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Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Hijack Your Book Research

This is part of the Claim Your AUTHORity series.
You’re jamming away at your novel. You’re composing merrily when you realize you don’t know what the cars look like in Paris, 1937, the era you’re writing about.

You dip into Google, searching for images that will help you accurately describe those cars. Before you know it, you’ve spent 40 minutes leaping from link to link, gathering more support for what you’re writing.

Finding information for your book online, or re-surfing, is fun. You can claim, guilt-free, that you’re working on your book. But a glance at the clock shows it’s time to pick up the kids. You shutter your session and enter the slipstream of your busy day.

Your one-hour writing session involved exactly 20 minutes of writing and 40 minutes of re-surfing, yielding a couple scribbled pages and a lot of information, much of it not applicable to your book.
Sound familiar?

Three ways your inner critic can hijack your research

I know this scenario well; having written a historical novel, I have spent countless hours researching my era and time period. But early on I experienced these three pitfalls while researching for a book:

  1. It is much easier to surf an endless research loop than to do the difficult work of writing. Your inner critic will love that you’re spending so much time looking at other people’s work.
  2. Your inner critic is committed to making sure you don’t look like a fool. He can turn your commitment to accuracy into a practice of endless research that can prohibit you from ever getting your book done.
  3. If you’re writing a non-fiction book based on your professional or personal expertise, your dedication to thoroughness can fuel deadly comparisons that wither your authorial confidence.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Keep your re-surfing in check

Try these simple but effective practices that my clients and I use to keep research from becoming the purview of the critic.

  1. Demarcate writing time and research time. If you have only 2 hours a week to work on your book, give 1.5 hours to writing and .5 to research.
  2. While writing, keep a separate log of items that need to be researched. When an issue comes up – what kind of fabric were skirts made of in 1937? – jot that down on your research list. I kept a notebook for notes for my novel and always had a page going entitled ‘To research’.
  3. Set aside a specific amount of time each week for this work. Be realistic; one or two hours is usually enough. Give yourself parameters. I usually did research at the end of the week in the afternoon, when my focus for writing waned.
  4. If you’re writing a non-fiction book based on your expertise, consider drafting your material before looking to see what else has been done. Get a sense of how much you need to know about what’s ‘out there’ before you feel confident claiming your AUTHORity.
  5. Keep a list of sources – web sites, magazines, people – whom you will turn to for research. Be open to the fun serendipity that will lead you beyond what you know and into territory that will enhance your book.
  6. Notice when the impulse to research arises. Often it surfaces just as you sit down to write. But notice, too, how your focus and energy and perhaps even your confidence can diminish the more time you spend in research mode.

What helps you keep your critic from hijacking your research process?

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Write Your Book Even When You Feel Clueless

This post is part of the Claim Your AUTHORity series. 
The idea for your book seemed so clear. You grabbed the inspiration, made a rough outline, and dove into scribbling your ideas down.
Soon enough, your enthusiasm has burbled over into chaos. You lost the thread of logic and your writing just feels like a handful of messy incoherence.

Signs of book cluelessness

You may experience any or all of the following signs of being clueless while writing your book:

write a book overcome fears
Content out of control!

  1. You frequently doubt you have any clue about what you are saying.
  2. You’re a blank slate when it comes to knowing how to structure your material.
  3. You wonder if your concepts make sense to anyone but you and your cats.
  4. You fret that you are completely unoriginal and your book has already been done. Better than you can do it.
  5. You cringe at the thought of others’ judgment of your book.
  6. You are certain your book will prove you to be a total nincompoop.
  7. You dread the daunting publishing ‘adventure’.
  8. You’re pretty sure you don’t have any authority whatsoever.

Right, then.
Much better to go back to the laundry and the very demanding business of our lives. Isn’t it much easier to avoid all this cluelessness?
Frankly this is a choice authors make again and again along the path of writing a book: stay safe or risk the unknown repercussions of sticking your neck and ideas out there.

On the other side of cluelessness

I’ve written two books and five e-books. I’ve helped hundreds of writers find their footing on their writing paths.
Based on that experience, I believe it is worth it. I believe that if we have the impulse to write or create something, it’s our duty to follow that impulse.
For all the terrifying uncertainty inherent in the creative process, here’s what makes the it all worth it:

  1.  You will feel wildly exuberant when you write your resonance.
  2.  You will resonate with your truth for hours after writing it.
  3.  You will feel more connected to your vitality and to your unique essence after writing.
  4.  This vitality will ripple out to the rest of your life: your people, your work, strangers, even.
  5.  You will respect yourself more after writing.
  6.  All this adds up to your AUTHORity. Doesn’t it feel good?!

