage, because it’s letting you know that you have nothing to lose.
Fear is the most powerful stimulant when used to create, it can direct you to find purpose and help you focus like a laser, or it can cause you to give up. The choice is yours. It’s always yours. That’s the edge, and the edge is serious.
Get serious.
Once we do this, we unsheathe our talents and create the art we are called to create.
It’s your turn.
Lead us. Show us the way.
Whether your art delights or is snubbed, it’s the creating that matters. That is what is being lost in today’s world of smile-every-minute-social-media posts. Don’t let imperfection and lack of guarantees cause you to quit.
If you fail, there will be those who will snicker and laugh, but you and I, and many other warriors of the pen, we will know the truth, that you unsheathed your creative talents and danced with fear in the pale moonlight.
And you know what? Tomorrow’s efforts will benefit as you write more and more, practicing your art. So, please, whatever you do, don’t quit.
“‘This might not work’ is either a curse, something that you labor under, or it’s a blessing, a chance to fly and do work you never thought possible.” ―Seth Godin
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This Is Marketing by Seth Godin (Frankfurt AM, Germany, in the background)
I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s work for nearly two decades and I admit that when I lose sight of what to write about (or how to write―because that happens too), I visit Seth’s blog and after reading only a few posts, the desire to write something that matters overcomes me and I get back to it.
It seems to me that Seth’s #1 mission is to give us food for thought, and not just for writing and marketing, but even for our bellies. I purchased my first book on baking bread thanks to his recommendation just yesterday via a very touching post.
How To Create Art: The Step-By-Step Instructions
Over the years I’ve noticed Seth’s readers are constantly asking him for step-by-step instructions on how to create art and many complain that he won’t give them said instructions. He always answers pretty much the same way, that such instructions would negate what art really is, which is, art.
However, I think Seth did something rather sneaky in his latest book, This Is Marketing.
I’ve been reading This Is Marketing over the last few days and feel Seth has done the one thing he said he wouldn’t do, he’s given us the instructions, step-by-step, on not only how to market our art, but also how to create it!
I’m not 100% sure he realizes he did this or maybe he is abundantly certain and will never admit it. Either way, this is by far the best book I have read this year, and is the best book I’ve read from Seth so far, even though I’ve read and listened to Linchpin many times.
On page 11 of This Is Marketing Seth writes:
You can learn to see how human beings dream, decide, and act. And if you help them become better versions of themselves, the ones they seek to be, you’re a marketer.
He could have easily replaced a marketer with an artist.
Then he follows on the same page with Marketing in Five Steps.
In. Five. Steps.
I’m not going to give them away here, you need to read them in the book along with the rest it, trust me.
This Is Marketing is in effect what readers have been asking for and Seth delivers in spades. Whether he intended to or not, he provided instructions on how to create art and he did it by teaching us what marketing is and how to market our own work.
In order to market your art, you must understand how you created said art and why you created it.
The good marketer understands the how and the why, and Seth teaches us why the marketer understands and how he or she uses this information to serve our fans. It’s within these lessons where the heart of the book is.
This Is Marketing is likely the closest you’re going to get to a step-by-step instruction book from Seth, even if it’s cleverly disguised. You just have to read between the lines a little, but it’s there. I promise.
You can get your copy of This is Marketing here on Amazon.
I hope you read it and let me know what you think.