But don’t take my word for it. Stick it out at the page or keyboard and feel the results yourself. Pay attention to what you gain from the act of putting your AUTHORity to the test.
When these and other fears rise up to convince you that you do not have any authority to put your words on paper, know that wrangling them is one of the most fun, sweatiest and rewarding parts of claiming your authority.
What’s to love about the cluelessness inherent in the creative process? What has helped you cruise right past all those fears that convince you it’s better to stay away from your book? Share in a comment below. 
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Who to Trust When Writing Your Book?

You’re in a writing workshop and your recently-drafted chapter is up for review. Students offer their reactions. Let’s listen in:

“I love this. I love what you’ve done with your character.”

“I didn’t get it. Was she trying to pick that guy up or what?”

“This would make a great short story or a performance piece. It doesn’t have to be a just a chapter in a novel.”

Helpful?
Feedback is vital to the creative process. But inept critique from the wrong sources can squash your confidence or worse – dissuade you from continuing with your book.
Where do you go for constructive criticism? I’ve written elsewhere about how to design the feedback process so it’s useful to you.
Here I illustrate four groups you might consider asking for help writing your novel or non-fiction book.

Peers

These are your fellow writers, the people in your writing classes, or your writing buddies. Even if they’re not writing in the same genre, style or subject matter, these relationships can provide:

  • a sounding board for your process
  • a forum to share resources for developing your craft and publishing your work
  • accountability partners to help you stay on track.

Most importantly, peer relationships help you feel ‘gotten’. Being understood is vital to writers and artists who are creating something from nothing.
My peer relationships helped me and made the writing journey much more pleasant. The friendships I developed at La Muse writing retreat in France and writing buddyships I had in Boulder with Suzanne, Ann and Dorothy were all invaluable to my book.

Mentors and teachers

Writing instructors, mentors or professional editors have most likely written a book themselves. They deeply understand the craft of writing. They will be able to assess your work as a whole and offer critical and constructive insights.
After an initial novel writing workshop in 1999, I relied on professional editors to guide my work. Hiring someone to critique my manuscript was for me like taking a master class in novel writing. I did this at least four times in twelve years.

Audience members

These are people who won’t necessarily offer a critical review of your work. Instead, they’ll respond as someone who would ultimately buy and read your book. This is the person you are writing for.
Once you’ve established your core message and content, it can be helpful to pass it by your ideal reader. Do at least two drafts before showing it to a person in your audience.
Former bookstore owner and avid reader Valarie read drafts of my novel. Her perspective helped me see holes in the narrative and how I could increase the dramatic tension.

Friends and family

Your people love you. But they may not ‘get’ your work. They have a specific perspective of you and perhaps a hidden or obvious agenda. They may not yet resonate with your AUTHORity.
Here’s some of the feedback I’ve gotten from my loved ones:

“Why not just let this go and start another project?”

“The first chapter is a real downer!”

“This was a real slog!”

These comments came from highly intelligent people who love me, believe in me and wish the best for me. They were not trying to hurt me.
But they had no clue about how to give constructive feedback.
The people who matter most to us have the biggest influence on our actions. While drafting your book, I advise not sharing it with friends or family.

So which is right for you?

When you’re just beginning to write a book, you will likely opt for writing classes that teach you how to write. Be sure to learn how to filter out useless or misguided criticism that classmates may offer and focus on the teacher’s input.
As you progress in your book and solidify your message and confidence, work with other professionals and your audience to ensure your book is hitting the mark you intend it to.
What’s been most useful in helping you claim your AUTHORity? Let us know in a comment below to share what’s helped you the most.
To get solid support and make real progress on your book – fiction or non-fiction – join me for the Claim Your AUTHORity retreat this July. I’ve helped hundreds of writers claim their AUTHORity, respecting them, their material and their unique process.
The early registration discount ends this Friday. We’ve got a limited number of spaces available for this profound workshop. Claim your spot with us at the Sylvia Beach hotel on the Oregon coast, and claim your AUTHORity.
Download a .PDF of this article here.

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Target the Heart of Your Book to Write More Easily

This is part of the Claim Your Authority series.
You feel the urge to write a book. You’re haunted by an idea or a cluster of ideas, but have no clue how they will hang together in a meaningful way to form a book.
This is a common problem: most people are trying to write a book from a surface level. As a coach, I’m always helping my clients dig deeper to find the core of their impulses.
Connecting to the heart of your book provides a powerful anchor to make what you’re expressing in your book easier.
Here’s a simple but profound exercise to target the heart of your book so the ‘what’s it about’ question will no longer haunt you.

Values + themes + stories = the heart of your book

Values in the middle, then themes, then surface stories

Okay, let’s look at a strategy to dig deeper to connect with the heart of your book. Remember the last CYA post where I asked you to identify a short list of your values? Get those out.
We’ll use a target to map stories, themes and values. At the core are your values. The next ring represents your themes. The outer and most visible ring stand for the stories you’re telling. Here’s an example of the model.
 
In my novel Chasing Sylvia Beach, here’s the top layer of story:

  • My character, Lily Heller, is bored and aimless
  • Lily wants to be a writer but doesn’t know how to get started
  • She looks to the life of Sylvia Beach as a model for a life of meaning and influence

In the next layer we find the themes:

  • Desire to live an interesting life
  • Desire to express something creatively/be a writer
  • The heroine’s journey – who am I and what am I doing here?

Finally, we see these values I hold:

  • Adventure/stretching/travel/learning
  • Creativity/expression
  • Learning/growth/expansion

As you do this, you should experience some ‘aha’ moments, where you access the deeper levels of your work.
Once you are connected to the core of your book, it’s easier to make the time and space to write it.
Homework:  Try this process to connect with the heart of your book. You can do this on a big piece of paper, dry erase board or use index cards…whatever method you like.

Using index cards in 2006 to map out Chasing Sylvia Beach

I suggest three different colored index cards, one color for themes, another for values and the third color for stories.
Play around with the cards, seeing how they connect to form the heart of your novel or non-fiction book.
Depending on how you think, you may start from the center (values) or the outer ring (stories). Let this exercise flow organically and don’t worry about figuring it out in a linear way. Take your time with this and let the process be yours.
Try any of these three approaches:
1. Start with your values and work your way to your themes, then the stories that represent the values that are deeply meaningful to you.
2. Identify the themes or topics that keep recurring in your writing and match them with values, then find stories that express those values.
3. Look at the stories you tell often. What themes are inherent in them, and what values are you expressing when you relate these stories?
If this seems confusing or daunting, leave a question below and I’ll help sort it out.
This is one of the juicy exercises we’ll do together in the Claim Your Authority retreat on July 10th – 12th, 2012, on the Oregon Coast. Together we’ll work through this to clarify the core of your book to make it easier to write. Reserve your spot before March 30th to get the early registration discount.
How does identifying your values help you write your book? What did you learn from doing this exercise?  Let me know in a comment below.
Download a pdf of this article  to make Claiming Your Authority easier.

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What Happy Writers Do

When we’re satisfied with our writing – writing often, working on challenging pieces, having our work read – we’re happy.
I’m on a mission to help people who want to write feel good about their creative impulses.
I’ve made a video inspired by my own writing happiness. How do you celebrate and express your happy writing habit?

My online class, Make Writing a Happy Habit, starts Monday, March 19th. You may not be rolling around on a ball to express your happiness. Instead, you’ll feel your own irrepressible urge to express your happiness.
Come write with us.
 

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Seven Boons of Writing a Book

This is part of the Claim Your Authority series.
I’m standing in front of a crowd at the Boulder Bookstore. In my hands is my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach. The heady brew of emotions that swirl in me include joy, wonder and a huge whoosh of gratitude.

Speaking at the Boulder Bookstore for Create Your Writer's Life

The combination prompts a sense of overwhelming joy that makes my knees buckle. Flush with gratitude, I share the story I’ve worked on for more than a decade.
Even in my imagination, this emotional cocktail is potent and unexpected. When publishing a book, you’d imagine a lot of happiness and celebration. What’s surprising to me is the profound amazement and wonder that infuses me.
It makes all the work and sacrifice that I invested in this book worthwhile.

What will writing your book bring you?

When I coach people, I help them cast their sights to the other side of the process, to imagine and see what’s possible after the long, quiet hours alone working on the book.
Bringing a work of art into the world will yield a blend of internal and external rewards. There’s what you gain from bringing the work to fruition and what you will glean from how others receive it.
It will be different for everyone, but here are seven possible boons that await you when you claim your authority.
1 Be a finisher. So many of us suffer at the hands of our inner critic who loves to point out how often you abandon things. Here’s your chance to finally prove to yourself that yes, indeed, you can finish something. This engenders huge reservoirs of confidence that can extend to future projects.
2 Know yourself and your material on a new level. You get to experience your work – whether fiction or non-fiction – in form. Having a tangible expression of what’s meaningful to you reflects you back to yourself in ways that empower deeper explorations and satisfaction.
3 Start global conversations. All art and writing that makes its way into the world initiates dialogue with others. How people respond is a fascinating process that allows what that they feel, think and believe to interact with what you’ve shared in your book.
4 Elevate your status. Having a book means you claim a new position both in the eyes of the world and for yourself. Imagine for a moment that you’ve written your book. How do you perceive yourself differently?
5 Earn money. Most of us don’t get into writing because it’s such a lucrative field. But more money can be earned from a book than from a cluster of ideas that merely perambulate in your head.

Seeing your book on the bestseller shelf at the bookstore...

6 Invite unforeseen opportunities. This is the best part. An idea for a book niggles at you. Speaking about it to others will likely bore them. But a completed book generates excitement in your audience and prompts opportunities you can’t even imagine. If I show up to do the work to write, publish and promote you book, something absolutely amazing could happen.
7  Give a gift to your readers. All of this is well and good for you, but what about your readers? We have a variety of motivations for writing, but many of us hope for a powerful impact on our readers. My non-fiction books are designed to both inspire and instigate action. I write them with nothing short of the lofty intention of changing people’s lives. And they do.
I can’t predict exactly what awaits you when you claim your AUTHORity. Everyone’s path is different. But I do know that every book we write works us in some way.
Our job is to heed the call to write our book, to get our words and ideas out of our head and onto paper so others can experience it too.
What do you imagine your AUTHORity will do for you? How do you want being an author to change your life?
 Download a pdf of this post. 

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Seven Time Management Tips to Write Your Book

This is part of the Claim Your Authority series.
I’m having coffee with a friend, chatting. He makes a declaration of desire to write a book, met by my great enthusiasm.
And then the backpedaling ensues. He pulls out everyone’s best fake excuse.
“I don’t have time,” he claims. But a thread of doubt haunts his statement.
I stare at him, unblinking. My look tells him I know he’s full of it. He squirms. Finally I speak.
“Time is all you have.”
He shrugs and resumes the litany of things that occupy his day, desperately shoring up his excuse for why he’s not writing a book.
I listen, hoping that hearing his own excuses will show him that they’re not truth, but choices. Is that you, clinging to this common excuse?

Lack of time is your biggest fake excuse

I have been coaching creatives on time management since 1999. I know how valid this excuse seems. We believe lack of time is the reason we’re not doing our work.

When we pull this out, everyone nods and commiserates because we’re all victims of the ticking clock and our propensity to fill our time with activities.

But I’ve coached everyone from extremely busy executives to retirees to working mothers, and here’s the truth: you can make time for what’s important to you.

Seven strategies to become a superhero at time management

1. Get real. Disengage from the notion that you do not have time to do what matters to you.
Be a hero, not a victim of your creative impulses.
2. Get clear. Return to your original impulse for writing your book. This is your stake, your driving motivation. If you don’t know this in one gut-vibrating sentence, you will easily blow off your writing sessions for laundry, dates with friends, shopping, whatever.
Use this original impulse as fuel to stay committed to being an author.
3. Get brief. We imagine we need long, uninterrupted hours to do our writing. And while that may be nice, chances are that perfect getaway isn’t the answer to our time dilemma.
Brief writing sessions – 15-30 minutes – add up over time.
4. Get it on the calendar. This is so dead simple, but frankly, most solutions are ridiculously simple.
Block out time on your calendar at the beginning of the week and stick to it like glue. 
5. Get focused. When writing a book, some things need to fall away temporarily. To be a creator, you need to reduce your consumption.
No need to become a hermit; just reduce your time-consuming news, tracking social media, watching TV or movies.
6. Get still. As we spend more time bouncing around online, it gets more difficult to quiet ourselves and focus on the deeper work of writing. Extroverts may find it difficult to step away from the roar and clatter of life, but remind yourself that the pause is only temporary.
Distinguish between these two kinds of attention – fragmented and ‘out there’ and focused on your topic. Balance time between the two.
7. Get support. We tend to honor our commitment to others more than our own self-commitments. Honestly, accountability is one of the main reasons people hire a coach to help them write their books. It’s not that I have such brilliant advice – it’s all pretty simple, as you can see.
We value what we pay for, and if we pay someone to help us, we’re going to rise to the occasion to get our money’s worth.

I know these things work because my clients practice them with great success.

I, too, have to deal with making the best choices with my time. It’s not always easy to step away from the bustle to go into the writing cave, but it’s always, always satisfying.

And it’s these strategies that have allowed me to publish a book, five e-books, hundreds of articles and my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach.

I want this authority for you. Try this:

Throughout your day, notice the choices you make about how you spend your time.
Notice when you could choose to draft your book instead.

Notice the thoughts or feelings that arise when you consider writing. That – the fears and insecurities – is what is really in the way, not lack of time.

Claim your authority over your time. Watch how your authority grows when you honor your impulse to write your book. 

What choices are you making with your time? What helps you claim your authority so you can write your book?

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Write Your Book More Easily with a Manifesto

This is part of a series: Claim Your Authority to write the stories only you can.
I knew what I wanted to say. When I talked about my book idea with my colleagues, I felt the fire and the passion of what I want to share with my readers.
This was followed by the impulse to write an introduction, a ‘what this is about’. I wanted to write something that rang true, that would incite joy and possibility and empowerment.
But when I sat down to write my introduction, the idea of drafting something that big and meaningful hindered me. My writing felt stiff and formal.
Does this happen to you? Here’s my solution: write a manifesto for your book and work instead of your book’s introduction.

A manifesto is easier to write than an introduction

A manifesto is about what the impact you’re committed to having for your audience. Thinking about what you want for them will help you get away from the work being about you.
An introduction is an explanation of what is to come. You may not know what exactly will be in your book, so it’s better to write the introduction after you’ve written the book.
A manifesto is a stake – what you’re taking a stand for. It can be used for your work outside the book, if you do workshops or book tours, for example.

Speak your intention

Okay, even though the difference between a manifesto and an introduction is clear, it can still feel difficult to sit down and draft your manifesto.
Try this exercise that I use with my clients and that finally worked for me to carve out what I wanted to say.
(Note: if you have stage fright or dread public speaking, imagine that for the sake of this exercise, you are released of that fear.)
Imagine that you’re in a room full of the people you wish to reach. You’re on stage, looking out over your audience. They’re smiling at you, sending love and appreciation. They are eager to hear what you have to say.

Books photo by Sharon Wharton

You have five minutes to tell them what you want to share. Answer these three questions to get to the heart of your work:

  • What do you want for them?
  • What must they know now?
  • What do you want them to do with the knowledge you’ve given them?

Imagine yourself speaking to your people, from your heart, as if this were your one and only opportunity to do so. The time is now. The need to share your work is urgent.
Feel free to speak it aloud and record it. You can play it back later. Use Dragon Dictation software or other recording device to do it. Or just speak it, then type like mad what you’ve written.
I believe that for this kind of writing, if you’re not crying or nearly crying, you haven’t dug deep enough to write what’s truly meaningful for you.
Imagining a direct and sincere communication with the people you’re writing for can lead you past insecurities that are common at this stage.

Draft your book’s manifesto now

Drafting your manifesto can help you focus on your work as a gift to your people instead of a reflection on how great you are. Your manifesto will help you get out of your own way and hush your inner critic.
This may take several drafts, and it may take time. Don’t worry about it. Get the gist of it out with your manifesto and keep going.
Have you written your manifesto for your life, work or book? How do you use it to fuel your writing? Share in a comment below.
Download a pdf of this article to make Claiming Your Authority easier.
Here are some resources for further exploration on how to write a manifesto.
Life Optimizer
Creativity, Creativity

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How Writing for ‘Nothing’ Can Give You Everything

As I unpack and move into my new home, I am faced with a decision: do I put my journals on the shelves or boxed in the closet?
Hundreds and hundreds of pages, billions of words. For what?

Stacks and stacks of writing

These 100+ notebooks full of free writing and journaling certainly aren’t interesting to anyone. They aren’t publishable and they haven’t brought me any money.
But these notebooks full of my scribbles form the foundation of my writing career. Without the pages and pages of meandering writing, I wouldn’t have built the confidence to dare publishable pieces.
You may struggle with being asked to spend hours wasting ink on pieces that will not be lucrative or publishable. Yet when I coach my clients past the initial hurdles of writing freely, they are amazed at how good it feels.
Here are three ways free writing leads you to achieve your writing goals.

Get focus and clarity on what to write 

There are so many ways to write and so many subjects to write about. Clocking these hours privately in your notebooks will help you decide where to focus your efforts.
Free writing can clear the confusion to reveal what you want to write next.

Write right past your inner critic to get at your gems

Free writing works for all levels and genres because it allows you to circumvent the uptight inner critic that’s always ready with a reason why you should be doing something ‘worthwhile’.

Enjoy a sense of surprise and discovery

Much of this will never be read by anyone, not even you perhaps. No matter. As Natalie Goldberg taught us in Writing Down the Bones, free writing is a practice that you show up for with little expectation.
Anything could be waiting for you in your pages. Great boredom or great discoveries, for the simple price of your pen to the paper. Allowing for the element of surprise lets you surpass your known limits.
This is where the fun comes into the writing process, when you allow yourself to be led by your pen instead of trying to control everything.

Writing for nothing yields everything

My novel, drafted with free writes

So you see, writing for ‘nothing’ can lead everywhere – more confidence, more self-knowledge, more clarity…more you.
Free writing can make a huge difference if you are a:

  • Professional writer accustomed to working for pay and deadline only.
  • New writer who wants to write but don’t know what.
  • Seasoned writer wanting to shift gears or start a new book.

I don’t need to have my journals in sight to continue gleaning the benefits from them. I’ve used free writing since 1994 and have written hundreds of words that have been read and paid for.
Putting the journals in the closet doesn’t change all the hours and effort I’ve banked by free writing. All that writing for nothing has given me everything in my writing career.
What results have you seen from free writing or from a regular writing practice? How does this kind of writing impact your other writing?

Write freely in February

Join us in February for the Free Write Fling. Because everyone, no matter how busy, can give 15 minutes a day to write what’s inside you.
Sign up here.
Here’s what recent Flingers had to say:
“I am a happier person from giving myself this gift of writing for fifteen minutes in the morning. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for having completed it every day no matter what. I am more accepting of myself.
I don’t have to write an award-winning piece every morning. I just have to show up. This has taken a lot of pressure off me.
Thank you for providing a safe arena to explore what is possible. It has really motivated me to keep going.” Julia Atwood
“The Free Write Fling has been a wonderful experience for me.  I wrote every day for 31 days (hooray!), and looked forward each evening to it. The free writes became part of my daily comfort routine.” April Lee
The Free Write Fling starts today. Write daily, starting now.

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Triumph over Editing Despair

On Christmas Eve, I was nestling into bed after a day of play and feasting. While shutting down my computer, I saw the email I’d been waiting weeks for.
My dear friend and editor David Hicks, true to his word, was delivering his comments on my novel before Christmas.

Looking for the light...

I eagerly opened the document. The copious line edits didn’t faze me – I welcome ways to make my prose sing. It was the comments that made this Christmas gift a combination of coal and gold.
In over 300 comments, David pointed out issues both nitty and gritty. Consistency issues, abandoned plot threads, and confusing red herrings were all highlighted.
I quickly shut the document down and ducked toward sleep. Yet the feeling of despair had rooted in, and I spent most of Christmas day in a state of numb weightiness.
Why is revision so difficult?
With every draft past say, draft twelve, I’ve asserted that this was the LAST ONE. With every draft, I was sure I had reached the limit of my persistence. With every draft, I’ve spent at least a year doing the work to make this book not only readable, but excellent.
With a June launch date and plans well under way to get this novel into the world, the last thing I wanted to face was another deep revision.
I spent the last week of 2011 getting my head around this. Trying to shed the weight of the impending work, I turned once again to my coaching skills.
Little problems and big decisions
Sometimes another revision feels like a death sentence!

The thought of hours of wading through David’s comments induced a strong desire to give up and flee. Bleak moments.
But I’ve been here before, and this time I noticed what was below the bleakness: irritation.
I was seeing every comment as a problem to fix. The more comments, the more problems. The more ways I had gotten it wrong and the more work I had to do.
This insight helped me deal with the work ahead. I don’t like problems. I don’t like when things break down or need tending to. Understanding this helped me get a grip.
But dispensing with the little problems, there were now the bigger issues of plot and character. Things I need to think about and change. Make decisions.
Voila two things that I don’t excel at – enjoying solving little problems and making decisions. I can do it, but I don’t like it.
It’s never been more clear to me that how we do something is as important as what we do. I couldn’t do this final revision with this weight on me.
What shifts perspective?
Two things work for me: both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Deadlines and meaning help me triumph over editing despair.
Deadlines   
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest is here again. The deadline is January 23rd. When I read David’s comments, I suspected I wouldn’t be able to finish the book until the end of February.
An January deadline is just crazy enough to jump-start my challenge value. Can she do it? is the guiding impulse here. I’m driven to expedite this revision, not just with speed but with accuracy – to write well and strongly.
An archetype saves me
Several times during the last week of 2011 the Chariot tarot card appeared for me. The Chariot archetype represents success and forward movement. Cheers to that – the novel moving on and into the world, and me with it.
But further study showed me that the Chariot also points us to manage emotions, using the fiery forces within to move forward, not get overwhelmed and stuck.
I need both of those concepts for myself – control over the emotional maelstrom in writing and a sense of forward movement.
Using this image and energy, I am driving toward a January 23rd deadline. I work every day on the novel. I have accepted most of the line edits and am moving through the comments.
I feel a great sense of purpose and commitment, like I am riding that Chariot, and it’s taking me where I want to go. I relish this, because I earned it.
I am grateful to have found both a perspective and a process that will allow me to do this final, final, final revision.
I am more than halfway through draft 16. At this pace, I think I can make the January 23 deadline.
What about you?
What do you find most difficult about the revision process? 
What perspective and process will you choose to keep going?
Take a second and tell us works for you to keep going in your creative projects.

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Why I Help Writers

Pointing the way to the houseboat museum. Lifting someone’s luggage up the subway stairs with him. Taking a photo of a couple on a bridge. Sharing my map with a woman and her daughter.
I can’t not help. When I see someone in need, my first impulse is to help.

This says it all: I'm holding the space for someone to spark their juju

I was recently asked to write about why I do what I do. Why do I coach writers and artists? Why do I guide people to claim their own authority so they can write their stories?
Perhaps it hearkens back to my days of a different kind of service, when I waited tables and sold books at a corner bookshop. People came in and I was there to help. This urge to serve is embedded in my social code, and in my work ethic.
A positive perspective for writers
Years ago, as a young writer, I attended a reading at the Tattered Cover in Denver. I don’t recall the author, but I do remember his message: the writing life stinks, publishing sucks, and if you take him as a model, by the age of 50 you’ll be cranky and bitter, all your words washed away by the uncaring, cruel world.
On the bus home from that discouraging talk, something rose up in me. A determination. A resolve. A knowledge that the sour author was speaking a truth – his truth. And that while the writing life may be an uphill battle, it was one I couldn’t deny.
My clients and students are like me – hearing the call to write and despite all good advice to run far and fast from the writing impulse, they’re heeding it. Following in the footsteps of Julia Cameron, I believe that if you have the impulse to write, you must follow it.
A fool’s journey
To take up the pen and write is an act of foolish courage. It requires bravery, and a willingness to shut away all the negative voices that shout their bad advice (to paraphrase poet Mary Oliver).
How and what we see is reflected in our writing

I know how tender we are when we step forth and admit we want something. When clients and students ask for my help developing their writing life, I already believe they are heroes and am honored to help.
I help with them overcome the issues creative people face. I help boost their confidence. I help sharpen their focus. I help clear away the inner and outer underbrush that gets us tangled up when we try to create something.
All of this helping helps me, too. I feel connected to the rushing river of the creative process, in all its eddies and twists. I feel connected to others, to our deep humanity that so truly wants to generate good things. And I feel connected to my own impulse to write, the humility and grace that’s required to keep on writing.
Even when I’m in a foreign country, people constantly stop and ask me for directions. I think they sense I’m a helpful person. It makes my day to point the way for others. It’s my work, and I’m grateful to do it.
I teach, coach and write because I am here to help people express their unique selves and claim their creative authority. Here’s more about my work. 
Why do you do what you do? 

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Mine Your Journals for Writing Gems

You may have been happily journaling for years. Perhaps you used your journal to write your way through a transformative life experience.

One day, you feel the impulse to poke around in your pages to see what’s there and how you can share it with the world.
You may find stories, poems, or even just a few great sentences that you may be able to use elsewhere. You never know what gold is waiting in your journals until you get in there and explore.

Here are fourteen steps to mine the gems from your journal. 

Don’t worry yet about where you’ll publish anything.

Read through and flag the entries that move you. Use sticky notes or dog-ear the page. 

Schedule time to start typing things up. 

Honor those writing time commitments. 

Begin to type the entries. Feel free to simply enter them as they are or edit as you go – adding, embellishing, deleting. Just commit to typing up the whole entry. 

Do this without judging or worrying about whether anyone else will find it interesting. This is critical – you will doubt if anyone else cares. If you like it, keep going. 

While doing this, your challenge will be to be completely honest. When you find your finger heading toward the delete key, know that you have something good and keep it. (We often want to censor our best work.) Let this draft be for your eyes only so you have the courage to leave the good stuff in. 

You will at some point start worrying and wondering how all this is coming together. Trust the process. Trust the content. Be curious and keep exploring. 

Print your typed entries.

Take yourself to a pleasant place – a café, the park, wherever – and read your pieces. See what moves you, see what inspires you. Make notes for things you’d like to expand or change.

Choose one piece and choose a place where you’d like to submit it.

Find out the submission criteria for that publication. Follow these guidelines when you submit. Or, decide when you’ll publish the piece on your blog or any other way you plan to share it.

Do any final polishing, then send or post your essay.

Celebrate your efforts of bringing a piece from your journal to the world!

What helps you choose the best nuggets from your journals? How do you know when you’ve penned something you want to share?

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See the World Through My Eyes

I hear this often: “I want to see Paris through your eyes, Cynthia.”
What’s it like to move through life as a writer or artist?

Always with the journal

Let’s play ‘Being Cynthia Morris’. Come, step in and adopt my perspective. This is how you’d see the world, whether you’re traveling or at home.
Your thoughts are not linear, and they bounce between what you’re going to eat later to what you’re trying to sort out with your latest article, to being captured by anything and everything that’s happening around you.
You notice everything, every color, every noise, every written word, every dog turd and gesture. It may seem like you’re spacing out and not paying attention, but really, you’re feeling, hearing, seeing and smelling everything.
You’re constantly curious, er, nosy. You’re making up stories all the time about people around you. That couple there? First date. That woman inching along the sidewalk? Widowed for 20 years, still misses her husband’s irritating morning cough. Those young women? On holiday from Spain, enjoying Paris for the first time at volume.
The curiosity doesn’t stop at people. Why is that metro stop called Wagram? Why did they call their shop that? What’s behind all these giant, closed doors?
What's behind that door?!

You move back and forth in time. You’re walking down a tiny street in the Marais, peeking into designer clothing shops. The next thing you know, you’re imagining the sound of jackboots on the cobblestones, feeling the fright of a Jewish person out after curfew. Your own memories intertwine with history. You’re constantly fascinated and astounded by layers of time and history.
You’re obsessed with language. Words in English trip through your head, and also French. A word you’d mulled over yesterday suddenly pops in your head, along with the understanding of its origins and pronunciation.
You’re constantly writing in your mind. Ideas for new articles, better ways to express yourself in old articles, a streaming narration of Facebook posts (that you’ll never do) run through your head.
You’re always accompanied by your inner narrator, and heaven forbid you leave the house without a notebook and pen, or you’ll have to stop and buy writing materials to capture everything. (This article came while walking in the Luxembourg gardens.)
Despite the amazing and disheartening news of the day, you’re hopeful and optimistic. You fear your novel may not be good enough, but you’re also optimistic enough to go for it. In fact, you’ve come to relish ventures that challenge you beyond your perceived capabilities and are always looking for ways to grow.
You’re an idea matchmaker, constantly seeking connections. How does X relate to Y? Can you extend the metaphor to align this idea with that idea to make something new and engaging? What if….
You’re positive about people. You see people with kindness, curiosity and respect. You’re blown away by the thought of the millions of people in the world, the variety of experience and the gazillion stories out there being lived, told and shared right this very minute.
Who are all these people? What are their stories?

You surf a constantly shifting wave of emotions: joy, wonder, sadness, loneliness, frustration, contentment. You’ve come far enough to not cling too much to any one, since you know the next influx of emotion is cresting at the next corner.
You’re a magnet for insights about how you can be a better person, serve others better, enjoy life more. You’re curious about your evolution as a human and about your ever-shifting inner landscape.
You’re still a child in some ways, full of wonder and naiveté. You are willing and able to be stopped in your tracks by something that captures your attention. You can pass cute babies by but dogs will always charm you.
Surprised? Probably not; you’re probably very similar. I’m not saying this is the best way to live, just that it’s my way.
What’s the world like through your eyes? Take a few minutes to jot down your version of the world through your eyes.

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Two Simple Ways to Be Creative Daily

 
My office futon is folded out and my illustrated journal, pen, free writing journal and timer all lie there, inviting me to rest, write and color.
The yoga mat and tennis racquet are in the garage, next to my bike.
Appointments for tennis, yoga, and friend gatherings are on the calendar.
Without these simple strategies for making sure these ‘optional’ practices are in my life, I might never draw, do my free writing, exercise, or get time with friends.
Having visual reminders and time blocked on the calendar are two simple ways to make sure the things that make life pleasurable actually happen.
What works for you to have non-essential but important things in your life? Share your strategies in a comment below.
Daily Writing Impulse
If you’re looking for a way to gain traction on a simple writing practice, perhaps a daily reminder in your inbox will help.
Because this was requested so often, I’ve developed a writing prompt subscription service.

Monthly or annual subscriptions to the Daily Writing Impulse are available here.  Start anytime and use the prompts to write if not daily, at least several times a week.
Subscribe to Impulses, my bi-weekly newsletter, to get insider discounts on this and other offers.
A discount for the Daily Writing Impulse is available to Impulses subscribers and Original Impulses clients before August 1st, 2011. Get the newsletter now and get the deals all year round.

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Be More Creative – Organize Your Book with Index Cards

I’ve written two books, six ebooks and hundreds of articles. The most difficult thing about writing isn’t generating new ideas – it’s wrangling them into coherent order.

Organizing ideas is a challenge for my clients, too. The content for a book can feel unwieldy. This sense of chaos leads to despair and can make my clients want to give up.

Some advocate the outline form, but this is often too linear to be useful. My clients are often visual thinkers, so an outline just puts them to sleep and brings out their perfectionist, who insists that everything be all nice and tidy and figured out before they start writing.

I offer a simple method to make order from the chaos and keep you engaged with your material.

Index cards to the rescue

If you’re writing a book – fiction or non-fiction, try this. Place each idea or scene on its own index card. Feel free to use different colors for different themes or parts of the book.

My novel is set in Paris and in Denver. I used different colors for each location, and when I laid the cards out, this allowed me to see the arc of the story and to gauge the balance between the two parts.

The cards – some people use sticky notes – allow you to shuffle your ideas around. This ability to move scenes around is very helpful when you’re trying to map the whole book out.

One day, a client came to our coaching call with a ton of ideas and inspiration. But was overwhelmed and unsure about how to manage it all. I invited her to try the index card method for homework. This is what she had to say about it:

“I love the index cards. I can place my brain on them and walk away with room in my mind to form more questions and answers. It feels organic to my writing process. It allows my to escape fonts, software and written design. It frees me and embraces me all at once. Simply love it.” Brook

Try blocking out individual scenes for your book, e-book or long article. See how the non-linear method mirrors your non-linear thinking process and allows you to feel more in control of your abundant ideas.

How has this or a similar method helped you organize your content? Let us know in a comment below.